Tameera Corporal
AUTHOR/PUBLIC SPEAKER
Lead Developer at Accufigures
What is a domain?
The domain is an IP address that’s assigned to your server that is displayed with protocol. If that was too techy for you, we’ll use an analogy. Think of your domain as the address of your internet real estate on the internet.
Whoever owns the domain, has control over the website. Here’s a few scenarios where this can be problematic:
- Your developer owns the domain and you part ways.
- You got the domain “free” through a drag and drop or DIY website building transaction and you want to move your site to a new platform.
- You hired a service to set up your domain and hosting, and domain ownership wasn’t explicitly discussed.
How to find out who owns a domain
Did you purchase your domain yourself? If so, you should be the owner of your site. If you were given a free domain or had someone set it up for you, then you should follow the steps below to find out.
The best way to find out who owns a website is to take a look at a website that lists this information. The website I use is called whois.net to find out who owns a domain or website. This site will list a good amount of information about your site in addition to the name and address of the website owner. It’s best to review this information to make sure you own your site.
You may not be able to fix this…
You can get control of your domain back, but it’ll cost you. In most cases, if the owner of the domain decides to transfer ownership of the domain to you, it’s going to cost… big. Understand, the owner of your domain isn’t required to sell it back to you.
What are your options?
There’s always a way to keep your business moving forward, but you may not be a fan…
If your domain name is still available, then this is the best case, and renew it for as many years as possible.
If the domain owner is willing to sell your domain back to you and you’re willing to pay for it, then go that route. Beware of domain rental plans, make sure the transaction is permanent, and get it in writing if possible.
Finally, if the current owner of your domain isn’t willing to sell to you or you can’t come to an agreement on price, then it’s time to purchase a new domain. I would suggest using either Godaddy or your hosting company to buy your new domain.
Need help with all of this?
If any of this was over your head or your don’t have time to dedicate to this, then I would suggest you bring in a professional. We understand that this is a time sensitive issue, and can help get you back up and running yesterday. Schedule your consultation with us today to get your site back up and running ASAP.
About The Author
Tameera Corporal is a professional website designer, graphics creator, business administration trainer, and published author. She loves to write code, articles, and books and is a lifetime professional development advocate. She is also a MBA and PMP. She specializes in PHP, MEAN, jQuery, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, SCSS, and SQL. She also utilizes Heroku, GitHub, Bootstrap, and other helpful apps in her builds.
Currently, she is actively working on building her web development and micro-training firm, Accufigures, Inc., located in Tampa, FL. At Accufigures, we help small businesses turn their target audience into returning customers with customized website designs and graphics. Visit her online at bit.ly/accufigures for more information.
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Know an entrepreneur that could use this information? Share this post on your favorite social media app.
Sources
My life experiences. Coding is hard, but the end result is worth the struggle.
Legal Stuff
Tameera Corporal
AUTHOR/PUBLIC SPEAKER
Lead Developer at Accufigures
What is a domain?
The domain is an IP address that’s assigned to your server that is displayed with protocol. If that was too techy for you, we’ll use an analogy. Think of your domain as the address of your internet real estate on the internet.
Whoever owns the domain, has control over the website. Here’s a few scenarios where this can be problematic:
- Your developer owns the domain and you part ways.
- You got the domain “free” through a drag and drop or DIY website building transaction and you want to move your site to a new platform.
- You hired a service to set up your domain and hosting, and domain ownership wasn’t explicitly discussed.
How to find out who owns a domain
Did you purchase your domain yourself? If so, you should be the owner of your site. If you were given a free domain or had someone set it up for you, then you should follow the steps below to find out.
The best way to find out who owns a website is to take a look at a website that lists this information. The website I use is called whois.net to find out who owns a domain or website. This site will list a good amount of information about your site in addition to the name and address of the website owner. It’s best to review this information to make sure you own your site.
You may not be able to fix this…
You can get control of your domain back, but it’ll cost you. In most cases, if the owner of the domain decides to transfer ownership of the domain to you, it’s going to cost… big. Understand, the owner of your domain isn’t required to sell it back to you.
What are your options?
There’s always a way to keep your business moving forward, but you may not be a fan…
If your domain name is still available, then this is the best case, and renew it for as many years as possible.
If the domain owner is willing to sell your domain back to you and you’re willing to pay for it, then go that route. Beware of domain rental plans, make sure the transaction is permanent, and get it in writing if possible.
Finally, if the current owner of your domain isn’t willing to sell to you or you can’t come to an agreement on price, then it’s time to purchase a new domain. I would suggest using either Godaddy or your hosting company to buy your new domain.
Need help with all of this?
If any of this was over your head or your don’t have time to dedicate to this, then I would suggest you bring in a professional. We understand that this is a time sensitive issue, and can help get you back up and running yesterday. Schedule your consultation with us today to get your site back up and running ASAP.
About The Author
Tameera Corporal is a professional website designer, graphics creator, business administration trainer, and published author. She loves to write code, articles, and books and is a lifetime professional development advocate. She is also a MBA and PMP. She specializes in PHP, MEAN, jQuery, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, SCSS, and SQL. She also utilizes Heroku, GitHub, Bootstrap, and other helpful apps in her builds.
Currently, she is actively working on building her web development and micro-training firm, Accufigures, Inc., located in Tampa, FL. At Accufigures, we help small businesses turn their target audience into returning customers with customized website designs and graphics. Visit her online at bit.ly/accufigures for more information.
Share This
Know an entrepreneur that could use this information? Share this post on your favorite social media app.
Sources
My life experiences. Coding is hard, but the end result is worth the struggle.
Legal Stuff
Tameera Corporal
AUTHOR/PUBLIC SPEAKER
Lead Developer at Accufigures
Share This
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