If you've ever had a website redesigned by someone other than your original website designer you may have come across this question, who owns or manages your domain name? This may sound simple, but having the wrong person managing your domain name can be a costly and time consuming issue to sort out. Follow these tips and pieces of advice to help you avoid hidden costs and delays in launching your new website.

We have created hundreds of websites for clients and we still have one big issue with many who want a new website to replace an old and tired one, domain name ownership!

When we acquire a domain name for our clients, we try to do it the preferred way, then the other way. The preferred way is if clients register the domain name themselves through one of the major resellers. It’s cheap, they have no hidden costs and the control panels make the management simple for anybody. The reasons why this is the best way, well, if they choose to have another web designer or website host in the future, all they have to do is change the nameservers. Simple to do and no costs incurred. Secondly, if they have a disagreement with the web designer, no issue about access to the domain name.

If we have to register the domain name for the client, we use the client’s details for the whois data; we want them to know that they own the domain name. Most importantly, we always ensure the clients are given written confirmation that they own the domain name, we are merely managing it on their behalf.

So why is this important? Well, a client needs to know where they stand. If you are looking for a website designer and you don't yet have a domain name and decide to let a third party register the domain name on your behalf, check a couple of things out. Firstly, in whose name are they registering it, and secondly, what costs will be incurred for the management? If they want to register it in their own name, the alarm bells should be ringing! They have been instructed to register it on your behalf, under a design contract, so it's you that should own the domain name. It is part of your company's assets. And then we come on to the domain management.

Do you know how simple it is to make changes to a domain name so that it points to the right web host? Very is the answer! Make sure you get it in writing that nay changes to the domain name will be free, if they decide to charge you for a few seconds of work, it’s an insult to you and your business relationship. And you must find out how much they will charge, if anything, to release the domain name to your management should you wish to change web designer. We have had many companies being told it will cost them £150 to have a domain name released to our management, even though the domain name only costs £7 for two years! However, we have never had a client pay these costs, we point out to the offending company how easy the handover is, and ask them to justify their charges. They never can and always do it for free.

So, when you chose a website designer, register the domain name yourself. A good web designer will help you set it up correctly for free. If you do let a web design company register the name on your behalf, get it in writing that they have registered it on your behalf and there will be no cost incurred for transferring the domain name in the future to your control.