Is your domain name actually registered to you?  Are you sure?

If you are in any doubt and have not checked previously, check now using a publicly available WHOIS database tool, such as https://whois.domaintools.com/  or  https://who.is/

Your domain name is one of the most critical components of your online presence.  It represents you, your brand, your business – online.  It is the key to ensuring your customers can reach your website, can e-mail you, and conduct business with you online.  In an online world, the importance of maintaining registered ownership and control of your domain name cannot be understated.

You should know the answers to the following questions:

• Who is your domain name registered to?  It should be registered to you or your business entity, NOT to a service provider or contractor.
• Are the contact details for your domain name current and correct?
• Are you able to update your domain records and contact information?
• Who is your domain registrar?
• Do you know when your domain is due for renewal?
• Do you have a secure record of your domain password (also known as the EPP code or auth code)?

The critical importance of this is often not recognised, or it is overlooked as a minor detail by many business owners.  If left unchecked, the consequences can be dire.  When a domain expires, and e-mail and website suddenly stop working with no notice, the owner is left scrambling to fix the issue, often with no knowledge of what happened or why.  This downtime is further prolonged if the above points are total unknowns.  In severe cases, where rogue actors are at work (which could include disgruntled employees or contractors), dispute resolutions can be costly and take weeks or months to resolve.

Our position at IT Division is and has always been that your domain name belongs to you, and is your property!  Your domain name should never be registered to a service provider, contractor or any other entity other than you or your business!  As part of our service to you, when we register a domain name on your behalf, it will always be registered in your name, and we will ensure that you get the keys and remain in control.