Do you ever get that nagging feeling in the back of your head that you have forgotten something important when it comes to your digital marketing? Unfortunately, an extremely crucial aspect of our business tends to never hit the radar screen: business domain name ownership. This is the key to your digital lobby, and the way people get to your company’s website. If you are not the owner of the domain, your website could disappear at any moment, and it will be difficult to get it back without some serious downtime for your site.

What’s in a Domain?

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of domain ownership, let’s briefly cover what a domain is. In the simplest terms, a domain name is the combination of letters you type to get to a specific website. Each website exists at a numerical address (IP address); a domain makes it easier to find sites. Most domains will include the business name. For example, to get to the Beyond Indigo Pets website, you would type in beyondindigopets.com. This differs from a URL, which will also include the path to get to the website (https, www, etc.). Every domain is managed by a domain registry. 

Domain Ownership

Most people might not be able to tell you who has ownership over their website domain. Domain ownership descriptors include:

Registrant: Another word meaning owner—the person who holds all rights and decisions to the domain name. 

Administrative: A person who has authority to make changes to the domain name, including transferring it to another owner. 

Technical: Person who can tell the domain name what website to “point” to or be attached to (this is helpful if you are building a new website).

Billing: If a different person than the above pays the business bills, this person’s name and email would be attached to this role. 

Delegate Access: You can assign rights to a company to manage aspects of the domain name, but they are not given entree to the actual ownership of the domain. 

With this knowledge, let’s discuss a few typical things that will squirrel up the works for a domain name to be in working order. They are also a bugger to fix. Let’s look at them. 

Domain Ownership Issues

A domain’s owner is listed as the registrar as stated above . Whoever’s name is listed on this line at the domain name server level, is the controller of the name. Only this person can make ownership changes. Here are some examples where this matters: 

• The owner sells the business to someone else and the rights of the domain name are not transferred. In this case, the former owner of the business still controls the domain name. 
• A former employee is listed as the owner. That employee owns and controls the domain name, and can take it with them when they leave if they choose.
• The owner of the domain name dies, and the domain name company is not notified. Paperwork related to the estate and continuity of the business will need to be filed with the domain name registrar office. 
• The marketing company that is being used insisted they be listed as the registrar. They are now the owners of the domain name. 

It can be very difficult (sometimes impossible) for the rightful owner of the domain to regain ownership. The bottom line is never give away control of domain ownership. 

Other Domain Headaches

There are a few other scenarios that can cause serious stress for a domain owner. These include:

• The account owner’s email has changed. Make sure to update any new contact information, or you could miss important messages (like renewal notices). You might night realize your website is due to expire, which could mean your website goes down. If your company email is tied to your domain, this will also leave you without email. You only have 30 days to reclaim your business domain, or someone else could purchase it.
• The person with the login information leaves the company. If you cannot log in to verify ownership, you might have a really difficult time convincing the domain company that you are the rightful owner.

Keeping Your Domain

Any issues with your domain name could mean your website goes down, which can cause a big headache for your business. It is very important to periodically check the validity of the information listed with the domain registrar. If you have your username and password to your account with the domain company, sign in and check the account information to make sure it is correct, and that a current credit card is on file. This should be done every three months. If you can’t find your domain information, this website can help.

At Beyond Indigo Pets, we never request ownership of your domain or any other account. We want to partner with you to enhance your digital marketing efforts, not take them from you. To learn more about our services, please call (877) 244-9322 or fill out this form.