Lockin = Locked Out!

We just recently had a phone meeting with a potential client about their need for a new website. one of our newest clients. You see they knew that they need to get a website and have tried various times. Yet they were very leery about the whole process. This is because of some extremely bad experiences they have had. The biggest challenge that this company faces with their new website project is LOCKIN! There are some website and technology related companies that lock onto a vital part of your business. They then use their knowledge as a weapon to take complete control of that area. The challenge in all of this is that you may not know enough about the particular technology to understand that you are being locked in. It is due time to shed some light on this dark subject. :) What is lockin? To be locked into a website company is to be locked out of that part of your business. In the context of your domain name and website hosting it is like buying a new home making the payments and your real estate agent puts their name on the title instead of yours! Never Put Your Domain name and website hosting in their name! When you go to someone to build your website they might need to help you register your domain name. Or you may already have a domain name that you are currently using. The next thing I am going to type is very important!!! NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER ALLOW THE PEOPLE BUILDING YOUR WEBSITE TO PLACE THE DOMAIN NAME AND HOSTING IN THEIR NAME!!!!!!!!! Yelling Yelling Yelling! Why am I yelling? Because I cannot count how many times this happens and it frustrates me that these companies are laying claim to what is your businesses property. You own your business right? You should own the domain name and the hosting for your online presence as well. Your files your website. The files that make your website work belong to you! Just as much as the files on your computer should belong to you. More than likely you do not have time to learn how to manage the technical side of your business. That is why you hire people like us to do it for you. The sad truth is many companies take advantage. You can do something about it! Here are some questions you should consider. Has the website company provided me with a username and password that I can use to access my domain name and website host? What am I going to do if my website creator drops off the face of the earth? What if I have a falling out with the company or individual? So I am locked in now what? Here are some questions you should ask the website creator if it turns out they in fact own your domain name and website host. Will you provide me with a username and password so I can access my domain name and website host? (If they are willing to give this to you print it and file it.) If they are not willing to provide this for you start looking for a new web designer and I mean like now! Can you please place my domain name and hosting account in my business/personal name? Two words "Administrative Contact!" If you are in the process of getting your website setup sometimes companies need to transfer your existing domain name away from your current domain name host. Make sure that your contact information is listed as the owner on the new account. They can always add themselves as the administrative contact. But there is just no need whatsoever for them to have their name on your property. Who is Whois? Who is the current owner of your domain name? To find out you will need to perform a whois search on your domain name. If it turns out your not the registered owner contact your website company and ask them to remedy this immediately. Do not take no for an answer. If they will not do this there are steps you can take to remedy the situation. But that is a separate post. One last metaphor for the road. :D You do not own a car that is registered in someone else's name do you? The same thing is true of your website domain name and hosting. We can help. If you don't have the time to research the ownership of your domain name and make sure it is placed in your name. We can do it for you. Just contact us with your request. Feedback? If you found this helpful and would like to let us know or have any questions click here to contact us today.