Comments on: Your Domain is a Valuable Business Asset — Treat It Like One http://www.tropicalwebworks.org/2009/08/07/domain-valuable-business-asset/ Warm breezes, sunshine, and random thoughts Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:22:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: wmys http://www.tropicalwebworks.org/2009/08/07/domain-valuable-business-asset/comment-page-1/#comment-81230 wmys Sun, 04 Apr 2010 16:58:26 +0000 http://www.tropicalwebworks.org/?p=286#comment-81230 This happens all the time. I have had several clients whose previous web developer has title to their domain name. In most cases the developer was not locatable and the domain name therefore irretrievable. In one case in particular, the previous developer held the domain name hostage when the client didn't want to deal with her anymore. The client had invested several thousand dollars in advertising and printing costs on that domain, and it had been online for a year already so it was receiving some organic traffic. Not only that but the disgruntled web developer took down the client's site altogether and replaced it with a "Notice of Non-Payment by..." and named the client by name! In the end, the client elected to choose a different domain name and let the whole thing go. It was a lesson learned the hard way. NEVER let someone else hold your domain name. It is one of your most valuable business assets and should be closely guarded. If you buy a website that comes with a domain name, open a GoDaddy account (they're free) and INSIST that the current owner of the domain name transfer it to your account. This happens all the time. I have had several clients whose previous web developer has title to their domain name. In most cases the developer was not locatable and the domain name therefore irretrievable. In one case in particular, the previous developer held the domain name hostage when the client didn’t want to deal with her anymore. The client had invested several thousand dollars in advertising and printing costs on that domain, and it had been online for a year already so it was receiving some organic traffic. Not only that but the disgruntled web developer took down the client’s site altogether and replaced it with a “Notice of Non-Payment by…” and named the client by name! In the end, the client elected to choose a different domain name and let the whole thing go. It was a lesson learned the hard way.

NEVER let someone else hold your domain name. It is one of your most valuable business assets and should be closely guarded. If you buy a website that comes with a domain name, open a GoDaddy account (they’re free) and INSIST that the current owner of the domain name transfer it to your account.

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