• Mar 20, 2023

Managing your domains a quick guide

Original article 17  Oct 2011 - Updated Apr 2024

I recommend using tppwholesale.com.au for .com.au and .au domains and GoDaddy.com for .com domains. Both companies allow you to call and discuss problems, or alternatively chat.

Problems with domain resellers

Avoid them - recently I wasted 8 hours after discovering a domain reseller had not sent my client a renewal notice. Phone calls bounced back and forth from the reseller and the wholesaler. The reseller sent my client a password that didn't work and the wholesaler said they can do nothing as it was up to the reseller.

Buying domain name variants

A common strategy for businesses is to buy up masses of domains - however SEO techniques that use a domain name stacked with keywords in it are not as effective as they previously were. Also for local results Google My Business prevents a purely domain buying technique from being effective. A good relevant short domain name works well. "Pick something for the long run" recommends Google's John Mueller (2024).

81% of consumers use Google to evaluate local businesses

In fact having masses of domain names could just be a waste of money unless it's a deliberate business strategy to prevent a domain name being available to others. There is no real value in an unused domain name.

However if you do come up with a good web idea the first step is to reserve the domain name(s). It is important to be comfortable with the actual name you choose because you may be saying this name quite often.

In Australia .com.au and .au domains are slightly more effective than .com names however you can get to the top of Google with either in Australia.

It is very important that the structure of your site is effective rather than just a domain name with keywords in it. An effective structure and an effective design will naturally gain traffic from Google.

If you are at all confused about purchasing a domain get independent help, avoid predatory domain operators

Registrant must be you

Make sure you or your company are listed as the registrant of your domain name with contact details that will not go out of date. By not going out of date, ensure the email address is a permanent one or update the details if necessary. Don't allow anyone to buy a domain name on your behalf unless you trust them to put it in your name.
I have seen examples where 'marketing' people place the domain name in their own name for prospective clients. This can only lead to problems later especially in Australia which has a stricter change of registrant procedure for .au names.

Even if the registra used for your domain name is managed by your web developer, the registrant must be you (keep a copy of your domain name password). Then in an emergency you can access your domain.

Nameservers - getting your site live

Nameservers are a setting in your domain that point your domain to a specific server that hosts it. Usually you need 2 listings that go something like ns1.yourhost.com ns2.yourhost.com
Essentially once these are setup your site on that server is live.

When your nameservers are changed it can take 24-48 hours for that to take effect (DNS propagation). Hence this is the time it takes for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) around the world to update their caches with your new DNS information.

Understanding DNS

A basic knowledge of DNS (Domain NameServer) is becoming useful because it can be used to increase security or verify emails.

DNS records tell computers how to find your website and where to deliver your company's email messages.

The problem is there is a quite a lot of learning required to understand DNS entries. There is also a variety of back-end systems for changing DNS. Some domain management companies charge for simple updates to your DNS.

One useful tool for looking up DNS for any site can help learn your DNS entries.

Email

Email can be setup via the host or setup separately - hence you can use one hosting company to host your site and you can also have your own private email server if need be or a separate host for the email. Check our article on Business Email Tips. Products like gmail or Office 365 can be integrated into your email. Most hosts prefer to specialise in Hosting and not email. Finding a specialist email provider is a good way to go. Entries in your DNS verify your email credentials.

Transfering a domain name to a new registrar

Basically, to transfer a domain to a new registrar, you need to have the following:

1. EPP code or transfer code.
2. Access to the current registrant email address so you can approve the transfer request.
3. The domain must be unlocked for transfer.

This can be processed from a new registrar as long as you have access to the registrant email listed on the domain. Some registrars will require a renewal to be processed, like an extra year.

The worst domain name experience

One of my clients runs a pool service in Brisbane - the experience Mitch had with a domain name reseller was extraordinarily poor. If he did not have the account topped up for auto renew the company "invented" a new charge. It was not possible for the client to pay his renewal 12 days before it was due. In the end he paid a $340 ransom to renew a $29.95 domain renewal.

Web Developer GoldCoastLogin.com.au 20+ years of web development and SEO.

Phil Hoile

Author