| People take advantage of small business owners who | | | | to get your new small business website online. |
| leap into the online world without the knowledge to | | | | 1. You must select and acquire a www domain name |
| make proper choices. Registration of a www domain | | | | that is not already taken, and pay the registration |
| gives you a license for a set period of time, and | | | | fee. |
| must be renewed to retain control, so you do not | | | | 2. You must find and pay in advance or month to |
| own it. Don't wait to be asked the next question "Do | | | | month for hosting which is storage space for your |
| you control your website domain?" because twice in | | | | pages. |
| 2007 I designed custom websites for clients who lost | | | | 3. You must have a website design whether it is |
| control due to an uncooperative originating party who | | | | purchased with a business, done in-house, or |
| registered the domains in question. | | | | contracted. |
| In both cases the client paid for their domain. In the | | | | Each of these involve services without a tangible |
| first instance the registrar simply registered the new | | | | product. There is nothing physical that you receive to |
| domain in their company name, not the client's. In the | | | | put in a safety deposit box for secure storage. |
| more recent situation, my client bought a business | | | | Domains, websites, and your site graphics are all |
| and the previous owner did not take action to | | | | digital and therefore more susceptible to problems |
| transfer the registrant information. Each relationship | | | | controlling and protecting your rights. The exception |
| deteriorated to the point where the clients felt | | | | would be having all files on a CD or DVD, yet the |
| compelled to register another domain, and fortunately | | | | mechanics involved of having the files online and |
| the productivity of each business site was | | | | controlling their use means there is still untold risk |
| insignificant, so the downside of letting it go was | | | | involved for unwary small business owners. |
| minimal. | | | | Due diligence is critical in any new business venture. |
| Each finally realized the risk of a hostile party pulling | | | | Some people registering domains on behalf of clients |
| the plug on their website, and came to me for help. | | | | are looking for a residual income stream. If a small |
| After lengthy discussions, and advice for attempting | | | | business owner does not ask, or know to ask, some |
| to regain control of their www domains, each | | | | registrars will intentionally keep their name as the |
| entrusted me to register a new domain. The only | | | | administrative contact on domains they acquire on |
| recognized authority as the bona fide registrant of a | | | | behalf of clients thinking they have them locked up |
| domain is the administrative contact listed in the | | | | as a customer indefinitely. In most cases it works |
| worldwide registry for a given www name. To be | | | | unless that customer learns of more cost effective |
| more specific, it is not the person shown, but the | | | | options, or in the worst scenario, their relationship |
| email address of the administrative contact in the | | | | becomes hostile. The real disasters are companies |
| registration who controls a domain. | | | | holding www domain names for clients, and then the |
| It is not the billing contact. It is not the registrant. It | | | | registrar goes out of business and the administrative |
| is not the technical contact. All correspondence | | | | contacts become a non-existant email address. |
| affecting control of a www domain must originate | | | | That last one happened to one client who contacted |
| from the administrative contact email address listed in | | | | me. It took more than one year of wasted time and |
| the registration files. Regardless of the person listed, | | | | frustration before they established control as the |
| whoever can reply to emails as the adminsitrative | | | | legitimate holder of the www domain, and during that |
| contact for that domain is the only recognized | | | | year their site was offline. |
| authority. | | | | In conclusion, you do not own your domain. You own |
| Small business owners are at risk whenever they buy | | | | the license. You must be wary and should get several |
| a website domain, and the risks increase if you | | | | opinions before you delegate the process of acquiring |
| acquire a business that includes a website. If you buy | | | | a www domain, and let it be known up front that |
| an established business with a productive website | | | | you must be listed as the administrative contact for |
| you could lose significant revenue and good will | | | | your website. Shop around to make sure the price |
| depending on the previous owner. Most sellers will | | | | per year for your domain is not excessive. Take the |
| cooperate and transfers will go smoothly. In the rare | | | | same approach to understand hosting. Finally, consider |
| case of deals being made and then a hostile | | | | the website design and cost involved, and make sure |
| relationship develops, the legal recourse may only | | | | you are comfortable with your choices before |
| exacerbate the financial loss. | | | | agreeing to proceed. |
| Before we continue, consider the 3 things you need | | | | |