Should I always Renew my Domain Name?

Do you have a website domain name that is about to expire, and you are wondering whether you should renew it? Well, you are not alone. Many people find themselves at this point, and have to make a decision on what steps to take. It is not a constitutional requirement that you renew a domain name, but there are implications for not doing so. These could include loss of your website, deleted emails, and capture by domain pirates and cyber squatters. To help you make a good decision, here is a guide on what step you can take, depending on the situation you are in.

  1. You have an active website, and want to retain it.

If you have an active website, please renew your domain. This will guarantee you uninterrupted uptime, and secures your online identity. It will also ensures that your emails continue to work, and your online identity will not be  taken up by someone else once your domain expires and someone else buys it. (Read article on why you should not wait for your domain to expire HERE)

Renewing a .ke domain costs KES 1000 at Truehost (www.truehost.co.ke), and slightly higher amount with other registrars. Domain transfer from one registrar to another is free.

  1. You have a dormant website, and not sure if to renew

If you have a dormant website, or a website that you do not use, you might feel like you do not need to renew the website. This is especially so if you don’t even use the email function. You need to be sure that you don’t need the domain name, because once you forgo the domain name, it will be up for grabs by other people. You could consider the following:

  1. Renew only the domain name, to retain the name. This is if you want retain the social capital attached to the domain, or if you plan to use it later. You can also set the domain to redirect to your social media page such as Facebook, or to another website that you have
  2. If you have a small website, and one custom email address, you can opt to transfer to a free hosting plan from Truehost. This will guarantee you a running website at half the cost that you have been paying.

If you need more resources, you can also

  1. You can opt to make your website more useful, by following the guidelines posted HERE. This gives you an opportunity to get value for your website!
  2. Not interested in any of the above? You can choose to do nothing, and the domain will expire.
  1. You want to renew, but you have no money.

This is a common situation, especially when you have not gained the much you needed to gain from the website, or you are a developer and the client has not paid for renewal. Here is what you can do:

  1. If you are a developer, give the owner the above reasons for renewal. They will be in a better position to make up their mind.
  2. If you are the owner and you do not have enough cash, you need to find a cheaper place to renew, or opt to keep the domain alone. You could also free hosting, and this will give you a chance to use the domain at no extra hosting cost.
  1. If you are sure that you do not want to renew your domain, then it is time we said all is lost. But not that quickly, you can still maintain a reasonable online presence by using the social media.

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