Do you know who owns/controls your domain name? If the domain is not registered in the name of your practice or the owner of the practice, then there is a risk that you could lose control of the domain.
If the domain is registered in the name of your web developer or other outside consultant, then it is possible for them to hold the domain hostage if you ever decide to end your relationship with them. We have seen situations where a previous web developer will claim you have to buy your own domain back from them.
Another situation to watch out for is if the domain is registered by an employee of the practice. If the employee leaves, you have similar risks. The employee could hold your domain hostage and refuse to transfer it to you. Or, they may have left on great terms, but you then loose touch with them.
If you purchased your practice from someone else, it is also possible that the domain is still in the name of the previous owner.
In any of these situations, if the contact email is from a domain you control the hosting for, and you can access the email account, then the name of the person should not matter. Also, if your business name is attached to the registration, you can gain control of the domain, even if you can not access the email address affiliated with the account.
Recommendations:
- A practice owner should be listed as the Administrative Contact for the domain
- A web developer/consultant or IT person should be listed as the Technical Contact
- If you are buying a practice, make sure that control of website and domain name(s) is included in the contract
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