You paid for your website, so it is yours. That is what most sole traders assume, and most of the time it is true. But “held hostage” is a phrase that comes up again and again in small business forums, and it usually starts with something nobody thought to check at the beginning.
A designer registers the domain name on your behalf, puts it in their own account, and everything works perfectly for years. Then the relationship changes. Perhaps they move on, raise their prices, or you simply want someone else to look after things. Suddenly you find that the name customers type to find you is not legally in your name at all.
The good news is that this is easy to prevent, and usually easy to check.
The four parts of a website
If these terms are new to you, our guide to domains, hosting and business email covers the basics.
It helps to know that a website is not one thing. It is usually four separate pieces, and each one can be owned by a different person:
- The domain name - the address, such as yourbusiness.co.uk
- The hosting - the server where the site actually lives
- The website files - the design, code, text and images
- Your email - often tied to the domain, which is why losing the domain can also mean losing your inbox
When people talk about a site being held hostage, it is normally the domain or the hosting account that is the problem.
Five things to check today
1. Look up your domain’s registrant. For a .co.uk or .uk address, you can run a WHOIS search on the Nominet website. The registrant should be you or your business, not your designer or their company.
2. Make sure you have your own login. You should be able to sign in to the domain registrar yourself, with an email address you control. If only your designer can log in, ask for access now while things are friendly.
3. Know where your site is hosted. Ask who the hosting provider is and whose account it sits in. If your designer hosts it for you, that can be perfectly fine, but you should know the arrangement and what happens if it ends.
4. Check your agreement. A good agreement states clearly that you own the domain and the finished website once it has been paid for. If there is no agreement, ask for one.
5. Keep a copy of the important details. Registrar name, account email, hosting provider and renewal dates. A single note in a safe place saves a great deal of stress later.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious if a designer tells you they need to own your domain to run your website. They do not. A designer can manage everything technical as an administrator or technical contact while you remain the owner.
It is also worth being wary of anyone who is vague when you ask who owns what. A straightforward question deserves a straightforward answer.
If you are already stuck
Start politely and in writing. Ask for the domain to be transferred into your name, and keep a record of every message. Most situations are resolved at this stage, because most designers are honest and simply never thought about it. If that does not work, Nominet has a dispute resolution service for .uk domains, and a short letter from a solicitor can often move things along.
The simple rule
Whoever builds your website, the domain should be registered in your name and you should always have your own way in. Ask the question before you sign anything, and you will never have to worry about it.
If you are not sure who owns your domain and would like a second pair of eyes, email me at Jamie@jbhmedia.co.uk and I will happily take a look.
