Do you like to gamble?
A lot has changed over the past decade. The Internet’s growth presents opportunities, but also a lot of risks. Thirty years ago, the iconic generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) .com was the only option to secure your piece of online real estate. Back then, you didn’t have to worry whether your desired domain name is still available or not. There was no need to think about cybersquatting or if a competing law firm would register it to harm your business secretly.
Today, your domain name is more than just your online identity. To establish and preserve your brand’s reputation, you should consider registering the corresponding domain name in various extensions. A defensive domain registration strategy ensures that nobody else can register your name, pretend they are you or harm your business digitally.
For most industries it’s highly recommended to start by focusing on the essentials: .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info; the must-have domain extensions. But as a legal service provider whose job it is to shine not just with expertise and a trustworthy reputation, you should consider going a step further. True to the motto “Cover all your bases.”
Since 2014, well over 1,300 new gTLDs like .LEGAL, .ATTORNEY, .LAWYER, or .LAW were introduced to the Internet, which opened up more online branding opportunities. Due to the increased volume of possibilities, cybercriminals have also gained a much bigger playground. As discussed multiple times before, .law as well as .abogado are both reserved for licensed practitioners only, which helps distinguish you from competing practices and verifies your status as a legitimate legal source. Nevertheless, your domain portfolio is only as strong as its weakest link. The question you have to ask yourself is how you’d feel seeing your law firm’s name, maybe even your family name, being in any of the industry specific domain extensions? And then take it one step further, how would you feel is someone is using “your” name to do – well, to do whatever they want to do with it.
Defensive domain name registration is much more than just an insurance policy, but it certainly gives you the same piece of mind. Why gamble?
Do you want to get a detailed analysis of your domain portfolio and how you ,can set yourself up for success in 2022? Schedule a 15-min call with your exclusive account representative today.
