Regularly I am contacted from people pissed off with their current web developer.
Sometimes, it’s taking them weeks to simply update something, sometimes, when they do make any changes the invoice rolls in with crazy amounts.

Alarmingly we still hear of clients being held hostage by their current agency and, although the website is fairly accessible, domains are another kettle of phlegm.

Domain names are a vital asset for a company and great care needs to be taken to ensure you get the right ones and that you don’t lose them.
We recently had a case of a company so nearly losing two of their domains but also didn’t realise there was a .com version available as well.

The situation wasn’t looking too clever:
– One domain was being held by a squatter
– One domain (the main one they were using) was registered to, and held by, the old developer
– One domain was currently in ‘Expired’ mode and could have been lost within days

After a few weeks of back and forth with the previous developer (who wasn’t too happy) and the main domain registrar we finally managed to wrestle the 3 domains into their main registrar account, in their name, all registered correctly, all paid up.

Branding, marketing and overall consistency with your company name is crucial to maintain visibility, credibility and trust and your domain name is a vital company asset.

Here’s some tips you can adhere to and ensure you are the master of your own domain name(s):
– Always register domains using your company details and payment card
– Make a note/ set an alarm to remind you to renew in time
– Always try to get relevant TLDs – that’s .com or .uk etc, relevant to where you will be trading

Personally, we recommend using Gandi for all your domain registrations.

We’re always happy to help our clients get what’s best for them, no matter how big or small it may seem and, crucially, if you need help with domains or any other area of your online presence, get in touch today.

 
FURTHER READING