Internet domain names are an important part of any business on the internet. You want to choose a domain name that either represents your business name or that describes your business, is easy to remember, and is as short as possible. In setting up a web based business it is common to choose an internet hosting service provider, use their proprietary web building software to produce a web site, and publish it on the internet. It has become common for web hosting companies to offer a "free" domain name as part of their web site hosting plans. If you have used one of these free domain names for your business, be aware that many web hosting companies register "your" domain name in their own name, not in yours. These domain names registered in the host's name are not your property or the property of the business using the domain name, but the property of the internet hosting service provider.

Domain names become valuable when they are associated with a successful web business with page rank and many incoming links. These domain names often sell for thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, if your internet hosting service provider owns the domain name used by your business web site, you have been adding value to the web host, not your own business. If you for some reason wanted to move your web site to another internet hosting service provider, the web hosting company that owns your domain name can charge any amount they want to release that domain name to you, or they may refuse altogether to release it. In my own experience, I was charged $99 to transfer the registration of my "free" domain name to my ownership in order to change web hosts. The host tried to use that domain name as leverage to keep me tied to their web hosting at $80 per month. When your free domain name is registered in the host's hame you are essentially borrowing the it for as long as you use their hosting. If you were to shut down or sell the business, the web host would reap the benefit of the value of that domain name. Also, if your internet hosting service provider should go out of business, it could be very difficult to recover your domain name.

The folly of this situation is not widely known among the publishers of web sites. Your web hosting company may be honest and release the domain name to you when confronted, but don't count on it. When you pick an internet hosting service provider for your web site, be sure that any free domain name is registered in your name and not in the name of your web hosting company.

About the Author: Dr. Vernon Sandel is Professor Emeritus of Michigan Technological University and an affiliate marketer of web site hosting. His web site features a spreadsheet with complete data on fourteen affordable web site hosting plans of top national internet hosting service providers for easy comparison. It is the intellegent way to choose a web host.
Web site: http://www.hostingplanscompared.com