Domains - the complete guide to domain names

Introduction 

A domain name is your company’s digital address (e.g., company.no) and a core business asset -affecting trust, visibility, email deliverability, and brand protection. A strong domain name isn’t just an operational concern, but a critical tool in advancing and protecting your brand and a strategic investment in your digital identity. The decision on which domains to own (or not) is often made too light-heartedly, without understanding the long-term implications on marketing, traffic and security. 

Understanding the landscape for domains, and its connection to brand, intellectual property and security is key for any successful digital presence. 

Over a thousand various top-level domains (TLDs) exist and their usage varies across the globe. In Norway, a .no domain is perceived as a safe, credible “local” choice because registrants must be identifiable and connected to Norway (Norid rules). For international purposes and brands, the .no domain quickly loses its appeal as recognition and trust in the TLD elsewhere is low. 

In this complete guide, we’ll provide insight into domain management from a Norwegian and Nordic perspective (with a global outlook where relevant). We’ll cover the basics of what domains are and how the Domain Name System (DNS) works, and tackle common questions about buying, transferring, protecting, and even investigating domain name issues.

Domain basics 

What is a domain? 

A domain name is a human-readable name that directs users to your website, app or other internet services through what’s called DNS (Domain Name System). It’s the backbone of how we communicate across the web. 

Domains also matter for branding, credibility, and findability online. A good domain name that matches your business name makes it easy for customers to find you and trust the information presented, whilst a good overall portfolio ensures you protect that namespace from third parties and malicious actors.

What is DNS? 

DNS is the fundamental internet infrastructure which enables us to access resources online. 

It connects your domain name to your services (website, email, apps) and is most often described as the phonebook or GPS of the internet. Its job is to translate domain names into IP addresses which is how our computers communicate and identify each other. 

In terms of reliability and security: DNS is a resilient distributed system but remains vulnerable to various cyberthreats (such as DNS spoofing or DDOS attacks).

What types of domains exist (ccTLD vs gTLD)? 

There are two broad categories of domain name extensions (the part after the dot): country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

• ·ccTLDs are two-letter codes assigned to countries or territories. For example, .no is Norway, .se is Sweden, .dk is Denmark, .fi is Finland, etc. Each ccTLD is managed by a designated registry in that country and often has policies tailored to local needs.
  
• ·gTLDs are generic top-level domains, not tied to a specific country. Traditional gTLDs include .com, .org, .net, etc. In the last decade, many new gTLDs have been introduced (like .shop, .tech, .agency, and hundreds more) to offer more choice to domain owners.

Which should you choose? 

This depends entirely on your audience and company. In Norway (and the Nordics), it's common for businesses to use their country’s ccTLD for local presence because locals recognize and trust those. However, for any company with an international presence or aspiration, the .com is still the most recognizable TLD globally. It’s often most beneficial to diversify the portfolio to include both gTLDs and ccTLDs, and to adjust in accordance with local market preferences. But the choice of domain(s) also has operational and brand protection consequences.

What makes .no special for a Norwegian market? 

The Norwegian country-code domain .no has an exceptionally unique standing. It’s not just a country code; it’s a quality stamp in the Norwegian market. Surveys indicate that given a choice, Norwegians prefer shopping on a .no domain if other factors are equal, the domain is seen as “Norwegian” and by implication safer or more accountable. This reputation comes from how the .no namespace is managed; the registry for .no is Norid (Norid AS), and they enforce rules that make the .no domain special. Key aspects that make .no distinct: 

• ·Local Presence: Only entities with a Norwegian connection can register a .no domain. Organizations must be registered in Norway with an organization number, and individuals must have a Norwegian national ID number. When registering, you must provide this information, which Norid (the registry) verifies. In other words, the majority of .no domain has a traceable, real person or company behind it
  
• ·Limits on Number of Domains: Norid also historically puts a cap on how many .no domains one holder can have, to prevent hoarding. Each Norwegian organization may register up to 100 .no domains, and each individual can register up to 5 .no domains This policy intends to create fair opportunity and prevent mass-registration.
  
• ·Norwegian Language Characters: .no domains can include Norwegian letters like æ, ø, å in addition to the standard a-z. Not all TLDs support this or have the local characters relevant to Norwegian.

In short, no is highly regulated compared to many other TLDs. For businesses in Norway, this is a good thing – it means your domain is in a well-maintained namespace with less fraud and squatting.

How to register a .no domain: 

1. Ensure you are eligible 
To register .no, the holder must have a real Norwegian identity: 
Organizations: Norwegian organization number (Brønnøysund) 
Individuals: Norwegian national ID and Norwegian address (with limits) 

2. Choose a provider: Norid doesn’t sell .no domains directly to end-users; you must go through a domain provider which either is, or collaborates with, a registrar accredited by Norid. Choose a provider with a good reputation, good support (in English or Norwegian as you prefer), and a user-friendly management interface.

3. Search for availability: If it’s already taken, you might need to try an alternative name or a different extension. If the name is free, you can proceed with registering the domain. If it is taken, you will need to either find another option or acquire the domain from the current owner.

4. Register: Fill in or provide the required information, approve the registration agreement and proceed to register your domain name.

How much does a domain cost? 

This varies between registrars, providers and TLDs. However, in general domains are very reasonably priced (if it’s not already owned by someone else). Typical .no prices range from NOK 100-300 per year and prices for .com typically range between NOK 200–350 per year, excluding VAT.

What does a typical domain strategy look like?

1) Choose a “primary” domain 

For most Norwegian businesses: 
Primary: brand.no or brand.com 
Secondary/defensive: local markets (brand.se, brand.de, brand.nl etc), and in some cases a shortlist of common misspellings under the primary Tld depending on perceived risk. 

2) Should I register brand variants to reduce risk? 

Prioritize the exact brand name (with and without Norwegian characters where relevant) and key product names. Whether any variants should be registered is highly case specific, but their value should be evident in either driving traffic to your site or protecting it from malicious actors. 

Aggressively registering variants and misspellings will quickly prove more costly than valuable and you’ll benefit more by implementing a domain monitoring solution and reactively addressing infringements. 

Over 1000+ TLDs and an endless list of misspellings, variants and potential phishing domains are possible. If someone wants to infringe on your brand, a massive domain portfolio will not stop them. 

3) Why trademarks matter for domains 

Domains are not trademarks; however, the two are closely connected. Domain strategy typically follows the trademark strategy, and a pre-existing trademark is critical for domain enforcement, both for dispute and for takedown of illegitimate content. You need complete visibility over both to effectively protect your brand. 

Additionally, some cctlds require a local trademark registration. 

What happens if I don’t renew my domain? 

It is imperative to know that domains are subscriptions. If you fail to renew, your website and email will stop working and you risk losing the domain. Failure to renew is a common reason for why internet resources stop working and loses businesses millions every year. 

Most TLDs will then have safety nets such as grace periods or redemption periods, where the domain is not resolving and your connected services stop working, but the owner can still renew the domain before it’s released to the open market. This is saving many from completely losing their critical asset. 

Security essentials 

Minimum for a business:

-2FA on domain provider and DNS provider accounts 
-Tightly manage and regularly review access rights. 
-Keep domain lock enabled where possible 
-Enforce HTTPS (TLS certificates) for all web services 
-Use the available security protocols for email across all domains in the portfolio 
-SPF
-DKIM
-DMARC

Why this matters - good domain hygiene reduces fraud exposure and prevents asset loss and downtime. 

What do I do when someone registers a domain using my brand or trademark? 

First off, implementing a domain name monitoring is a cost-effective option that identifies potential threats early. It’s highly recommended, regardless of industry, to proactively watch for infringements on your brand. Domains are registered for many malicious purposes. It could be that you’ve not registered a valuable domain, someone identifies this and attempts to sell it back at a higher price. It could be used in phishing campaigns or to set up fake web shops or opportunistic competitors/third parties driving traffic away from your business. 

The remedy for each is different, however, with a registered trademark, you have multiple tools to either claim back the domain or quickly remove the damaging content from the web.