Protect Your Brand
Why Every Business Owner Needs to Own Their Domain Name
It’s no secret that in today’s digital age that having a website is essential to reach and engage with potential clients.
The thing many entrepreneurs may not realise is all the moving parts of a website that require time and attention. There are the obvious things like your logo, colours, photography, and copy, and then there are the less sexy things like your domain name, name server, website hosting and email. It’s a lot and can be overwhelming – especially if it’s outside your zone of genius.
However, it is imperative for you to OWN your domain name and in today’s blog post I will share a list of reasons why.
Let me start by sharing the catalyst for this post.
A client we recently worked with had outsourced the purchase and management of her domain name to the company hosting her website. Which, in theory, sounds like a good idea. However, when we requested the domain to be changed to our client so she should switch to squarespace (the platform we use exclusively for websites) we were met with challenge after challenge.
The person who’s name and email the site was registered under was no longer at the company, plus there was a two-factor authentication required. So long story short, this caused delays and ended up taking us and our client a great deal of additional time.
Now I will say that despite the delays and extra time, this was the best-case scenario. We were still able to get access to her domain, get it transferred to her and launch her site.
It doesn’t always end this well. What if you can’t reach your contact? What if they decided to do something malicious? What if they go out of business? What if they don’t renew your domain name and you lose it. So, many ifs.
Here’s a deep dive into 4 reasons why owning your domain name is so important for your business.
Control
When you own your domain name, you have complete control over it. This means you have the power to decide how it’s used, who has access to it, and what content appears on your website.
If you rely on someone else to handle your domain name, they could lock you out of your website or hold your domain name ransom for more money. This could cause significant problems for your business, including loss of revenue and a damaged reputation.
Security
Owning your domain name also means you have control over its security. If someone else owns your domain name, they could make unauthorized changes to your website or even redirect your traffic to their own site.
This could be disastrous for your business, especially if you rely heavily on your website for customer acquisition and sales.
Flexibility
When you own your domain name, you have the flexibility to change web hosts or web designers without any disruption to your website.
If someone else owns your domain name, they could refuse to transfer it to another host or designer, making it difficult for you to make changes to your website.
Brand Identity
Your domain name is a key component of your brand identity. Owning your domain name means you have control over your brand’s online presence. You can ensure that your website accurately reflects your brand’s image and messaging.
If someone else owns your domain name, they could make changes to your website that could harm the integrity of your brand.
For years I’ve told my clients that I will not purchase their domain name on their behalf for all of these reasons. The recent experience with our client solidified my stance on this subject.
If you don’t currently own your domain name, I suggest you get it transferred over to you as soon as possible.