How poor website maintenance can destroy your business

Earlier today, I came across something "funny".

A relatively big company - well-known, established, and respected, had their website redirected to a gambling site.

Yup.

Their brand, their domain.

Pointing straight to an online casino.

And the worst part?

It wasn’t "hacked".

It happened because no one was maintaining their domain and website.

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1. How does something like this even happen?

Here’s what likely went wrong:

• The company forgot to renew their domain name.
• The domain expired and got snapped up by someone else (usually bots or resellers).
• That person redirected it to whatever site makes them money - in this case, a gambling site.

Something simple, yet totally preventable.

But this just made the brand look embarrassing, even if it was just for a few days.

You might think this only happens to small businesses.

But from what you see, it doesn’t.

It happens to anyone who neglects their assets online.

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2. Why this is a huge problem

A domain name isn’t just a URL.

It’s your brand’s identity online.

When it points somewhere else, even for a day, you’re in deep trouble.

Here's why:

❌ Customers lose trust instantly, thinking you can't even manage your own website.
❌ Google flags your site as unsafe
❌ You risk being blacklisted in search results
❌ Your email (if tied to that domain) stops working
❌ Competitors or scammers can impersonate your business

It’s not just embarrassing, it’s actually disastrous for credibility.

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3. Domain hijacking vs. negligence

There’s a difference between being hacked and being careless.

• Hacking: Someone gains unauthorized access to your registrar or server.
• Negligence: You simply didn’t renew, update, or secure your account.

Both lead to the same outcome: you lose control of your website.

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4. How to prevent this from happening to you

Protecting your domain and website is easier (and cheaper) than cleaning up after a disaster.

Here’s what every business should do:

✅ Auto-renew your domain – Always enable it with a valid payment method.
✅ Use a professional registrar – Stick to platforms like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Porkbun.
✅ Keep your contact info updated – Expiry notifications go to your registered email.
✅ Secure your account – Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
✅ Back up your website regularly – If your site ever gets compromised, you can restore it quickly.
✅ Have someone maintaining your website monthly – Not just for updates, but to monitor domain status, hosting, SSL, and uptime.

Think of it like maintaining your car, you can’t just drive it forever and hope it won’t break down.

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5. Digital negligence is costly

Most businesses don’t lose websites because of hacks.

They lose them because of neglect.

A forgotten renewal, a missed email, or a lazy “we’ll fix it later” attitude can cost thousands in rebranding, lost traffic, and damaged trust.

And no, blaming the IT guy after it happens doesn’t fix it, especially when it was preventable.

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6. Final thoughts

The internet doesn’t forgive carelessness.

If your domain lapses, someone else will gladly take it, and your reputation, overnight.

Worse case?

You might never get that domain back, especially if it’s scooped up by a reseller or squatter.

🚀 At Schuah Solutions, we make sure that never happens.

✅ Automatic domain renewals
✅ Monthly website maintenance
✅ Hosting, backups, and security handled for you
✅ Full transparency and ownership of your domain

All from just RM375/month.

Fill out the form below for a FREE website draft and let’s make sure your business never ends up as a gambling site headline. Haha...