As we approach another year (*gasp*), before you launch into goal setting and resolution mode, allocate some time to perform some routine “housekeeping” as it relates to your business website. Let’s start with your domain name.

How to Find Out Who Really Owns Your Domain Name

The goal here is to ensure that you are the owner and have full control of the domain name. I’ve spoken to too many business owners that discover during the worst times that they are not listed as the owner of their domain names. This generally occurs when they are attempting to transfer the domain to another hosting provider. The worst case scenario of not owning your domain name is that the real owner can sell the domain name to someone else. Perhaps your competitor. * shudders *

STEP 1  

Let’s not entertain negative thoughts. Be proactive and perform the following steps to ensure that you are listed as the domain name owner.

1. Go to http://whois.domaintools.com/
2. Input your domain name in the search box and click the Lookup button
3. Review the “Registrant” section. The registrant owns the domain name. Your company should be listed as the “Registrant” and your name or the name of a trusted senior level executive should be listed as the Administrative contact. The Technical Contact is generally the person or entity that has permission to change the technical details (such as the name server information which indicates where the website is hosted). The Billing contact can update & enter the relevant billing information.

Registrars will not transfer control of a domain without the permission of the Administrative Contact. The domain name registrar (the place you registered the domain) will ask the Registrant for the appropriate Administrative contact. You get the picture. You want to be the registrant and the administrative contact.

STEP 2

Hopefully your name and/or the name of your company is listed in the registrant & administrative sections. If so, congratulations.  But before you check “done”, verify that all contact information listed is up to date (email, address, phone, fax etc).

If you are not listed as the registrant:

1. Copy the registrant details for your records
2. Contact the registrant listed and (nicely) request that they remove their name as registrant and add your name and company details as registrant and administrative contact.  Perhaps you recognize the registrant details as your hosting company, domain name reseller or website designer.  Hopefully, they are awesome people and willing to promptly make the necessary change. If they are not, well … I will write another post on how to proceed with a domain name dispute in the future. This can be a lengthy and frustrating process.  It’s not impossible to accomplish, but many business owners have been forced to cut their losses due to their inability or motivation to deal with the dispute process.

NOTE: If you are in a business partnership, you should indicate “the partnership” as the registrant and use the written partnership agreement as proof of ownership. Don’t have a written partnership agreement? Do that. Now.

This is a necessary “housekeeping” task that will prevent future frustration, teeth gnashing, hair loss and loss of income due to legal battles or loss of a high performing domain name.