Domain names: who actually owns yours?

We ask every new client the same question: whose name is the domain registered in? About a third do not know. A few find out it is the previous web designer, a former employee, or a company that no longer exists.
Why it matters
The domain is the business's address on the internet and its email. If someone else controls it, they control whether your site and email work. Moving providers, selling the business, or falling out with a supplier all become harder.
How to check
Search your domain on a WHOIS lookup service. If the registrant is you or the business, good. If it is someone else, or hidden behind a privacy service you did not set up, you need the login for the registrar.
What we do
Domains for our clients are registered in the client's name. We manage them, but you own them, and if you ever leave, the login comes with you. It is a small thing that saves a lot of grief later.
Want a hand with this?
Send a few lines and you get a plain answer within two working days.
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