Your domain name might seem like the simplest part of your website setup—it’s just your address online, right? But managing it poorly can lead to real problems. From expired domains to lost email access, even minor mistakes in domain management can cost you time, traffic, and trust.
At Ezyweb, we manage websites for businesses across Australia, and we’ve seen firsthand how easily things can go wrong when domains aren’t correctly maintained. Here are seven common domain management mistakes to avoid, along with tips on how to correct them before they cause trouble.
1. Letting Your Domain Expire
One of the most common issues—and one of the easiest to prevent. If your domain expires and you don’t catch it in time, your website and emails will go offline. Worse still, someone else could register your domain and take it over.
✅ What to do: Set your domain to auto-renew and keep your payment details up to date.
2. Not Knowing Who Owns the Domain
Sometimes a staff member, friend, or old agency registers the domain “on your behalf,” but lists themselves as the owner. That might seem harmless—until they leave, disappear, or refuse to hand it over.
✅ What to do: Make sure your domains are registered in your ABN, name or business name, and that you have full access.
3. Using a Personal Email for Domain Registrations
If your domain is associated with an old Gmail or Hotmail account and you forget the password (or lose access), recovering it can be challenging. This situation worsens if the email address is no longer in use.
✅ What to do: Use a current, monitored business email address for your domain registration.
4. Ignoring Domain Privacy Settings
When you register a domain, your name and contact details can be publicly listed in the WHOIS directory—unless you enable privacy protection. Without it, you’re more likely to get spam, phishing emails, or even targeted scams.
✅ What to do: Enable WHOIS privacy protection through your domain provider if it’s available.
5. Hosting Your Domain and Website Separately Without Knowing Who Manages What
It’s not uncommon to register your domain in one place and host your website in a different location. But if you don’t know where each part lives—or how they connect—you’re vulnerable when something breaks.
✅ What to do: Keep a record of who manages your domain, your hosting, and any DNS settings. A trusted provider (like Ezyweb) can manage all of this for you if needed.
6. Letting Unused Domains Sit Without Direction
If you own multiple domain names—like .com.au, .net.au, or misspellings of your brand—but they aren’t pointing anywhere, you’re missing an opportunity to protect and strengthen your online presence.
✅ What to do: Redirect unused domains to your main website so they work for you (and not your competitors).
7. Not Reviewing or Updating DNS Settings
Your DNS (Domain Name System) is what connects your domain to your website, email, and other services. If the records are outdated or misconfigured, it can lead to website downtime or email issues.
✅ What to do: Review DNS settings when making changes to hosting or email. If you’re unsure, ask your provider to walk you through it.
Final Thoughts from the Team at Ezyweb Australia
Domain names might not seem like a big deal until something goes wrong. Then it’s panic stations. The good news is, with a bit of attention and the right help, domain issues are easy to avoid.
At Ezyweb, we help small businesses across Australia manage their domains, hosting, websites, and email under one roof. We keep things simple, safe, and in your control—no jargon, no surprises.
Need help setting up your domain or transferring an existing one?
📞 Reach out to our team at ezyweb.au
