Read This Before You Let Your Domain Expire

Changing your name? Closing up shop? Here’s why you might not want to get rid of your old domain name, at least not for a few years.

If your business is switching to a new domain name, either because of a rebrand or because you’ve acquired a more desirable domain, it’s important to take the proper steps to protect your company from potential harm. Regardless of why you are switching names, there are risks involved with dropping the old name too soon. 

When domain names expire, they typically go up for auction, where they can be purchased by the highest bidder. That means a competitor, reseller (aka domain squatter), or any number of interested parties can simply buy your domain and use it however they like. If your name isn’t sold at auction, it becomes available for registration by anyone who wants it.

Before letting go of the old domain, there are a couple of scenarios to consider that could significantly impact your company.

Domain Redirects

A competitor or someone with ill intentions could automatically redirect your domain to their own website, potentially stealing your customers or infecting their devices with malware.

Email Hijacking

Once in control of your domain, someone could set up the same email accounts previously used by your company to send and receive mail. This means they could receive mail that was indented for you, or they could trick your contacts into providing information or buying products from a fraudulent source.

In extreme cases, your old email addresses can even be used to hijack other accounts if your email is set as the login or recovery address.

Real world example: We were recently contacted by a company that merged with another larger organization and let their domain expire thinking they no longer had any use for it. Unfortunately, they forgot to update an important social media account’s backup email. A scammer registered the old domain (over 2 years later), set up an email address for the account owner, and proceeded to hijack his social media profile for their own nefarious use. This is an extreme case, but it illustrates the lengths a scammer might go to.

Before you let your domain expire 

Because of the potential risks of shutting down an old domain name, we recommend keeping the domain under your control for 1-3 years depending on how much you used the previous name. In most cases, the minimal cost to renew the domain each year is worth the extra insurance. Here are some things to consider:

• Forward your old email addresses to the new domain. Keep the forwards in place for at least a year so you don’t miss anything important.
• Let your contacts know you’ve changed your email address.
• Be sure to update all logins associated with old email addresses. Using a password manager makes this process easier.
• Set up a redirect for the old domain to your new domain so customers can still find your website.
• Update business directory listings.
• Post to your social media profiles to let people know about the change.
• After 1 year, check website stats for references to the old domain to make sure you won’t be losing referral traffic.
• Check Google search results for references to the old domain.
• Find and update links on other websites.
• Update all print advertising, business cards, and signage to include the new domain.

Once you’re sure your old domain name is no longer providing any value, you can rest easier knowing that it won’t be used to steal customers or defame your company’s good name.

Posted November 15, 2024