“If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it,” says the Baz Luhrman song of 1999, ‘Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)’, which is based on the article by Mary Schmich.

As a professional web developer in Staffordshire, my one tip has to be, ‘Register your own domain name’.

Of course Rake Mark can take care of this hassle and register your name for you and if you ask our customers they’ll tell you that we are a trustworthy bunch and your domain name is safe with us. But not every Staffordshire web design company are as honest and as open as us.

And this is where you’re problems may begin.

Web Design Project Nightmare Scenario

You have selected the name for your new venture, agonised over the domain name for your new website and taken considerable care in finding a website design company that suits your needs. You ask them to register the names for you and after an initial consultation they get to work.

It soon becomes apparent that the design team are not the great fit that you hoped. They don’t seem to get what you wanted, don’t understand what you are trying to achieve. Its a shame but you are going to have to go elsewhere.

Or your website designer seems to have lost interest in your site and you really need some changes making asap. Your tired of being ignored so you’re going to go elsewhere.

You assume that because you instructed the web designers to register the names that they’re yours. Guess again.

Its only now you discover the true colours of the company that you have asked to create the website of your dreams. You now find that they are refusing to release your domain names. Or if they will allow the name transfer its under a major protest and will only allow the name to be transferred once you have paid an inflated bill.

Domain Name Heartache: Prevention is Better Than Cure

The sheer volume of heartache and problems that I have come into contact with over this single issue is unreal. It is the single most common problem that we come into contact with and in many cases the client has to register a new name and start again from scratch.

The sad truth is that it is totally avoidable.

If you create your own account with a registrar like 123-Reg then you can register any domain names yourself and keep control of your names at all times. It is a hassle, I’ll admit. You have to create the account, register the name, point the name at your web developers servers and then remember to renew the names (you’ll get emails to remind you).

But its worth it.

Another potential banana skin is not all website developers will allow you to keep your names registered elsewhere (and you have to wonder why) and then point them at their name servers. But that’s OK, plenty of us good guys do.

Eek. Rake Mark Registered My Name

As premier providers of web design in Staffordshire you can relax with Rake Mark. You are always totally welcome to move your name elsewhere (try it if you don’t believe me). So if your name is with us you can rest easy.

So why am I telling people not to register their domain names with us? Well it would be a bit hypocritical and self-serving if I said ‘Register your own domain name… unless your using Rake Mark’. I would in effect be saying trust no-one but Rake Mark and we do have honest competitors. The issue for you is you may not know who you can trust until its too late.

So as the song says you should always wear sunscreen and, when it comes to web design, register your own domain name. If you don’t then in both cases you might get burnt.