Managing several domains can be a time-consuming process. Not only do you have to monitor the security of all your domains and keep all content up to date, but you may host them on different platforms where it can be easier to accidentally overlook something on one domain because you’ve handled it elsewhere. Streamline domain management by aggregating domains and using tools to automate and improve domain management, so you can spend more time attending to other important tasks.
The Challenges of Managing Multiple Domains
Much of domain management depends on the interaction between your domain name — the physical URL you maintain — and the IP address where your site’s server is. Through a domain name server, your physical location and your website address are matched together so that a user typing in your URL will find your actual website and not be sent somewhere else or told your website does not exist.
Even when this process is working well, multiple domain management is time-consuming. If you make a settings change to one domain, you have to log out of your account and log in to your other domain’s to make the change. You may want to ensure that your WHOIS settings are hidden to protect our privacy and that any domain emails redirect to regularly checked account.
Once your domain is up and running, you’ll still need to check regularly for security and housekeeping issues that may arise.
Tools to Improve Domain Management
Utilizing tools can cut down on the time-intensive management of your domains. Start with these tools:
· DNS Management Service:
DNS servers map your website URL to your IP address so that users view your website and not content of another domain. With so many domains in existence, robust DNS management is crucial to internet connectivity. A DNS management service prevents errors and ensures consistency across resources.
· Domain Migration Utility:
If moving your domain from one registrar to another, use a migration utility to ensure that all parts of the domain are moved without a hitch and that you don’t lose customized settings.
· Security Monitoring:
A recent DNS attack caused The Huffington Post, The New York Times and other websites to redirect. Security monitoring tools help safeguard your domain from unauthorized access and monitors your DNS records for any changes.
· Add-on Domains:
Add-ons domains allow you to manage many domains from one central hosting account through a virtual hosting system. This can help you save costs and time because you can split the resources to a single domain instead of purchasing separate domains. These add-on domains have their own unique names.
· Domain Identification and Management Tools:
When you’re looking to add more domains, make use of free tools to identify available names and register them — even from Twitter. Domain management tools streamline domain management, even across multiple domain registrars. Some of these tools even allow you to park or sell unused domains to earn an additional revenue stream. Save login credentials so you don’t have to remember the logins for each distinct account.
With the right tools, you can streamline domain management and free up extra time to spend on other important tasks without having to compromise security issues.