What a portfolio audit checks in your current holdings
We review the domains you already own and map them against the way your business is trading now. That includes active websites, holding pages, redirected names, forgotten renewals and any domains linked to products, locations or campaign work. The aim is to show what you have, what is exposed and what is costing money without pulling its weight.
An audit is useful for companies in Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Bellville and Somerset West, especially where different teams have registered names over the years. We often find old project domains still paying annual fees, names with no renewal owner and spelling variants that should have been secured long ago. In coastal areas, where humidity and power cuts can slow down admin, it helps to keep the portfolio neat and easy to manage.
- Active and inactive domain list review
- Expiry dates, registrar details and ownership checks
- Redirects, parked names and unused registrations
- Missed variants, hyphenated names and common spelling errors
- Brand, product and location coverage gaps
How we carry out the audit from Claremont for SA registrants
The process is practical and measured. We start with a list from your side, then compare it with our monitoring records and manual checks. If you have a portfolio spread across more than one account or more than one person, we trace the control points and note where renewal notices, transfer authority or admin access may be sitting with the wrong contact. It is a simple step but it often uncovers problems fast.
For South African registrants, we also look at local use patterns, such as whether a name is tied to a regional office, a municipal service line or a campaign aimed at Gauteng, the Western Cape or national coverage. Where a business trades under several names, we check whether the main brand, short form and service descriptors are properly covered. Marius van der Merwe and the team in Claremont handle this work remotely for clients across SA, so you do not need to chase updates from different people.
- Receipt of portfolio export or manual domain list
- Ownership, registrar and expiry verification
- Risk marking for high value or sensitive names
- Gap review against brand, service and location use
- Priority action list with clear recommendations
What you receive after the review is complete
We return a working report that is easy to act on. It sets out which names are secure, which need renewal attention, which should be consolidated and which may be worth pursuing if they become available. Where needed, we also highlight domains that are not aligned to your current business direction, so you can decide whether to keep them, transfer them or let them go at the next renewal point. The report is plain, not padded with jargon.
Typical findings include a weak renewal chain, gaps in brand protection, expired certificate issues linked to redirects and names that should be part of a holding strategy but are still open to recovery by others. We also note any names that could support future expansion into new towns or service lines. A small typo in one old registration can cost a fair bit later, so we check those too.
- Summary of risk levels by domain
- List of renewal priorities and expiry dates
- Opportunity list for variants and new acquisitions
- Notes on consolidation and transfer support
- Suggested maintenance intervals going forward
Turnaround, pricing approach and what affects the fee
Most standard audits are turned around within 2 to 5 working days after we receive the full domain list and any supporting details. Smaller portfolios can be completed faster, while larger or messy holdings may take longer if records are split between staff, old invoices or multiple accounts. If there are access issues or unclear ownership, we will say so early instead of letting it drag on.
Pricing is based on portfolio size, the number of accounts involved and the amount of manual checking required. A neat portfolio with clear records will cost less to review than a wider one with old projects, multiple renewals and several contact changes. We quote before work starts, so you know where you stand in Rand. If the audit reveals separate recovery or acquisition work, that is quoted on its own.
- Small portfolios: quick review with basic gap notes
- Medium portfolios: deeper risk and variant checking
- Large portfolios: staged review with grouped findings
- Complex holdings: extra time for ownership tracing
- Optional follow-on support quoted separately
Why regular maintenance matters for domain control
One audit is useful, but regular checks keep the portfolio healthy. Domain ownership changes when staff leave, products shift, branches open or close and renewal notices get lost in busy inboxes. If you only look once a year, you can still miss a name that expires between reporting cycles. For businesses in windy or load-shedding affected areas, that kind of gap can become expensive when an important renewal is missed after a power interruption or admin delay.
We recommend maintenance intervals that match the size of the portfolio and how often your business changes. A lean trading business may only need quarterly reviews. A company with several brands, campaign names or regional holdings may need monthly checks. If you run a larger portfolio with frequent launches, changes in staff or outside agencies handling parts of the admin, a tighter schedule is worth it.
- Monthly: active portfolios with frequent changes
- Quarterly: standard business portfolios
- Twice yearly: smaller holdings with stable use
- Annual: final verification before bulk renewals
- Ad hoc: after acquisitions, rebrands or staff changes
Who benefits most from a portfolio audit
Portfolio audits help start ups, established companies, agencies and family businesses that own more than one domain name. They are especially useful where different people registered names over time, or where old service lines have been kept on in case they are needed again. If you trade from Cape Town but support customers nationally, it also helps to check whether your main name and related variants are protected before someone else notices the gap.
We often assist businesses that need to tidy up after growth, mergers or staff changes. A portfolio can look fine on paper but still hide weak points such as missing transfer access, shared inboxes or names that no longer match the company structure. Once those are cleared up, renewal work becomes much simpler and the whole register is easier to manage. That saves time and avoids needless back and forth later on.
- Businesses with multiple brands or service lines
- Companies with names held by several staff members
- Owners planning expansion into new towns or regions
- Teams wanting cleaner renewal and transfer control
- Clients needing a clear view of risk and opportunity
Key facts
| Service type | Domain portfolio audit and gap review |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Cape Town and remote support for South African registrants |
| Typical turnaround | 2 to 5 working days, depending on portfolio size |
| Input required | Domain list, renewal records and any registrar access details |
| Review points | Expiry risk, ownership, variants, redirects, consolidation and opportunities |
| Maintenance options | Monthly, quarterly, twice yearly or annual reviews |
