Do You Need www. in Your Domain? Plus How to Protect Your Brand from Domain Squatting

When setting up your business website, two questions often come up:

1. Should you print domainname.com or www.domainname.com on your business card?

2. How do you protect your brand from someone misusing a similar domain name?
   

In this blog, we’ll cover both topics in detail. We’ve also included video links so you can see everything explained visually.

Do You Need www. in Your Domain?

Here’s a common dilemma:

• Should your business card, email signature, and website branding show domainname.com or www.domainname.com?
  

The truth is: both should work the same if your website is set up correctly.

How It Works Behind the Scenes

When someone types:

• www.domainname.com

• domainname.com (without www)

…they should be taken to the same website.

A good web administrator ensures this by:

• Setting up A records and CNAME records at the DNS level

• Configuring 301 redirects at the web hosting level

This way, visitors always land on your main website, no matter if it's domainname.com (without www).

What Should You Print?

Since both versions work:

• Choose whichever looks cleaner or matches your brand style.

• For example, laxmitextiles.com often looks more modern and minimal.

The key point is not the printing but ensuring both versions redirect properly behind the scenes.

Watch the Video: Do I Need www.?

Protecting Your Brand from Domain Squatting

Now let’s talk about domain squatting—a problem many businesses face.

Imagine your official domain is laxmitextiles.com. Someone could register:

• laxmitextile.com (a typo)

• laxmitextilesindia.com (a variation)

• laxmitextiles-offers.com (misleading or fake offers)

This practice is called cybersquatting or domain squatting.

Why Do People Do This?

Cybersquatters might:

• Mislead your customers to fake websites

• Sell counterfeit products

• Redirect traffic to your competitors

• Demand money to hand over the domain name

How to Protect Your Brand

1. Register Variations in Advance

   • Buy common variations like:

     • .in, .org, .net

     • Typos or alternate spellings

     • Location-based domains like laxmitextilesindia.com
       

2. Use Legal Protection

   • Trademark your brand name officially.

   • Send a legal notice if someone misuses your brand domain.
     

3. File a Complaint Under UDRP

   • UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) allows you to recover domain names that infringe on your trademark.
     

4. For .in Domains

   • File a complaint with the.IN Registry if your domain name is India-specific.
     

5. Maintain Control of Your Main Domain & DNS

   • Always keep ownership details updated and renew on time.

Pro Tip: Defensive Domain Registration

Many businesses buy not only their main domain but also:

• Multiple extensions (.com, .in, .org, .net)

• Common typos

• Industry-specific domains

They redirect all of them to the main website. This prevents cybersquatters from taking advantage of their brand name.

Watch the Video: Domain Squatting Explained

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring renewals → Expired domains can be bought by others.

• Not buying variations → Typos or alternate spellings can hurt your brand.

• No trademark protection → Makes it harder to fight cybersquatters legally.

FAQs: www. and Domain Squatting

Q1: Can I force someone to give up a domain name similar to mine?  A: Yes, through UDRP complaints or legal action, especially if you have a trademark.

Q2: Do I need to buy every possible variation?  A: Focus on common ones and key extensions. Buying everything isn’t practical, but cover the most likely risks.

Q3: Does Google care about www or non-www?

 A: No, as long as your redirects are set correctly, SEO impact is the same.

Final Thoughts

Whether you print www.domainname.com or just domainname.com, the main thing is both versions should work and redirect properly.

Protect your brand by buying variations, renewing on time, and using legal tools if someone tries to misuse your name.