There’s a new lesson for your digital marketing strategy every day. As if COVID-19 and inflation weren’t enough, your brand must worry about “typo squatting.” That’s when scammers, hackers and other exploiters hijack website domain names.
They buy variants of domains with misspelled names. Two examples are “Gooogle” and “Verizan.” They don’t end there. They also buy unflattering versions of a company’s URL. Think “Verizonbites” and “ScrewVerizon.” The practice is called typo squatting.
Typo squatting can ruin your digital marketing strategy and affect your:
- Brand reputation
- Website traffic
- Revenue
‘Bewear’ the impostors
Scammers buy domains. Then they resell them or use the sites for nefarious purposes. They may redirect the domains to other sites. The fake sites may be full of scam advertising or shady offers. In addition, they may steal user passwords and credit card numbers. That’s bad news.
Need even worse news? Impostor sites may contain malware or ransomware. Users don’t even need to click on anything. Visiting a malicious site is enough. Fake sites may trick people into thinking they’re visiting valid websites.
It’s easy and cheap for scammers to buy domain names. Anyone can buy and register domains for about $12 each. The fee renews yearly, but fraudsters sit tight and pay. They hope to cash in later. As a result, your brand marketing strategy could be in jeopardy.
Brand backlash
People who visit impostor sites will link the bad experience with those brands. When they’re redirected to malicious sites, they won’t forget it. Typo squatters can harm companies’ search rankings.
Big businesses understand this threat well. Companies like Lego and Verizon have spent big bucks to buy up domain names. They want to protect their digital marketing strategies and their brands. This is why you need to plan to protect your digital marketing strategy.
Protect your digital marketing strategy and your brand
Big, well-known brands are more susceptible to typo squatting and URL hijacking. But don’t assume that being off the radar is a safety net. Every company – no matter its size – is vulnerable.
All businesses should proactively protect their brands. The No. 1 precaution is to buy as many similar domain names as possible. If budget is a concern, selecting the most obvious domains for .com, .org. and .net addresses is a wise investment.
Name “spinners” can help companies identify possible variations. These tools recommend available domain names based on keywords. Sadly, businesses must register and buy various combinations before the fraudsters do. Businesses might not even know they need to worry about it.
Expensive outcome
Businesses that don’t register multiple domains are taking a big risk. It can cost thousands of dollars, per domain, to try to get each one back. The prospect of lengthy court battles is likely.
Trademark owners can sue typo squatters in federal court. These cases fall under the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act. But that costs money, and it’s not foolproof.
Typo squatters don’t want to get caught buying domain names, so they hide their identities. It can be nearly impossible to find them. Companies must register trademarks for their brands and/or company names. Without those, they may not be able to get their domain names back.
One more option
It’s possible to save money and time by waiting typo squatters out. They may give up the financial ransom and move on. But they may not let go. Is it worth taking that risk? Can your brand marketing strategy afford typo squatting?
