Having firm ownership of your domain name and website is paramount to the success of a business online. As the usual first point of contact in the digital space, your website is what clients first see of your brand and how they find out more about your offerings.
So, what happens when you miss or forget the renewal period? As an essential part of any business with an online presence, you must fully understand the process so you can protect your brand name and ensure you don’t lose your site address.
Don’t Leave It To The Last Second
If your site is registered as a .com.au, .net.au, .org.au or any other .au extension, a lapse in registration will result in the name becoming inactive and unavailable to users. If this happens, it will enter into what is known as a server hold whereby access is prohibited. This status will last around 30 days, during which time the owner can still renew the address. Once this period has passed, however, any name with Australian domain orientation and with the hold status will be deleted. If your website URL is deleted off the register, it will be open to the public and will be able to be bought by another person or even a competitor.
If you have a site address with an international extension, the expiration process can be a little more complicated as these are usually internationally based sites that must go through separate processes to those of AU specific sites. When owning a web address ending in .com, .net, .org, .info or .biz, the expiration process must go through different channels and bodies such as ICANN. Firstly, the address goes into the DNGP, a grace period that protects the website name. This lasts for around 40 days and allows you as the owner to still renew the name by paying the required fees upfront.
If you still have not renewed your site after this point in time the name then enters a further 30 days name redemption period. The original owner can still renew the address, but it is a costly and complex process taking a few days if not more. If the web address is still not renewed after this time it will then go into a 5-day pending delete phase.
After this allotted time the address will be available for registration by any other eligible party or business entity.
Dropping The Ball
When a web address becomes available to be purchased again, it is called a “dropped domain” and will appear as such on any register. This is the most dangerous time as it can be picked up by anyone crawling the dropped names list for good opportunities. As the online space is highly competitive, often these names can be bought up in moments, meaning you will most likely have to try and buy back your address from a third party.
When dealing with an Australian web address, you must ensure you are up to date with your registration and reminder emails. A decisive course of actions when the time comes is integral to the safety and security of your online presence. Not having an active site can bring into question the legitimacy and professionalism of your brand, and as such is not something that can be left to the side.
Protect your URL and be sure not to miss your renewal period. However, if you do, familiarizing yourself with the above information will give you some of the tools you’ll need to get it back under your control.
How Do You Avoid This?
Ideally, your domain will already be registered in your name with the correct contact details and, in the case of .AU domains, eligibility Name and ID that matches your details. If everything is okay in this regard, then your domain registrar should be offering the option to auto-renew your domains. System generated reminders will also be sent to the registrant email on the account at 90, 60, and 30 days from the renewal date.
For professional insight and a trusted hand in the digital space, be sure to contact Big Rock Graphics for website and digital marketing solutions for your business.
Don’t miss out on your domain renewal period in AU. Email or call today and we can discuss your options.
