As a small business owner, you’re probably focused on getting customers, building your brand, and making sales. But there’s one asset you might be overlooking: your domain name—or better yet, your domain portfolio.
In today’s digital economy, your domain name is like your digital storefront. And if you own more than one business, manage different product lines, or plan to expand in the future, managing a domain portfolio becomes very important.
What is a Domain Portfolio?
A domain portfolio is a collection of domain names owned by a person or business. It might include:
- Your main website domain (e.g., yourbusiness.com)
- Similar domains (e.g., yourbusiness.ng, yourbusiness.org)
- Misspellings or shortened versions of your brand
- Domains for new products, future campaigns, or side businesses
Why Should Small Business Owners Care?
Managing your domain portfolio helps you:
- Protect your brand – Prevent others from impersonating or copying your brand online.
- Increase visibility – Multiple domains can direct people to your website through redirects.
- Enable future expansion – Secure domain names for future use so you’re ready to grow.
Imagine owning a bakery called “SweetBites.” You could register:
- sweetbites.com
- sweetbites.ng
- sweetbitez.com (to catch misspelling traffic)
- sweetbitescakes.com (for a product category)
With proper management, these domains support your brand and growth.
Tips for Managing Your Domain Portfolio
1. Register strategically
Buy the main .com, your country’s extension (e.g., .ng for Nigeria), and variations of your business name.
2. Use one registrar
Keep all your domains with a single registrar (like GoDaddy, Whogohost, Namecheap) so it’s easier to manage renewals and billing.
3. Set auto-renewals
Don’t lose your domain because you forgot to renew. Set up auto-renewals and keep your payment details updated.
4. Monitor expiration dates
Even with auto-renewal, check expiry dates occasionally—especially for domains you might want to drop.
5. Use domain redirects
If someone types in sweetbites.ng instead of sweetbites.com, redirect them to the right website. That way, you don’t lose visitors.
6. Protect your domain privacy
Enable WHOIS privacy protection to keep your contact details hidden from the public.
7. Organize with labels or notes
Use your registrar’s dashboard to label or tag each domain (e.g., “Main site,” “Product launch 2025,” etc.).
8. Drop unused domains
If you’re no longer using a domain or it no longer fits your goals, don’t be afraid to let it expire.
Conclusion
Managing your domain portfolio may not seem exciting—but it’s a smart move. It protects your brand, supports your growth, and positions your business for long-term success. Just like you’d invest in marketing or customer service, investing a little time in domain strategy can pay off big.