Who Owns Your Company Website- You or your Web Designer?

Weird question right? A recent experience prompts me to write this though I’ve had more than a few similar experiences within the past few months. Without sounding too self serving I’ve had new clients whose websites I’ve had to take over from their current website designer. If the company already has their domain registered the first question I ask is whether they have control of their domain and hosting accounts and sometimes the answer is no.

What came to light upon further investigation is that their domain was actually registered by their web designer in the web designer’s account or by an employee in their account with the domain registrar. Now I cannot fathom why anyone would register a company’s domain except in an account created in the company’s name but the sad reality is that it’s a regular practice in Trinidad. Effectively, this means that the company has no control of their domain and that the web designer/employee actually owns the domain.

As if that isn’t bad enough, trying to have the domain transferred to the company’s account is a process by itself as I don’t always get cooperation. I’ve had each of the following experiences in the order written:

1. Old web designer was very professional, sad to lose the site and handed over the domain without issue.
2. Company employee registered the domain but no longer with the company and absolutely no information is available.
3. Old web designer was angry and vindictive, deleted the domain, brought down the entire site and it took 4 months for the domain to become available to buy again.
4. Old web designer said it was part of a ‘promotional package’ and company can only own their domain by paying an additional sum to release it.

I don’t know if to laugh or cry but I’m leaning towards cry. Such practices betray a client’s trust, is plain bad business practice and very unprofessional in my opinion.

MORAL

If your company already has their domain and the domain was registered by someone else on the company’s behalf, please ensure you have all the necessary details: account number, username and password.

If the domain registration and the hosting is with the same company then you’re good to go. If the domain is hosted with another company, for example: domain registered with Go Daddy and hosting account with Just Host (or Dreamhost, Register.Com, Blue Host or any other) then get the hosting account details as well.

DOMAIN REGISTRATION INFO IS CRITICAL

It’s okay if you don’t get the hosting account info (not really okay but tolerable) as control of the domain itself is all you need for you can simply buy another hosting plan and assign your domain to the new hosting account.

So please take some time to check now that you have control of your website to prevent a massive headache in the future.