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  • Do Privacy Shield Rulings Impact Enom?

    November 3, 2020

    GDPR, Industry Insight, News, Uncategorized

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    Views: 902

    If you follow data privacy news, you may have heard that the EU-US Privacy Shield was invalidated recently, and as an Enom reseller, you might be wondering how that affects our services. TL;DR: It doesn’t.

    We’ll get into the details of Privacy Shield, what it was used for, and what happens now that it’s been invalidated, but essentially, it let U.S.-based businesses lawfully transfer the personal data of EU individuals to the US by signing on to a series of privacy and data protection commitments.

    Now that the EU-US Privacy Shield is no longer an option, companies transferring data will have to look into the other possibilities remaining to them under the GDPR. This is something you may already be looking at for your own business; for your Enom domain reseller services, we’ve got it covered.

    What does the GDPR say about cross-border data transfer?

    When we think about the GDPR and other data privacy laws, we tend to think they restrict or entirely prevent the use of personal data in the name of privacy. That’s not entirely incorrect—a big part of protecting personal data is limiting its use—but it’s also not the whole story. Another aim of the GDPR is to allow or even enable the transfer of personal data, as long as the data remains protected. When the data remains within the EU, it stays under the direct purview of the GDPR, and so ensuring that it remains protected is fairly straightforward, since the same rules apply both before and after the transfer. But what about when sending data out of the EU?

    The GDPR offers three basic options for how to transfer data to a “third country” outside the EU.

    Option 1: an “adequacy decision”

    The European Commission can review a country’s data protection laws and determine that they offer an adequate level of protection for personal data. The Commission maintains a list of countries with adequacy status; Canada is included, but only for data protected under Canadian privacy law (which does not cover personal data being processed by the government! Oh, Canada—room for improvement!)

    Option 2: appropriate safeguards

    The second option for transferring data is referred to as “appropriate safeguards,” which includes the Standard Contractual Clauses, a pre-approved contract provided by the European Commission which can be appended to any agreement.

    Option 3: derogations

    Derogations are exceptions for certain circumstances, which should only be used rarely and as a last resort.

    What was the EU-US Privacy Shield? What happened to it?

    The EU-US Privacy Shield was a special type of adequacy decision, a framework set up by the European Commission and the US Department of Commerce which US-based businesses could commit to follow. It provided assurances related to data protection and data subject rights that are similar to what we are familiar with from the GDPR; once a business signed on to those commitments, they became legally binding and enforceable. These commitments included:

    • providing transparent information to individuals about rights related to their data
    • providing dispute resolution for individuals who brought complaints related to how their data is handled
    • meeting purpose limitation and data retention obligations and requirements around accountability

    Now that the EU-US Privacy Shield has been invalidated, businesses can no longer rely on it as an adequacy decision. Instead, any transfer of data from the EU into the US needs to be protected by some other method—either appropriate safeguards or derogations. We know that derogations are limited, generally to be used for one-time transfers or exceptional circumstances.

    So where does that leave businesses who need to transfer data, including domain providers? They will have to add the proper assurances into their contracts, typically by use of standard contractual clauses—which is what we have done since 2018.

    How does Enom handle cross-border data transfer without the Privacy Shield?

    Lucky for us, it’s not a problem. We don’t have to make any changes to how we protect data when transferring it to the US because we don’t rely on the EU-US Privacy Shield framework.

    The Privacy Shield framework was only available to American companies, which right away excludes two of Tucows’ (our parent company) main domain businesses. Enom is American, but OpenSRS is a Canadian company, and Ascio is European. Enom could have signed on to the Privacy Shield framework, but Tucows wanted a single approach to apply to all their businesses.

    When we built out our processes for GDPR compliance, we adopted Standard Contractual Clauses provided by the European Commission to govern how we protect personal data.

    The Standard Contractual Clauses have been incorporated into our contracts with our resellers, vendors, and other service providers via a Data Processing Addendum. This means that when domain registration data is sent to registries or data centers in the US these contractual commitments can be relied on to govern how the data is handled and to ensure that each data subject’s rights are always respected. Specifically, through the Data Processing Addendum, we commit to complying with GDPR obligations, including confidentiality and information security controls, cooperation with supervisory authorities, and appointing a Data Protection Officer. The Addendum also documents our obligations related to ongoing testing and review of security measures, the reasons we process data, and what third-party providers we work with. We closely watch for any updates to the Standard Contractual Clauses, as we want to remain current with any standards provided by the European Commission.

    What do I need to do as a reseller?

    For the data processed related to our services, absolutely nothing! You’ve already accepted our Reseller Agreement, so it’s all handled. If you want to learn more, though, you can look for yourself to see the Standard Contractual Clauses in our Data Processing Addendum (which is incorporated into our Reseller Agreement by reference), and you can compare them to the version published by the Commission.

    You can also consult your own data protection counsel. This blog post is intended to be helpful and to share with you how we view data protection at Enom, but it is not intended as legal advice and should not be seen as a replacement for independent legal counsel.

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  • Why You Should Consider .SHOP

    August 25, 2020

    Fun, Industry Insight, New TLDs, Uncategorized

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    Views: 1332

    The .SHOP domain extension sells itself. There are currently 670,000+ .SHOP registrations worldwide, and more than 51,000 active online shops hosted on this top-level-domain (TLD). Recently, .SHOP saw a surge in registrations, as existing businesses moved online, and people started new ventures in a shifting COVID-19 economy.

    Here, we’ll take a look at how people are using .SHOP domains — including some COVID-19 success stories — and why .SHOP is a strong choice for resellers and website owners.

    Why use .SHOP for your online store name?

    .SHOP is one of those new domain extensions that just makes sense. It’s purpose and benefits seem clear. But it comes with a few upsides that aren’t immediately obvious:

    You’ll help your brand stand out in a cluttered ecommerce space. Building a brand in an online landscape that gets more competitive every day is challenging, and small efforts add up. Your .SHOP domain could catch a potential customer’s eye in the sea of .COM/CA/local-TLD search results. And it emphasizes that you sell what they’re looking for.

    Relatedly, you’ll be including an SEO keyword right in your URL.

    .SHOP is playful and still has a novelty factor that can make your website stand out in the minds of visitors. Your site might even be the first .SHOP they’ve stumbled upon!

      It’s short and easy to pronounce, which makes for a catchy, memorable website name. This is super important for word-of-mouth referrals and advertising.

    “Shop” is a word commonly understood by non-English speakers, which makes it an excellent choice for global companies.

     

    Why include .SHOP in your new domain extensions offering?

    When curating a TLD lineup, it’s important to be selective and choose options that will resonate with your customers. You’ve got an opportunity to surprise them with a .COM alternative they didn’t even know existed! .SHOP is a great TLD to offer because:

    In many cases, you’re enabling your customer to turn their brand into their URL — just think how many stores include “shop” in their name.

    .SHOP is competitively priced (and currently on sale!) as an affordable .COM alternative.

    It’s easy to market because its purpose is clear.

      There’s a huge potential market and room for growth as more businesses, entrepreneurs, and hobbyists hop online.

    It has global appeal and will perform well in different markets.

     

    How are .SHOP domain names being used for ecommerce?

    Between March and June of 2020, new .SHOP registrations with shopping carts more than doubled among Tucows domain registrants.

    Line graph showing a doubling in .SHOP domain registrations with a shopping cart between March and June 2020.

    Tucows’ new .SHOP registrations with a shopping cart (Q1 2019 – Q2 2020)

    But .SHOP has seen steady growth since its launch in 2016. It’s used by entrepreneurs, mom-and-pops, SMBs, and large corporations for a variety of ecommerce purposes.

    Serving local customers via online stores during COVID-19

    During these difficult times, many people are making an extra effort to support their community by shopping local. An online presence that lets customers purchase and order products from home is now a must-have for independent businesses who once relied on brick and mortar traffic.

    In the interest of supporting local, we wanted to highlight a couple Canadian small businesses that have built their online presence on a .SHOP domain:

    Vancouver-based mysistersclosetvancouver.shop is a social enterprise business that sells used clothes in support of Battered Women’s Support Services. They used their website to bring their offline inventory online and to safely accept used clothing donations during the COVID crisis.

    Also in response to COVID, Kitchener-based baker, Chantelle Villeneuve. moved her business online with bonapatreat.shop to allow for delivery, pickup, and online sales. She’s since reopened the physical shop, but continues to serve customers with her new online presence.

    Separating your ecommerce function from your corporate website

    Businesses with established company websites are choosing .SHOP domains as a dedicated space for online sales while continuing to use their existing domain for corporate or product information.

    Take for example, Arrowine, a Virginian wine retailer that has long promoted their brick and mortar store using arrowine.com. When COVID-19 hit, they registered arrowine.shop for online ordering, with contactless pick-up in the store’s parking lot.

    He may not have a “corporate” website, but Fritz Meinecke, a German youtuber with 941, 000 subscribers, launched his online merch shop using fritzmeinecke.shop — a move that speaks to the domain extension’s global appeal.

    Which leads us to our next point…

    Cross-border ecommerce

    Many businesses who start out operating locally will turn to a more global domain choice like .SHOP once they shift their focus to include other markets.

    Netherlands-based Superfood guru actually made the switch from .NL to .SHOP after their SEO agency advised them to use ‘.shop’ for their Dutch domain name and ‘.shop/en’ for the English one.

    Etsy, Amazon, and other marketplaces

    Businesses who sell products on platforms such as Etsy and Amazon are benefiting from using a crisp, clean .SHOP domain to point to their marketplace page. Once they set up their own online store, these .SHOP users can simply direct their domain to their new site. This ensures that they don’t lose customers when they make the switch.

    Services for ecommerce businesses

    Choosing a .SHOP domain is also a great way to signal to your audience that your product is targeted to ecommerce businesses. We have seen webshop builders, like obodo.shop, and other ecommerce services developed on .SHOP domain names.

    Presenting your customer with new domain extensions that make sense

    Website owners have a confounding number of domain extensions to choose from. If you can point them to a TLD that serves their brand and reflects their purpose or niche, it’s a win for both of you. This can take the form of great content that highlights TLDs specific to their industry, or a smart name search tool that will deliver fresh, marketable domain ideas.

    We think .SHOP is an intuitive fit for anyone looking to grow an online business. And pssst…if offering great prices on domains is your priority, check out our full TLD lineup or log in to view out our full list of domain extensions on sale.

     


    This post was sponsored by .SHOP.

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  • Meet the New .ORG

    October 10, 2019

    Uncategorized

     Like

    Views: 2309

    .ORG has a new look! It’s the same trusted domain you know and love, but with a new, bold visual identity. We sat down with PIR, the registry behind the .ORG TLD, to learn a little more about their rebrand and how they’re gearing up to make .ORG even more impactful.

    There are quite a few elements that define a brand, and a great deal of thought was put into developing a new identity that visually, verbally, and emotionally speaks to who .ORG is and how PIR wants to connect to the .ORG community and the world. You can see it in their new logo and refreshed website — both feature exciting and energetic colors, bright imagery, and design elements that reflect .ORG’s impact worldwide, with more than 10 million domains under management.

    But a new look is only the tip of the iceberg; the “new .ORG” refers to more than a logo or color palette. It’s been a banner year for .ORG in more ways than one.

    A New Leader

    In December of 2018, .ORG welcomed a new leader — Jonathon Nevett — as President and Chief Executive Officer. Jon has brought decades of domain expertise and an impressive track record of industry leadership that has been (and continues to be) instrumental to the ongoing growth of .ORG. As Jon himself says, “I’m honored to be at the helm of such an impactful organization and want to do everything I can during my tenure to enhance the .ORG domain.”

    A Focus on Quality

    .ORG has always been one of the world’s most trusted domains, and one of the areas of focus for .ORG in 2019 (and beyond) is in upholding its reputation for being safe, secure, and trustworthy. Programs such as the recently implemented Quality Performance Index (QPI) initiative are designed to improve the quality of the .ORG name space by encouraging registrars and resellers to help ensure that the .ORG domain remains the best place for mission-based organizations to bring their ideas to life.

    Highlighting .ORGs In Action

    While .ORG has been used by some of the world’s most impactful non-profit organizations, the domain truly is for anyone who wants to do great things online. This year, .ORG will begin to shine a light on the forward-looking businesses, professional associations, civic groups, nonprofits, clubs and families who are all making their inspirations a reality using .ORG. The .ORG Story Program has launched with five unique stories of .ORGs who are making a difference in their communities and the world — and the story collection will continue to grow over the coming months.

    In addition to sharing these incredible stories, .ORG will also be hosting its first annual .ORG Impact Awards (OIAs) on the evening of October 10th in Washington, DC.  The .ORG Impact Awards program provides recognition to .ORGs that are connecting communities, making a difference in the world, and leveraging the internet for transformative change. This first annual program celebrates .ORG domain name users of all kinds and causes for their accomplishments in community mobilization, marketing and outreach, and mission achievement.

    Another major focus area for .ORG starting this year is providing educational opportunities that will empower .ORG community members to successfully leverage the Internet to achieve their myriad of missions and goals. The inaugural .ORG Community Forum, held on the morning of October 10th in Washington DC, brings together the .ORG community to collaboratively explore common areas of interest and find ways to navigate through critical challenges facing .ORGs today.

    Some Things Never Change

    While there sure is quite a bit that’s new with .ORG, some things always stay the same. For more than 30 years, .ORG has established a long-standing reputation as a best-in-class domain, particularly when it comes to domain security, trust, and reliability. And you can be certain that .ORG will continue to build on this impressive legacy – and remain the best place for anyone to build a trusted online identity.

     

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  • We’ve refreshed our Webmail

    June 19, 2019

    Announcement, Featured, News, Resellers, Uncategorized

     Like

    Views: 4404

    As our Custom Email service grows, we’re working to continually improve the platform while maintaining high availability.

    One essential component of our email solution is our Webmail, which is both used by Enom’s direct customers and included in the email service our reseller partners can package as part of their own lineup.

    So, we’re excited to share that we’re launching a new Webmail! Starting today, users can preview the new Webmail to get familiar with the refreshed interface before its official launch on September 5, 2019.

    What’s new?

    The new Webmail will provide a better email experience. You’ll notice improved workflows and a clean, mobile-responsive interface that makes it easier to send emails, manage contacts, organize important events, and more.

    It’s important to note that the transition to the new Webmail will NOT impact contacts lists, settings, or any other existing mailbox data. The various functionalities and features of Webmail will remain, but their look, location, and how users interact with them, will change.

    What Custom Email users need to know

    On your Webmail login screen, you’ll now find an option to “Use the Webmail Interface Preview.” Simply toggle this on and log in to use the new Webmail interface. If you have any trouble, check out our Webmail Cheat Sheet.

    Over the next few months, we encourage you to get familiar with the refreshed interface. On Sept. 5, 2019, the new Webmail will become the default experience for all users—our old Webmail will be retired.

    We’d love to hear your thoughts on the new Webmail, particularly during this “Preview” period. You’ll find a Feedback option in the sidebar menu of the new interface.

    What resellers need to know

    If you already sell Custom Email…

    The new interface offers an intuitive user experience and will NOT impact your customers’ mailbox data or your own settings or integration. That being said, there are a couple of things we recommend you do to prepare for this change:

      Update your support and marketing resources

    We’ve created a number of resources to help you out. On our Webmail Landing Page, you’ll find everything from reusable communication templates to detailed end-user guides—repurpose these materials as you see fit.

      Let your customers know about the new Webmail

    They’ll now find a “Use the Webmail Interface Preview” toggle option on their Webmail login page. Our White-Label Messaging templates can help you with your communication efforts.

      Make note of the launch timelines

    Today: your users can preview the new Webmail to get familiar with the refreshed interface.

    Sept. 5, 2019: the new Webmail will become the default experience for all users—our old Webmail will be retired.

      Let us know what you think!

    Between now and Sept. 5, our new Webmail’s official launch date, we’ll be collecting feedback to help us improve the interface. Share your thoughts

     

    If you don’t currently sell Custom Email…

    Now is a great time to add email your lineup! Custom Email has all the standard features your customers want, but it costs a lot less than other solutions on the market.

    It offers you the potential to boost revenue and customer loyalty while avoiding the resource and infrastructure costs associated with hosting your own email service. We also make migration easy.

    Want to learn more? Contact our sales team today.

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  • Top questions from domain name buyers

    May 6, 2019

    Advice, New TLDs, Uncategorized

     Like

    Views: 14221

    People searching for their domain name.

    Guest Author: Alisha Shibli.


    Alisha is a Content Marketing Specialist at Radix, the registry behind some of the most successful new domain extensions, including .STORE and .TECH.

    Please note: The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Enom.



    When it comes to registering a domain name, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. After all, when you’re building a business or starting an online venture, you want to ensure that all factors are working to your advantage. The process of choosing the right domain name is a lot less daunting when you know the basics. So today, we’re tackling some of the most common questions asked by domain name buyers. The information here will also be handy for resellers looking to educate their customers.

    1. What is a domain name and how is it different from a website?

    Websites and domain names are closely related, but they’re two different things. You can think of your website as your house and your domain name as its address. In order for someone to access your website, they need to know its domain name.

    Every domain name has two basic parts: the “top-level domain” (TLD) and the “second-level domain.” For example, in the domain name [yourbrandname].tech, “.TECH” is the TLD and “yourbrandname” is your second-level domain. Together, these form a complete domain name.

    Your domain name will usually include your brand name or the name of a particular sector or product that you’re promoting. When choosing a domain name, you’ll realize there are now numerous TLDs available such as .STORE, .PRESS, .SPACE, .ONLINE, .WEBSITE, .SITE, etc. So, make sure you choose whichever brands your business best.

    2. What should I consider when buying a domain name?

    What some businesses don’t realize is that choosing a domain name is one of the most important decisions they make when establishing their online presence. The domain name is more than just a glorified IP address. It is important for search engines and for customers. Moreover, it is an incredible branding tool, which is why it is crucial to choose a name that adds value to your business and will help you stay relevant even a decade later.

    Here are a few factors to keep in mind when choosing a domain name for your business:

    • Buy domain names that are easy to spell and remember. Avoid using misspelled words. A unique spelling may seem creative, but such domain names fail to be radio friendly—a very important factor in the voice search era.
    • Keep your domain name as short as possible. Anything more than 18 characters is too long. For example, [healthysnack].store is a better domain name than [healthysnacks-store].com.
    • Avoid using hyphens and numbers in your domain name. They are just extra characters for your customers to remember. A user might forget to add the hyphen or get confused between the numerical “6” and the word “six”.
    • Make sure to do your homework and check global databases to ensure that your domain name isn’t trademarked or copyrighted. This will help if you plan to expand your business to other countries in the future.
    • Consider leveraging new, descriptive TLDs to brand your business and act as a home for different marketing and sales endeavors. For example, Emirates has emirates.com as its commercial website and emirates.store as its online merchandise store.  

    3. If I have multiple domain names, how can I use them together?

    You don’t just have to stick to one domain name! Using multiple TLDs in interesting ways can create memorable customer interactions with your brand, or, perhaps, promote your personal side-project alongside your primary business. Here are some of the many ways one can make use of new domain names:

    • Primary Domain: Use a domain name to create an online identity for your business. For example, louder.online or stronger.tech
    • Professional Email ID: Use a domain name to make a strong first impression with a unique email id. For example, [firstname]@[brand].online.
    • Branded URL Shortener: Use a domain name to enhance brand visibility and build trust with every link that you share online. For example, [yourbrandname].tech/contest looks more official than “https://bit.ly/2taRHVV”.
    • Domain Redirect: Use a domain name to make an important inner page easily accessible by creating a deep-link. For example, kindle.store redirects to Amazon’s Kindle store.
    • Product Launches: Use a domain name to attract customers to your new product, store upgrades or seasonal promotions. For example, if you are introducing a new car and want to position it as a “fun” car, you can launch it on [carname].fun.
    • Personal Brand: Use a domain name to build an attractive online persona for yourself. For example, terrene.space is the portfolio website of a freelance photographer, writer, graphic designer & illustrator, Ana Petre.
    • Vanity: Use a new domain name to share your social media profile. For example, [yourname].tech could forward to one of your social media profiles.
    • Blog / Press Page: Use a domain name to make your brand gain visibility online with a [brandname].press. For example, cars.mclaren.press is McLaren’s official media site.

    4. How can I decide between a ccTLD, geoTLD, gTLD, or nTLD?

    Let’s first clarify the difference between these terms.

    Generic top-level domains (gTLD) are, as their name suggests, generic. They have a broad application based on the purpose of the website. For example, .COM (commercial), .ORG (organization), .NET (networks), .EDU (education), etc.

    Country code top-level domains (ccTLD) are regulated by a specific country and are best used to target customers within that country. Some examples include. US, .CA (Canada).TR (Turkey) .IN (India), .CO.UK, .AE (UAE), .DE (Germany), .FR (France), etc.

    GeoTLDs are similar, but they are tied to a specific region, rather than a country. City extension like .NYC or .LONDON as well as options like .AFRICA and .ASIA exist.

    New generic top-level domains (nTLD), which are sometimes just referred to as “new TLDs”  are recently launched generic domain extensions.

    They tend to be more industry- or product-specific, so their adoption has the potential to make the Internet more organized and business-friendly. Some other examples of nTLDs include .STORE for eCommerce and retail, .TECH for technology, .FUN for leisure, .PRESS for media and news.

    Plus, there are many with universal appeal, like .ONLINE, .SITE, etc. In fact,  .ONLINE and .SITE have become so popular that over 1 million domain names have been registered on each of these extensions so far. And these nTLDs are still relatively new, you are likely to find that your perfect domain name is available on one of them!

    In summary

    When it comes to choosing the right domain extension for your domain name, you need to look at the nature and purpose of your business. For example, if you have a tech business, then a .TECH domain would be an ideal choice.

    With the information above, you are well-equipped to make an informed choice. Get started with a search for your perfect domain name.

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