Stacey, that is an excellent point! We say that all time! I don't agree with website companies that hold onto your domain. Many times you can ask for it be released and then transfer to godaddy.com (which I suggest from the beginning anyway) but the transfer can be such a hassle and for those that don't quite understand the process it can be very confusing.
I learned a long time ago that you may not stay at a brokerage. It is much better to develeop your own domain name and create your own business from it.
Tammy ~ I got my domain name from GoDaddy. It's mine and I can use it wherever I go. It's silly to have your company's name in your domain name....or your email address for that same reason. I want my sphere to be able to email me regardless of where I work.
The toughy was this was the whole company brokerage that was my customer.. so imagine going to RemaxDenver.com to RemaxBrooklyn.com .... not so easy... it was a whole brokerage not an individual. But I agree with both of you, as an individual, create your own business, your own entity, one that can go with you anywhere. Thanks Ladies! :)
Tammy: How on earth can anyone expect to be able to drag their domain name with them when they leave a brokerage office... IF that domain name is somehow connected to that brokerage ?
I am not enough of a "techie" here to be using the correct words for this... but if the domain name was in any way connected to the past broker... it is pretty much "theirs." And... it really does not matter how much work you put into it... it was "theirs" then, and it's still theirs, or is still "connected" to them... after you leave.
Getting your OWN free-standing, only-connected-to-you domain name... is critical.
Yes Karen it is. The really big negative here was that we couldn't even use it to redirect people to the new domain. They got a new domain obviously when they split from the brokerage but that brokerage wouldn't let them redirect the old domain. No one else was using it and it would have faded into the sunset anyway eventually but it was tough to just turn it off. BOOM!
You are right though.. don't expect to use that name after you're gone. Thanks :)
Great blog and great response.. There are some companies that offer templates that you can use to build your website with but you have to connect to their server and if you ever leave that company are forever locked out of that domain.. You pretty much just GAVE to them though they where charging you $10.00 a month to have access to that website. What I found best to do is pay godaddy 7.00 a month to host your own server, and just bite the bullet and pay someone to build your site, so as your business changes, even if it is another office YOU can adjust your website accordingly and by hosting your own site all information that passes through the site goes to your server and no one elses.