I though I would share a few insights into upgrading your existing corporate website, or its management or transferring your domain name to your name directly, instead of having it owned by your agents.
Firstly, your domain name is a strategic asset. Your local website company should not own your domain name on your behalf. You should transfer it into your company name and direct beneficial ownership and control and manage all of the passwords related thereto. Put the passwords into an envelope and then into a safe. Tell more than one person that those details are there.
Secondly, take out a 10 year term before you have to renew the ICANN fees. It’s amazing how quickly domain name renewals come up and you could lose the domain name if it is not renewed prior to expiry.
Thirdly, know that once you have told your existing website manager that they will no longer manage your account, you could be charged with excessive sums of money which need to be settled BEFORE the transfer of the domain name. Dig your heals in and the scene is set for a long hand-over. So ensure that steps 1 and 2 above are carried out before you give them the bad news.
Lastly, even if your current website manager continues to manage your website, be sure that if it goes down for some reason, the contact details of their support personnel are on hand. If you have not spoken nor heard of your website managers for ages, then get hold of their details. Taking your website more seriously does have greater risks when its unavailable.
Here is a “what can go wrong” list:-
- No-one in your organisation knows whose responsible for the website (this is in fact the norm in most companies)
- Your website company hears you are about to fire them then bills you excessive charges retroactively.
- The one-man website company you were dealing with has moved to Australia – your new site is good to go but you can’t bring down the old website.
- If you do not pay your website hosting fees your website host could post “this company has not paid their fees and should contact me soonest” on it, as was the case in Nigeria for a leading bank