Here's an important question that you may not have given much thought to in the past; do you actually own the domain name for your business' website? As web designers, we regularly work with businesses, and because we've heard the horror stories and know what's possible, we always make sure that our clients own their domain names. In today's post, I'll tell you why it's vitally important for you to be listed as the owner of your company's domain name when you're building a new site, or why you should find out if the domain name for your existing site is, in fact, your own.
The Risks
You would be surprised to learn of the number of instances where, after years of working with a particular domain name and building an online presence around that name, business owners discover that the domain is actually owned by someone else. In some cases, a business will have entrusted the registering of the domain name to their web designers who, in their less-than-professional way of doing things, registered the domain in their own company's name. In other instances, a business partner or employee is tasked with registering the domain and it's only after the partnership goes sour or the employee leaves the company that the domain name ownership is brought to light and/or starts to cause problems.
In the worst scenarios, a disgruntled web development company, business associate or ex-employee can quite literally hold your company hostage. After all, they are in control of what happens with the domain that's been tied to all marketing and branding efforts, up until that point. Emails can be accessed, the site can be disabled, and the list of potential horrors goes on.
Sometimes, people have no other choice but to spend big bucks and a great deal of time fighting for the ownership of their domains in court. And those are the lucky ones. There are instances where the only thing to do is switch to a new domain name - a desperate act that has seriously negative implications for a company with existing clientele and a well-established brand.
Ensure Your Domain Name is Your Own
If you're going to be building a new site for your business, the best course of action is to either register the domain yourself, or better yet, entrust the task to a reputable team of website designers. Web designers have the know-how to complete the registration process fully and efficiently, and they may also be able to get the domain for a cheaper price because they purchase more domains than the average person.
But, how do you know that a web development company has your best interests at heart? What if you only learn of their shadiness after you've asked them to register your domain? To protect your business, you will want to ensure that you have full ownership and control over the account, once they've completed the set-up. This means verifying that the domain is either in your name or your business' legal name and changing the password on the account.
Don't get caught without ownership of your business' domain. By taking steps to ensure you are the owner of your domain now, you could save yourself from a huge headache later on. Build your business' website with a team of web designers that puts professionalism first. Call us at (780) 539-SALT.
We live, work, and gather on traditional, unceded, and treaty territories of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples from coast to coast to coast. We’re committed to our collective responsibility to the original caretakers of this land and to listening, learning, and acting in ways that support reconciliation.
