Do you know who has control over your domain name? You should, and here’s why.

A business’s most precious piece of internet marketing property is the website, so make sure it is protected. A well-made site can make or break you in today’s competitive market environment. Consumers are bombarded by thousands upon thousands of competing brands vying for their attention every day online. So don’t let someone else steal away what belongs solely to you.

A domain name is the starting point of building an online presence for your company. It will help set the tone for how your customers find your website, think of your business, and engage with your brand.

Domain management is a crucial element of protecting your brand in today’s digital world. It’s not an exaggeration to say that your domain name is your business. Unfortunately, a lack of domain management can lead to many problems for your business, including cybersquatting and loss of sales.

A domain name is your website’s location on the internet. It translates the digits that make up your IP address into something catchy that people can remember. Domain names are purchased through Domain Name Registrars, companies that manage the reservation of domain names and point them to your website.

• If you do not own your Domain, any money and effort in building it and marketing it are not under your control.
• Whoever owns the Domain can walk off with it or take control of it.
• If your marketing agency or web designer owns the Domain, they can hold it hostage and make it difficult for you to leave them.
• Think of it like not being on the deed to your house but your renovating and investing in the property just for the owner named in the act to come and confiscate it or rent it to you at an outrage rate.

If you’re looking to invest in a website, ensure that the Domain is yours!

Several times, we have seen when a business did not own their domain name and did not even know it until they wanted to build a new website with a different web developer.

The difference between control and ownership of a domain.

The difference between owning a domain and controlling it is who has access to it. You can own a domain name, but if someone else has complete control over that domain name, they’ll be able to essentially cut your website and email off from the internet or, worse, replace it with their site. Ideally, businesses should have total control over their domain name, but in some circumstances, they only have access to one, or worse, have neither ownership nor control over their domains. It is a precarious situation for any business because it means the owner can take the proverbial website and email from you.

Losing Control: Common Situations

We’ve seen some of these scenarios play out for our clients. Unfortunately, the situations are more common than we would prefer.

If you find someone else’s name is on the registrant details of your Domain, be sure to update them, so they reflect who owns and manages it, meaning your name and business. To take complete control, you will need a ‘domain key’ or a ‘domain password’, which will allow you to transfer the domain name into your account. Don’t give this to anyone unless you are Transfering the domain registry.

We know how frustrating it can be when you have no way of contacting a person or previous company, but we’ve found that if you can get a hold of the person who has control of the Domain, they’re usually pretty happy to offload the domain name.

Here are some things to think about when getting a web developer. You may not know how the internet works, but don’t worry! We have got your back with helpful hints for first-time users who want their website or online business developed:

You got the option to register your Domain Name yourself; this is what you do.

• Register your domain name before contacting a web developer or web designer for your project. The simplest one is GoDaddy or Crazy Domain, but it’s many more to choose from. Just be careful not to buy extra services that you do not need. All you need is to register the Domain. You also do not need privacy unless you are concerned about people knowing you own the Domain. In that case, you will want privacy.
• Also, register .com .net and .org versions of your Domain and even new top-level domains. Again, it is not a must, but it stops others from owning a domain name close to yours.
• Make sure that you save your account information in a safe place and do not give it out to just anyone. Please think of this like the deed to your house and treat protecting it the same way you would the deed.

Many Web design and Website Developers have Domain And Hosting to offer you, which is usually the best option. However, it has many benefits to use what the Developers provide you, as most extended it is in your name.

Websites, Domain Names and Web Hosts are different elements of your online presence, but they work together to help customers find you. You need all three elements to work together to do a successful business. So with that in mind, going with a website developer who offers to host and domain names is not bad.

Just remember the Domain name is always in your name and your account because it’s your business, not the web developer.

We have had our fair share of customers with Domain Name issues, which inconvenienced the agency and our client. As a result, the project will take longer from start to finish.