Lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown is making users put too much trust into their web designers (whether they be professional designers or the neighbour's nephew) to get domain name registration right. The result is potential disaster for individuals, small business and large organizations alike.
We've recently been contacted by a number of clients: some large organizations as well private individuals and small businesses: what these clients had in common was the fact that they had no control over their domain name, in some cases it even turned out that they did not own their domain name at all. There are some simple steps that can be taken to ensure ownership (and control over a domain name) stays as initially intended.
Understand for how long the domain name will be registered by the Registrar and if you will have ownership during that whole period?
Ascertain that there is no penalty price as a renewal cost. If in doubt ask your service provider to find a registrar that confirms that your registration periods match theirs.
Ask the service provider that the domain name should be registered either with your personal or your company's name as being the registrar, and get that commitment in writing.
Once registered, request that you receive proof of registration and ownership.
Make sure that you know the name of the registrar, and have their contact details should you need to get in touch with them.
Check your WHOIS record [1]to confirm that everything is correct
Keep your information up-to-date, by providing address / name changes to the Registrar (this can usually be done via a domain administration panel provided by the Registrar).
By following these 7 simple steps serious financial damage can be avoided. If not followed, even minor incidents can leave the intended registrant with a publicly bruised reputation.
In all cases we came across, the lack of control caused some serious issues to the clients. Nevertheless, we do not believe that these situations were intended by the service provider who registered the domain name in the first place.
Conclusion: In the beginning of a relationship between service provider and client, both parties should considerthat their paths might separate in the future. Both service provider and client should follow the above simple steps, to maintain ownership and manageability of their chosen domain name, avoiding potentially disasterous consequences. Guidelines like the above should be seen by either party, not as a statement of mistrust, but similar to a pre-marital agreement!
[1] A WHOIS record is the definitive record of domain ownership, it is a database maintained by registrars containing information on administrative, technical and registrant contact details as well as network addresses associated with a domain name.
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We've recently been contacted by a number of clients: some large organizations as well private individuals and small businesses: what these clients had in common was the fact that they had no control over their domain name, in some cases it even turned out that they did not own their domain name at all. There are some simple steps that can be taken to ensure ownership (and control over a domain name) stays as initially intended.
