Average UK business owns 4.7 domains. Only 2.1 are actively used. 89% don't have expiration tracking system until they lose a domain.
Consolidate Registrars
Move all domains to single registrar. Easier tracking, bulk renewal discounts, unified billing. Transfer costs £0 (just renewal fee).
Categorize by Purpose
Primary domain (business site), defensive registrations (prevent competitors), redirects (old campaigns), future projects (holding), expired (let go).
Defensive Strategy
Register common misspellings, alternative extensions, hyphenated versions. Redirect all to primary domain. Prevents traffic leakage and brand confusion.
Enable Auto-Renewal Everywhere
No exceptions. Even domains you "might let expire." Auto-renewal can be cancelled anytime. Manual renewal creates forgetting risk.
Expiration disaster: 23% of UK businesses have lost a domain to expiration. Recovery cost averages £850 (premium buyback or legal fees).
Set Calendar Reminders
90 days before expiration: Review if still needed. 60 days: Confirm payment method valid. 30 days: Final check. Auto-renewal is backup, not primary system.
Update Payment Methods
Expired credit card = failed renewal = lost domain. Check card expiration dates annually. Add backup payment method if registrar allows.
WHOIS Privacy on All
Public WHOIS data attracts spam and competitive intelligence gathering. Enable privacy protection on every domain. Cost: £0-5/year per domain.
Document Ownership
Spreadsheet with: domain name, registrar, purchase date, expiration date, renewal cost, purpose, redirect target. Update quarterly.
DNS Configuration Backup
Screenshot or export DNS settings for each domain. If registrar account compromised, you can restore settings immediately at new registrar.
Transfer Locks
Enable registrar lock on all domains. Prevents unauthorized transfers. Unlock only when you initiate legitimate transfer. Re-lock immediately after.
Domain hijacking: 12% of unlocked domains experience unauthorized transfer attempts annually. Lock = simple protection against theft.
Review Annually
Which domains still serve purpose? Expired campaigns can be dropped. Unused redirects consolidate. Average business can cut 30% of portfolio without impact.
Renewal Cost Audit
First-year discount expires. Renewal rates often 2-3x higher. If registrar's renewal price jumps, transfer domain to cheaper registrar before expiration.
Trademark Lens checks domain availability across 15 extensions simultaneously - build defensive portfolio efficiently by registering all viable extensions in single session.