What is Premium DNS and Why Should You Consider Investing in It

March 22, 2023March 23, 2023

In the world of online business, having a strong online presence is essential for success. Website is often the first point of contact between the business and potential customers, so it’s important to make sure that company website is fast, reliable, and secure. One important factor in ensuring a high-performing website is the DNS, or domain name system. While most businesses opt for a standard DNS service, upgrading to a premium DNS service can offer a range of benefits. In this blog post, we’ll explore why investing in premium DNS could be a beneficial move for your business.

What is DNS?

Before we dive into the benefits of premium DNS, let’s first take a closer look at what DNS is and how it works. DNS is essentially the phonebook of the internet, translating domain names (like www.example.com) into IP addresses (eg. 192.158.1.38) that computers can understand. When a user types a domain name into browser, the computer sends a request to a DNS server to look up the IP address associated with that domain name. Once it receives the IP address, it will connect to the server hosting the website and display the site in browser.

What is Premium DNS and why invest in it?

So, what exactly is premium DNS? In short, it’s a higher level of service offered by some DNS providers. While standard DNS services typically offer basic functionality, premium DNS offers a range of additional features and benefits. Let’s take a closer look.

Improved Performance and Speed

If you’ve ever experienced an excruciatingly slow website loading time, you know how frustrating it can be for your customers. Premium DNS is powered by servers that are more reliable and faster than regular DNS, meaning the website will load quicker. Premium DNS also offers caching to reduce page loading times, provide a better experience for your customers. This feature is especially useful if the business has a high-traffic website, as it will help manage the traffic load. With faster loading times, customers won’t have to wait to get the content they’re looking for and they’ll be less likely to click away from the website.

Improved Reliability

If the business is running an online store which relies on being accessible to customers at all times, with the advanced security features provided by Premium DNS, the domain name will always be safe and secure. Furthermore, the added speed and uptime provided by the service helps ensure that customers can access the website quickly and without any issues. The increased reliability offered by Premium DNS makes it an attractive option for businesses that depend on their website to stay afloat. With Premium DNS, businesses can be sure that their domain name will remain secure and accessible at all times. This ensures that customers can access the website quickly and easily, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Better Security

Premium DNS hosting is designed to give businesses the peace of mind that their websites and applications will remain secure at all times. It provides advanced protection against malicious attacks, such as DDoS and malware, as well as a higher level of data encryption. Businesses can rest assured that their sensitive information is being kept safe from unauthorized access, protect themselves from costly data breaches and keep their customers’ personal information safe and secure.

Dedicated Support

With premium DNS, you gain access to enhanced support services such as 24/7 live chat, phone support, and ticketing systems. Having this additional level of support available can make a world of difference when dealing with unexpected issues or if you simply need assistance troubleshooting something. On top of that, premium DNS services often provide proactive monitoring to help ensure the business website remains up and running with minimal disruption. Ultimately, this extra layer of support help businesses manages their website with peace of mind knowing that any issues that come up can be quickly resolved.

Introducing WebNIC's Premium DNS Service

As a business, it‘s recommended to have a reliable and secure DNS services to ensure that the website is always accessible and the email services are always up and running. WebNIC is now offering premium DNS service that offers a range of benefits to meet the needs of businesses that require the advance level of DNS performance and security.

Pre-configure the DNS zone before transferring domains to WebNIC. The DNS settings are in place before using the domain, which can save time and reduce the risk of errors.

Automated SSL domain control validation (DCV). SSL certificate can be automatically verified using DNS TXT records, rather than requiring manual intervention.
Automated Microsoft 365 domain verification & DNS template. Quickly set up and manage M365 services, without needing to be a DNS expert.
White label configuration that allows you to use your own NS for your customers.

There is no doubt that premium DNS offer faster query response times, higher security, and better reliability, but how important it is for the business depends on what the needs are. If the company is operating a website that experience high traffic volumes, such as e-commerce websites, media websites, news portals, premium DNS services should be considered. If the DNS is slow or unreliable, it can lead to slow loading times or even downtime for the website. This can have a negative impact on user experience and ultimately result in lost business.

Numeric Domain Names: Advantages, Disadvantages and Impact on SEO

March 9, 2023March 30, 2023

A domain name is an essential component of any website, as it serves as the online address or URL that users type in to access the site. With so many websites already in existence, it can be challenging to come up with a unique and memorable domain name. One option is to use a numeric domain name, which consists solely of numbers and does not include any letters.

What is Numeric Domain Names?

A numeric domain name is a type of domain name that consists solely of numbers. These domain names are often short and simple, making them easy to remember and type. Numeric domain names can be used for a variety of purposes, from creating a unique and memorable brand identity to identifying technical services like IP addresses or web hosting.

The example of Numeric Domain Names was such as 123456.com; 66690.net; 100100.org and so on. When choosing a domain name, it’s important to consider the target audience and the purpose of the website in order to choose the most appropriate domain name for the situation.

Advantages of Numeric Domain Names

Shortness and Simplicity: With fewer characters to remember, numeric domain names are easier for users to type into their browsers and find through word of mouth.
Unique and Memorable: Numeric domain names can make a memorable impression and set your brand apart from the crowd. For example, a company might choose a domain name such as 123456.com to create a memorable brand that people will easily associate with their business.
Technical Purposes: Numeric domain names can be used for specific technical purposes, such as IP addresses, or to identify specific services, namely web hosting services, email servers, or DNS servers.

Disadvantages of Numeric Domain Names

Memorability: While numeric domain names can be short and easy to remember, they may not be as memorable as domain names that include letters. This could make it more difficult for users to find the website through word of mouth or by typing the domain name directly into their browser.
Credibility: Some users may view numeric domain names as less credible or trustworthy than domain names that include letters. This could lead to lower click-through rates and reduced engagement with the website, which could in turn impact its SEO.
Keyword Relevance: If a numeric domain name is not relevant to the content of the website, it may not provide any SEO benefits. On the other hand, if a domain name includes relevant keywords, it could help the website rank higher for those keywords.

Impact of Numeric Domain Names on SEO

While having a numeric domain name is unlikely to have a significant impact on search engine optimization (SEO), it is still one of many factors that should be considered when choosing a domain name for a website. Other factors, such as the quality and relevance of the content on the website, the structure of the website, and the number of high-quality links pointing to the website, are more likely to have a significant impact on a website’s SEO.

3 Tips on Maximizing Your SEO with Numeric Domain Names

Despite the disadvantages, a numeric domain name can still have a positive impact on your SEO. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your numeric domain name:

Focus on Quality Content: The most important factor for SEO is the quality and relevance of your website’s content. Make sure that your website is full of engaging and informative content that will attract users and improve your search engine rankings.
Use Relevant Keywords: If possible, try to incorporate relevant keywords into your numeric domain name. This will help your website rank higher for those keywords and improve your SEO.
Utilize H1, H2, and H3 Headings: Proper use of headings, such as H1, H2, and H3 tags, can help improve the structure and organization of your website’s content, making it easier for search engines to understand the relevancy of your content.

Why Do some Chinese web addresses’ domain names contain a string number?

Some Chinese website addresses consist of a string of numbers is due to partially to the fact that some number puns work well in Mandarin Chinese. For instance, “520” phonetically sounds like “I Love You” or “Wo Ai Ni” and the number “168” sounds like “Prosperous All the Way” in Cantonese; that’s why Chinese love the number 8 because 8 is a lucky number that sounds similar to the word which means “prosper” or “wealth”.

In addition, it can be challenging for the non-Chinese speaker to remember or how to type a website URL in Chinese Characters or in pinyin, the Romanized form of Chinese Character. For instance, “shijiediyimeishipinglun.com” (just an example) may sound so alien and hard to remember even to the Native Chinese speakers.

It’s worth to note that a Pinyin domain name may not always be an exact match to the original Chinese characters. This is because different characters can have the same or multiple Pinyin representations. Hence, it’s crucial to carefully consider which Pinyin representation to use when creating a domain name. Overall, using a Pinyin domain name might be a strategy for creating a unique domain name for a Chinese website, but it’s important to approach the process thoughtfully and strategically.

In short, the use of numbers in Chinese domain names is a common practice for a few reasons:

Pronunciation: Some numbers sound similar to Chinese words, so using them in domain names can help make the website’s name easier to remember and pronounce.
Shortness: Numbers are often shorter than Pinyin (Romanized Chinese), which makes it easier to create domain names that are short and memorable.

3. Cultural significance: In Chinese culture, certain numbers are considered lucky or have other cultural significance, so including these numbers in domain names can be seen as a way to bring good luck or positive associations to a website.

4. Availability: With so many websites and domain names already taken, using numbers in domain names can be a way to create unique and available names that are not already in use.

It’s worth noting that the use of numbers in domain names is not limited to Chinese websites, and it can be found in many other cultures as well.

Numeric domain names conclusion

Numeric domain names can be a good option for those looking for a unique, memorable, and simple domain name. However, it is important to consider the potential drawbacks, such as lower memorability and credibility, when deciding whether to use a numeric domain name. Ultimately, the most important factor in determining the success of a website is the quality and relevance of its content, so it is advisable to focus on that first and foremost.

Author: Chan Kang

Designer: Jackson

IT.COM Domain is the Perfect Choice for Technology and IT Businesses

February 15, 2023March 14, 2023

IT.COM Domain is the Perfect Choice for Technology and IT Businesses

The technology and IT industries are constantly evolving, and having a strong online presence is crucial for success. Choosing the right domain name can be the first step towards establishing a professional and credible image for your business. That’s where the it.com domain name comes in.

The it.com domain name is a Second-Level Domain zone (SLD) that is versatile, memorable, and perfect for businesses in the technology and IT industries. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using the it.com domain name and why it’s the perfect choice for businesses in these industries.

Versatile and Memorable

The ‘it’ in it.com can stand for “information technology,” “internet technology,” or simply “it “. This versatility allows the it.com domain name to be used by a variety of technology and IT businesses, regardless of the specific products or services they offer.

Moreover, the ‘.com’ extension is well-known and widely recognized, making it easy for potential customers to find your website. The it.com domain name is short, easy to remember, and easy to spell, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to establish a strong online presence.

Establish Credibility

Having a .com domain name is an excellent way to establish credibility and professionalism. When customers visit your website and see a .com extension, they know that they’re dealing with a legitimate business. The .com extension is universally recognized as the standard for commercial websites, and choosing the it.com domain name will reinforce your business’s commitment to technology and innovation.

Differentiate from Competitors

In today’s crowded market, it can be challenging to stand out from the competition. Choosing the it.com domain name can set your business apart and help you differentiate from other technology and IT businesses. The unique and memorable domain name can help you establish a strong brand identity and make it easier for potential customers to find and remember your website.

Whether you’re a software company, a tech blog, or an IT consultant, the it.com domain name is an excellent tool for building your brand and growing your business in the technology and IT industries.

General Availability of IT.COM

The general availability of it.com opens on 19 February 2023. This domain name is available to anyone who wants to register, without any restrictions. WebNIC is proud to be an authorized registrar of the it.com and we are ready to provide it.com registration service to our resellers when the general availability opens. Email us at support@webnic.cc if you need more info on registering an it.com domain or visit our FAQ page.

About WebNIC

WebNIC is an accredited registrar for ICANN, and various countries including Asia, Europe, America, Australasia, and Africa. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000+ active resellers in over 70 countries. To join us and become a reseller, live chat with us or email us at inquiry@webnic.cc.

How Domain Registrations Work and the Domain Name Life Cycle

February 8, 2022March 8, 2023

What you need to know about the life cycle of a domain name

Every year, the number of domain names across all top-level domains (TLDs) registered or renewed is in the millions. On the other hand, millions expired as well. The reason behind this is because every domain name goes through a life cycle. Understanding the domain name life cycle is extremely important for anyone who is in charge of managing the domain names of his/her organisation, in order to prevent the troubles that come with expired domains.

However, do note that the life cycle of a domain name discussed in this article is the general way of how it works for most domain names. It may not apply to country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), as this category of domain most often has its own life cycle as determined by their respective governing countries. Some examples of such ccTLDs include:

.au (https://faq.webnic.cc/kb/au/)

.cx (https://faq.webnic.cc/kb/cx/)

.cn (https://faq.webnic.cc/kb/cn-domain/)

.sg (https://faq.webnic.cc/kb/sg/)

.ga (https://faq.webnic.cc/kb/ga/)

The different stages in the life cycle of a domain name

Generally, a domain name can have five different statuses, namely:

Available for registration
Registered
Expired
Redemption Grace Period
Pending Delete

The domain name is available for registration

This is the initial status for a domain name. It is available and it can be registered by any entities, depending on the rules and regulations set forth by each domain extension. Some domain extensions allow for the public to register from anywhere in the world, whereas some require certain conditions to be met, only then can they be registered. When a domain name is available, users can register it online via any domain name service providers. The period of registration for a domain name can range from 1 year up to 10 years.

The domain name is registered

When a domain name is registered, it cannot be registered by any other entities. During this status, the domain name can be used actively for an online service such as a website or email hosting. However, if it is not used actively, then it is known as a parked domain for future use. There are several reasons behind parking a domain name. First, it can protect a valuable domain name. Next, it is used as a secondary domain to send users to the same website of a primary domain, to act as an alias to the primary domain. In addition, a parked domain name is used to keep a domain name, in order to sell it to another interested party.

The domain name has expired

Every domain has an expiration date, and it can be found by checking the WHOIS record. Most domain name service providers will inform the owner of a domain name well in advance before the expiry date, which can range from 60 days to 30 days. However, if the owner still does not renew the registration of the domain name before said expiry date, it will enter the expired status.

When a domain name has expired, users who enter it in their Internet browsers will see a “This site can’t be reached.” message, because it has been removed from the nameservers and it cannot be resolved. After it enters the expired status, the owner can still get a period of 30 to 45 days renewal grace period, depending on the policy of the domain name service provider. He/She may still renew the domain name at a normal rate through the usual renewal process, but not without the risks as below.

The biggest risk is that the domain name service provider can perform a direct transfer of a domain name once it expires, and it will be transferred to another party. Another risk is most service providers will start to park an expired domain name around 3 – 5 days later. A parked domain can be used to display ads, inform others the intention to auction the domain or allow for interested parties to express an intention to purchase it.

The domain name is in redemption grace period

When it is after the expiry renewal grace period, and the domain name is still not renewed by the owner, it enters the redemption grace period. This period typically lasts for another 45 days, and during this period only the previous registrant can renew the domain, albeit at an additional cost. For domain names that are in this status, the WHOIS record’s domain status will show “redemptionPeriod”.

The domain name is pending delete

After a domain name finishes the redemption grace period, it will enter the pending delete status. In this status, it is too late to renew the domain name, and it will be deleted after 5 days. It will restart the domain name life cycle by becoming available for registration again.

What are the consequences of an expired domain?

Understanding the domain name life cycle can help us a lot when it comes to managing our online business or domain names. Being familiar with the different periods and stages help us to identify what and when to do, as well as being more aware of the consequences of an expired domain.

One of them is that failing to renew an expired domain name can result in much hassle, because domain name service providers can directly transfer it out from an owner after the expiry date. Cybersquatters, competitors or any parties can take over the domain, causing many problems if your operations are online in case you just happen to forget to renew.

Another thing to note with an expired domain name is to understand that an “available” domain is not necessarily a “new” domain. It might have been used previously for malicious intents, and it was reported whereby its status changes to clientHold and left to expire. So, it might just be one of the domains that went through the entire cycle and got deleted in the end, before becoming available for registration again.

About WebNIC

WebNIC operates a digital reseller platform covering primarily domain name registration for over 800 TLDs, web security services, email and cloud services. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000 active resellers in over 70 countries. With over 20 years’ experience, we accelerate our partner’s growth through a robust platform, attentive support and wholesale pricing. To join us and become a reseller, live chat with us or email us at inquiry@info.webnic.cc.

.inc is the Solution to Business Domain Name Struggle

July 21, 2021July 27, 2023

What comes first, the domain name or your brand name?

For many entrepreneurs this is a tricky question. Finding the perfect name for your business is a personal and thoughtful decision. That comes crashing down when the domain name you want isn’t available. Here is where .inc domains come in.

.inc is a premium domain extension for businesses that want to be taken seriously. As .inc is relatively new and priced for businesses, there are millions of fantastic names currently available to you.

Join over 3,800 innovative businesses including successful startups and Fortune 500 enterprises from all around the world who have claimed their .inc domain. No matter your industry or location, if you are a business that wants to have a professional web address, the .inc extension can work for you.

Why own a .inc domain?

Exact Match: Millions of businesses are incorporated or end with “inc”. With the option to have your domain name end with .inc, you now can have your domain name be the perfect match to your brand name.

Short & Sweet: Short and keyword domain names are expensive and hard to come by for most traditional domain extensions. With .inc domain, those quality names are available and for a flat rate.

International Credibility: “Inc” is a widely recognised and respected ending to a business name, so much so that even in countries where incorporation is not a legal type of business formation are seeing the value in securing a .inc domain for their business.

Professional: As “inc” is synonymous with business, many top brands including, Docebo.inc, PayPal.inc and Fox.inc, are using their .inc domains as Corporate Sites or Investor Relations pages.

Upgrade: As .inc is relatively new to the market, many brands were already using “inc” in their SLD. Now brands like Fluency Inc. (previously fluencyinc.co) are able to drop the extra characters to fluency.inc.

Improve SEO: Brands like Collab.inc (previously collabcreators.com) are ranking #1 in Google search for “Collab”, above collab.com.

Featured businesses using their .inc domains:

Ratio.inc – The first robotic café based in Singapore.

Neural.inc – AI company located in the United States.

Zero.inc – It’s a members only Cannabis lounge based out of the United States.

Desmond.inc – A full-service art department based in the United States.

O’right.inc – A sustainable business that aims to incorporate sustainability to everyday life and lead a green revolution in the cosmetic industry.

Register .inc domain with WebNIC

WebNIC is an accredited registrar of .inc and we provide .inc registration service to all our partners. We have more than 20 years of experience in the domain wholesale and reseller service, and you can be assured that we will provide the best service experience in helping you to register your .inc domain. Join WebNIC as a domain reseller and start selling .inc today with us!

About WebNIC

WebNIC operates a digital reseller platform covering primarily domain name registration for over 600 TLDs, web security services, email and cloud services. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000 active resellers in over 70 countries. With over 20 years’ experience, we accelerate our partner’s growth through a robust platform, attentive support and wholesale pricing. To join us and become a reseller, live chat with us or email us at inquiry@webnic.cc.

The Domain Name Industry Overview During the Pandemic

June 8, 2021March 8, 2023

The Domain Name Industry Overview in 2020

The year 2020 was a difficult year for many industries. The Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted the performance of many businesses and even caused many businesses to shut down for good, with the exception of some of the world’s biggest tech giants, particularly the FAANG (Facebook, Amazon.com, Apple, Netflix and Google parent Alphabet.)

What about the domain name industry? Are you curious to know how did it fare against the pandemic and what to expect from here on? If you are, then you have come to the right place!

One might expect the domain name industry to fare well, since the pandemic has driven the rapid adoption of digitalisation by many businesses. Naturally, it should only be right that more domains are being registered due to digitalisation, right? Surprisingly, it turns out that the performance of the domain name industry is merely mediocre, in fact it seems to be on the verge of declining.

Check out an overview statistic of the domain name industry in the year 2020 below:

Total number of domain name registrations

The year 2020 closed with 366.3 million domain name registrations across all top-level domains (TLDs). The number has seen an increase of 4.0 million, or 1.1%, compared to 2019.

Image source: https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/dnib/index.xhtml?section=executive-summary

The year-over-year growth, albeit a mere 1.1%, shows that the domain industry is still growing, with a study by Research and Markets stating a post Covid-19 Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of the industry at 6.7% over the analysis period 2020 through 2027.

Join WebNIC as a reseller today to start selling domain names!

.com and .net made up for nearly half of the total domain name registrations

The year 2020 closed with a volume of 165.2 million for .com and .net combined in total, nearly half the volume among the total domain name registrations. Compared with 2019 year over year, the number increased by 6.3 million, or 4.0%. As of 31 December 2020, the total volume of .com was 151.8 million, whereas the total volume of .net was 13.4 million.

Image source: https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/dnib/index.xhtml?section=executive-summary

Join WebNIC as a reseller today for some great deals in .com and .net registrations!

Total number of country-code TLD (ccTLD) domain name registrations

The year 2020 closed with 158.9 million ccTLD domain name registrations. In comparison with the volume of 2019, there was an increase of 1.3 million, or 0.8%.

Total number of new gTLD (ngTLD) domain name registrations

The year 2020 closed with a total volume of 26.0 million ngTLD registrations. The volume saw a decrease of 3.3 million domain name registrations, or 11.2% year over year compared with 2019.

New gTLDs make up for 7.1% of the total 366.3 million domain name registrations, at a figure of 26.0 million. Breaking the 26.0 million figure down further, the top 10 most popular ngTLD in terms of percentage are:

Image source: https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/dnib/index.xhtml?section=new-gtlds

.icu (12.9%), .xyz (11.6%), .online (6.6%), .top (6.0%), .site (5.2%),
.club (3.7%), .vip (3.6%), .shop (2.9%), .app (2.8%), .work (2.1%), other (42.7%)

WebNIC offers a wide range of ccTLDs and ngTLDs, with a total of more than 600 types of domains! Join as our reseller today!

Top 10 largest TLDs by number of reported domain name registrations

When the year 2020 ended, the largest TLDs by number of reported domain names were .com, .cn, .tk, .de, .net, .uk, .org, .nl, .ru and .br.

Image source: https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/dnib/index.xhtml?section=tlds

Top 10 largest ccTLDs by number of reported domain name registrations

When the year 2020 ended, the largest ccTLDs by number of reported domain names were .cn, .tk, .de, .uk, .nl, .ru, .br, .fr, .eu and .it.

Image source: https://www.verisign.com/en_US/domain-names/dnib/index.xhtml?section=cc-tlds

At the close of the year 2020, there were 307 global ccTLD extensions delegated in the root zone, including IDNs, with these top 10 ccTLDs comprising 65.4% of all ccTLD domain name registrations.

Conclusion

Overall, based on the data from Verisign’s Domain Name Industry Brief, the domain name industry performance was of a mixed result. It did not perform as assumed that the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed the industry for rapid growth, due to the move to online by many people and businesses. In fact, the poor performance of ngTLDs’ registration volume in 2020 has pulled down the overall domain name industry performance.

However, this is not an issue to worry about, as more people and businesses are increasingly moving online, which will definitely promote the domain name industry’s growth. The study by Research and Markets shows a post Covid-19 CAGR of the industry 6.7% over the analysis period 2020 through 2027. So, don’t miss the chance to build your domain name business by joining WebNIC as a reseller today!

(data source: Verisign, The Domain Name Industry Brief)

About WebNIC

WebNIC operates a digital reseller platform covering primarily domain name registration for 600 TLDs, web security services, email and cloud services. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000 active resellers in over 70 countries. With 20 years’ experience, we accelerate our partner’s growth through a robust platform, attentive support and wholesale pricing. Please visit https://www.webnic.cc/ for more information or email us at inquiry@info.webnic.cc.

.INC is a Domain Made for Business

May 5, 2021March 8, 2023

What is a .INC domain?

.INC is short for incorporated, and it is a generic top-level domain (New gTLD). It is put in place specifically to cater to businesses but is open to anyone whether they are incorporated or simply value the professional meaning of the “inc” ending. .INC domains offer instant credibility among an elite community of corporations and brands and is the perfect domain extension for businesses, that mean business!

The Launch of .INC Domain

.INC is almost two years old as of the time of writing. It was launched in March 2019 in 3 different phases, where it achieved success as one of the top 50 sunrise periods to date. Phase 1 was the Sunrise Period, with exclusive eligibility for trademark owners. Phase 2, the Early Access Period, was a weeklong opening where early bird fees applied. General Availability opened in Phase 3 where .INC domains became open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Value of a .INC Domain

The registry behind .INC has taken the initiative to position it as a premium domain extension, with the average retail price is in the range of US$2,000 per year. According to the registry, the reason behind this is an attempt to ensure .INC domains are available for businesses looking to actively use their domain name and deter cybersquatting of popular or trademarked names.

Millions of company names already end with “Inc”, the .INC domain gives businesses the opportunity to have their domain name be an exact match to their brand name without any added characters.

The .INC domain is a truly distinctive domain ending that is perfectly suitable for any and every aspiring entrepreneur, small and medium businesses, as well as global enterprises.

Why Every Business Could Use a .INC domain

1. .INC domain is specially crafted for business

.INC shows people that a business is real and trusted, and that it means business. It is well-known and widely recognised around the world as the abbreviation for incorporation. Millions of businesses have their names end with .INC, and now they can also build an online identity that ends with .INC.

2. .INC looks great with any business names

.INC is short and memorable, creating a strong and lasting impression in our minds. It looks great, feels trustworthy and pairs well with any other names. The general public is familiar with the term .INC when they see it, and it helps businesses to gain instant credibility and trust.

3. .INC is a premium domain name extension

.INC domain is priced with businesses in mind, which demands a premium price in order to reduce cybersquatting. It assists businesses to reduce the possibility of facing cybersquatting issues, empowering owners to register the .INC domain they want, when they want it. Save time and money in dealing with cybersquatters, private sellers or pre-owned domain.

Success of the .INC domain

The .INC ending has received attention from many internationally recognized brands since launch. From Fortune 500 corporations to new startups the .INC domain has become home for businesses of various sizes. The universal understanding of the “inc” ending has been well received across a large variety of industries and countries. The top three regions for .INC registrations are United States, United Kingdom and Japan – the latter two being noteworthy as they don’t formally recognize incorporation and a legal type of business formation.

Smaller businesses looking to grow have upgraded their domain names with .INC to match their brand names. Examples include companies such as, Shiftplus.inc, previously shift-plus.jp, Next.inc, which was previously nxsw.co.jp, or Gray.inc, which also owns gray.sg.

Internationally recognized brand names have registered their .INC domains, including celebrities Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Since launch over 50% of businesses listed on the Forbes Most Valuable Brands list, have registered their .INC domain. Below are some of the famous brands with a .INC domain:

nike.inc, dell.inc, sony.inc, google.inc, bmw.inc, toyota.inc, chanel.inc, adobe.inc, visa.inc, baidu.inc

Register .INC domain with WebNIC

WebNIC is proud to be an authorised registrar of the .INC domain. We are an official provider of .INC domain registration service and you can start selling it to your customers. Email us at inquiry@webnic.cc if you need more info on registering .INC.

About WebNIC

WebNIC is an accredited registrar for ICANN, and various countries including Asia, Europe, America, Australasia, and Africa. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000+ active resellers over 70 countries. To join us and become a reseller, live chat with us or email us at inquiry@webnic.cc.

What goes for .EU registrants who are from UK after Brexit?

April 14, 2021March 8, 2023

.EU domain and Brexit

In a historical move, Britain left the European Union (EU) since 1st February 2020, which is known as Brexit. As a result, many of the UK-based .EU domain registrations became invalid, as UK is no longer part of EU.

The European Registry for Internet Domains (EURid), the domain registry in charge of overseeing the operations of the .EU domain, published a notice regarding this development. The aim of doing so is to help the public stay informed about the next steps to take.

Important dates and what happened

1 February 2020 – The UK left the EU.

1 February 2020 to 31 December 2020 – This is a transition period provided to all UK-based .EU registrants to continue to be able to hold and register a .EU domain name.

1 January 2021 – The transition period ended. From this date onwards, EURid enforced the following requirements to be eligible to register a .EU domain name:

· a Union citizen, independently of their place of residence;

· a natural person who is not a Union citizen and who is a resident of a Member State;

· an undertaking that is established in the Union; or

· an organisation that is established in the Union, without prejudice to the application of national law.

As UK is no longer a member of the EU, any UK-based registrants are not allowed to register or own a .EU domain from 1 January 2021 onwards. With that said, the circumstances below apply after said date:

1) EU citizens who are residing in the UK will remain eligible to hold a .EU domain name, provided they update their .EU registration data with their EU citizenship.

2) UK citizens residing in any EU Member State will remain eligible to hold a .EU domain name based on their residence. On the other hand, UK citizens residing outside of the EU Member States will no longer be eligible to hold a .EU domain name.

Important dates for existing .EU registrations

1 October 2020 – EURid sent an email notification to all UK registrants and their registrars to inform them about losing their eligibility to own a .EU domain name starting from 1 January 2021.

21 December 2020 – EURid sent another email notification to all UK registrants who did not demonstrate compliance and their registrars about the risks of non-compliance to their services.

1 January 2021 – EURid sent an email notification to all non-compliant UK registrants and their registrars to inform them that their .EU domain names no longer complies with the regulatory framework. They will be moved to the so-called “SUSPENDED” status until 31 March 2021 (extended to 30 June 2021).

NOTE: Domain name in the “SUSPENDED” status is unable to support any services, but may still be reinstated once the registration data is updated to meet the eligibility criteria.

1 July 2021 – EURid will send an email notification to all still non-compliant UK registrants and their registrars that their .EU domain names are not compliant with the regulatory framework. Therefore, they will be moved to the “WITHDRAWN” status. A “WITHDRAWN” domain name cannot support any services.

1 January 2022 – All domain names in the “WITHDRAWN” status will be REVOKED and subsequently released to become AVAILABLE for general registration in batches due to security reasons.

The effects of Brexit for UK-based .EU domain registrants

As expected, the Brexit move has brought about some negative effects for .EU domain registrations, as it did not go down well with the public, especially for UK-based registrants. For starters, British entities and individuals are no longer eligible to register or renew .EU domain from 1 January 2021 onwards. As a result, the number of .EU domain registrations from UK has seen a sharp decline. In fact, the decline started since 2018, way before the official exit date, as depicted in the graph below:

On the other hand, existing UK-based registrants who are actively using .EU domain previously might also be in a bind now, if they are not aware of Brexit’s development and timeline. If they have not prepared themselves during the transition period given by EURid, they might be facing some serious impacts as stated below:

1) Loss of traffic

They will see a drastic drop in Google rankings, as Google’s system has detected that their website has become invalid. Any links to the website from social media, newsletters, third-party websites, emails, etc., will not work. Precious backlinks to the website might be lost as other websites’ admins might change broken links on their websites.

2) Loss of sales, revenue and potential customers

Websites which do not work will result in users seeing error messages. They cannot complete their initial intended actions, which might include performing a transaction online, submitting an inquiry, check for info etc. As a result, they leave and it impacts these .EU domain name owners’ bottom line.

3) Cybersquatting risks

Cybersquatting is the act of registering the domain name of a brand, with the intention of selling it back to the said brand for a hefty profit. Malicious or not, any eligible parties are able to register and use .EU domain names, previously held by them, the legitimate parties or organisations.

4) Reputational risks

Malicious parties can take control of their .EU domain names and pretend to be them to scam their users and customers, resulting in loss of reputation, negative sentiment and negative word-of-mouth comments. Repairing damaged reputation can be very challenging for them.

5) Loss of email communication

A suspended .EU domain means it cannot be used for any services. Email is one such service, and they might lose all their email communication messages. Following up with customers and colleagues will become more challenging for them, where they need to spend time to update their contact details.

If you have customers who registered a .EU domain, it would be a great idea if you can remind them about the development of Brexit and how it affects their .EU domain names. It is advisable for you to follow up with them and be aware of the status of their .EU domain names. Do provide them with any necessary assistance, and as always WebNIC is ready to assist you, too, should you need assistance. If you have questions regarding .EU domain name, contact us and we will help you!

About WebNIC

WebNIC is an accredited registrar by ICANN, and various countries including Asia, Europe, America, Australasia, and Africa. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000+ active resellers in over 70 countries. To join us and become a reseller, live chat with us or email us at inquiry@webnic.cc.

What is a domain registrar and what are its responsibilities?

February 24, 2021March 8, 2023

What is a domain registrar?

A domain registrar is a business that is responsible for registering and managing domain names, where it bears the responsibility of facilitating the process to ensure successful domain registrations by users. A domain registrar helps a user purchase and manage his/her domain name.

In case you do not know what a domain name is, read our article about domain name here.

A domain name is crucial when building a website, and you cannot have a website without getting a domain name for it. To get a domain name, one has to register it online, and the process here is where a domain registrar plays a role.

What are the responsibilities of a domain registrar?

A domain registrar is responsible for offering domain name registration services to registrants. With this in mind, it performs a few important customer service-related tasks, according to the requirements set by ICANN. ICANN stands for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It is in charge of coordinating the Internet address book and the unique identifiers of all websites worldwide, enabling one global Internet. That is why it is crucial to work with an ICANN-accredited registrar.

Partner with WebNIC, an ICANN-accredited registrar, to start a domain name reseller business!

In such a situation, there exists a relationship between ICANN and an ICANN-accredited domain registrar, held in place by the Registrar Accreditation Agreements (RAA), which sets out the obligations of both parties. Under RAA, a domain registrar is obliged with the following responsibilities:

1. A domain registrar must adhere to numerous ICANN consensus policies. Some example policies include Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy, Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, WHOIS Data Reminder Policy, WHOIS Marketing Restriction Policy, Restored Names Accuracy Policy, Expired Domain Deletion Policy, to name a few. The aim of doing so is that ICANN wants to ensure a high standard of domain name registration service level for all registrants.

2. A domain registrar must update and populate WHOIS data in a timely manner to ensure the accuracy of the data. WHOIS is a database of information that allows users to look up domain and IP owner information and check out dozens of other statistics about the domain name.

3. A domain registrar must submit and update the most recent registration information to registries. A registry is an organisation responsible for monitoring certain top-level domains and their corresponding registration information, which a domain registrar submits.

4. A domain registrar must provide users with public access to WHOIS data, where they can search for the information associated with a domain name. It is important to have a certain degree of transparency and access to owner info, in case there are any issues with a domain name.

5. A domain registrar must require all Registered Name Holders (domain name registrants) to enter into a registration agreement that includes specific provisions. The agreement outlines the laws and regulations related to the domain name, which provides a high level of transparency in dealing with domain name issues.

6. A domain registrar must investigate reported inaccurate contact information. The contact info of a domain name registrant is usually available through WHOIS data, and anyone can reach out and contact them to handle domain name issues. It is possible for the presence of inaccurate contact information in WHOIS, and if reported by users, a domain registrar must do due diligence in investigating it.

In summary, there are many responsibilities for a domain registrar, and the most crucial part is to handle all domain name transactions initiated by a user, namely registration, transfer and renewal. The domain registrar plays an important role in updating registries whenever there is a new domain name purchase by a customer. It is required to maintain a database of accurate information to ensure the Internet works smoothly.

Domain Registrar Compliance Program

Other than the responsibilities stated above, there is also a Registrar Compliance Program outlined by ICANN, and it must be complied with by a domain registrar. Under this program, the lists of domain registrar compliance areas are outlined below:

1. WHOIS management
A domain registrar is required to comply with the provision of free public WHOIS service on Port 43 and via the web. It must also submit all required data elements to the registries and update data in a timely manner. It is also required of a domain registrar to take the necessary steps to investigate and correct inaccuracies upon notification. Besides, a domain registrar also needs to provide annual WHOIS data reminders to registrants.

2. Domain name transfer
Every ICANN-accredited domain registrar must allow domain name registrants to transfer their domain names to another registrar. Any registrants can submit any complaints regarding the transfer process of a domain registrar, and ICANN will take the appropriate steps to review and follow up with the domain registrar in question.

3. Domain name renewal
Every ICANN-accredited domain registrar needs to abide by policies regarding domain name expiration and the renewal process. The compliance includes specific communication standards to notify registrants of domain name expiration, as well as the standard of the renewal process.

4. Data escrow compliance
A domain registrar is also required to submit an electronic copy of its database to an escrow agent in accordance with an agreed schedule and format. The process is done by having the domain registrar enter an agreement with ICANN and the escrow agent. From there on, the domain registrar needs to submit data accordingly on schedule, in the proper format and which complies with the requirements stated in RAA.

Such a process aims to safeguard the registrants, in case of any forms of failure from the domain registrar. A data escrow agent is a neutral third-party which stores the data and restores said data when the circumstances arise.

5. Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) compliance
The UDRP is a method to resolve certain domain name disputes regarding trademarks. When an independent dispute resolution provider files a dispute, ICANN requires that a domain registrar complies with the UDRP. The compliance areas include specific procedures, such as verifying registrant information, maintaining domain status quo, locking domain names, and timely implementation of UDRP decisions.

In conclusion, there are many responsibilities and compliance that is required in becoming a domain registrar. Besides, the process to qualify as a domain registrar is daunting and incredibly challenging, which is why not many businesses are willing to commit and invest in becoming one. However, there is still the alternative of joining us as our reseller, in which you can still involve yourself in the domain industry. We offer many benefits to become our reseller, check them out here!

About WebNIC

WebNIC is an accredited registrar by ICANN and various countries, including Asia, Europe, America, Australasia, and Africa. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000+ active resellers in over 70 countries. To join us and become a reseller, live chat with us or email us at inquiry@webnic.cc.

Web Business Now Made Easy With WHMCS Managed Service

December 11, 2020March 8, 2023

What is WebNIC WHMCS Managed Service?

WebNIC WHMCS Managed Service is a new service to help our existing resellers and new resellers to leverage on WHMCS to automate the business processes for their web business. It is beneficial for our partners who intend to optimise their web business operations through automation, as well as newcomers to the web business industry. However, the setup and configuration of WHMCS can be quite challenging, even for experienced players in the web business industry, not to mention newcomers. Hence, we have rolled out WHMCS Managed Service to help you, all of our valuable partners (existing or new), to enjoy the convenience of WHMCS automation. We help you to lift the troubles you face while setting up WHMCS to ensure you get a pleasant experience in the process. It is our aim to make WHMCS setup and configuration easy and simple for you! We want to help our resellers to start and manage a web business without hassle, making it truly simple and painless by using the leading management platform in the world, WHMCS!

WHMCS automation for web business

What is WHMCS?

WHMCS is an automated billing and management platform for all your web business’s need. It is a single, unified management platform which contains optimisation and automation for all web business related operations, such as hosting, domain, billing, customer support suite and developer’s tools. WHMCS allows users to setup and configure automation for all of the operations below, making the management of a web business convenient and efficient.

WHMCS provides hosting service

Hosting

Optimise the web hosting purchase experience for your customers. Use WHMCS to easily deploy customer hosting account provisioning, such as creating, suspending, modifying and terminating accounts. It also integrates with all leading hosting control panels, cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, etc. You can choose from a wide selection of order form templates to use, to enable automated checkout of your customers.

WHMCS provides domain name service

Domains

WHMCS helps you to automate and simplify your web business’s domain management by providing your customers a full feature self-service management portal. It is able to integrate with all the major domain registrars to deliver a quick and efficient domain registration process once it is set up. With WHMCS, your customers can perform registration automatically, check domain availability real time, manage nameserver, transfer domain, set up automatic renewals and many more.

WHMCS provides automated billing service

Billing

WHMCS is able to fully automate all billing related operations for your web business. You can set it up to help your web business process tasks such as generating invoices, recurring payments setup, collecting payments, sending payment reminders, tracking performance and many more. It also accepts multi-currency, handles taxes, creates coupons and promotions, and many more billing-related functions. The most important thing is WHMCS is integrated with many payment gateway solutions, including credit cards, third-party gateways like PayPal, offline payments etc. You can rest assured and let WHMCS handle all your billing tasks!

WHMCS provides a powerful customer support suite

Customer Support Suite

WHMCS provides a built-in customer support desk. Support your customers with a powerful support ticketing system and give them a pleasant customer experience in doing business with you. Combine and track all your customer communication in a single place designed for team collaboration. Be on the same page as your support staffs to view all things related to the customer’s request and details. With WHMCS, your customers can easily reach out to you by opening support tickets through the web or email and you can easily delegate them to your staffs to provide a quick and efficient customer support experience.

WHMCS is highly flexible in integrating with other software

Developers

WHMCS is a dynamic, flexible and powerful platform, as it can integrate with many different service providers and tools. You can fully customise the looks of your WHMCS and integrate it with any other software that benefits your web business. It provides powerful hook and API that your developers can easily build your web business upon, because WHMCS is created in a modular architecture. Discover more applications, themes and integrations in WHMCS Marketplace to take advantage of for your web business. There is also a developer community to help your developers if they need it.

5 reasons to use WHMCS for your web business

Why use WHMCS for your web business?

1. Low-cost and affordable

Take advantage of the powerful and robust features that WHMCS provides you with at a low cost. Offer a wide range of web business services to your customers without spending a big budget. WHMCS helps you to systematically reduce operational costs and increase your web business profitability.

2. Increase productivity

Say goodbye to manual work in processing your customers’ orders. WHMCS offers automation and immediate processing for the orders you receive. Process more orders by automation.

3. Increase reliability

Lower the chances of making a mistake due to human error while processing your customer’s order. WHMCS automates it and helps to increase reliability for a high-quality customer experience.

4. High availability

WHMCS helps your web business in the provisioning of web services to your customers 24/7/365. Serve your customers day and night throughout the year, anytime and anywhere.

5. Easy maintenance

To start using WHMCS, it requires an initial setup and configuration once only. After that, it only requires a least amount of maintenance, saving you time and effort.

However, the setup and configuration of WHMCS can be quite challenging, even for experienced players in the web business industry, not to mention newcomers.

Let us help you to take out the painful WHMCS configuration from the equation!

Kickstart your web business immediately and resell the following WebNIC products: domain, SSL certificate, Office 365, Alibaba!

Introducing WebNIC WHMCS Managed Service!

WebNIC WHMCS Managed Service

How does WebNIC WHMCS Managed Service work?

The new service will help you to get started with using WHMCS for your web business! We help you to do the initial setup and configuration of WHMCS for your system, by assigning a dedicated member of our team to help you! We want to provide you a smooth and hassle-free experience in fully installing, configuring and setting up WHMCS. We get it ready for you in perfect shape, so that you can start using it for your web business immediately. The service includes all of the following:

* Servers should meet our System Requirements before the service can be performed.

How to get started?

You can get started by contacting us to express your interest in our WHMCS Managed Service!

If you are an existing WebNIC reseller:

Drop us an email at support@webnic.cc to request for the service.
Visit our WHMCS Managed Service info page and submit the form at the bottom of the page!

If you are a non-existing WebNIC reseller, kindly sign up at our website first and activate your WebNIC reseller account. Once you have successfully done so, contact us to request for the service through any of the options above.

Conclusion

With this new WHMCS Managed Service, we hope to help all of our resellers to take advantage of the powerful WHMCS platform to automate their web business. We want to make the experience of setting up and configuring WHMCS pleasant for all of our resellers, and we will assist you in every step of the process. Simplify and automate all your web business processes, and focus on growing your business with our new service! Get started here! If you have any other inquiries, feel free to drop us an email at inquiry@webnic.cc!

About WebNIC

WebNIC is an accredited registrar for ICANN, and various countries including Asia, Europe, America, Australasia, and Africa. With offices in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Taipei and Jakarta, we serve 5,000+ active resellers over 70 countries. To join us and become a reseller, live chat with us or email us at inquiry@webnic.cc.