The $6,000 Domain Name Mistake You Should Never Make

It’s a story we wish we didn’t have to tell—but it’s one that happens more often than you’d think.

A woman entrepreneur, running a solid business for over a decade, had a domain name that matched her company name perfectly. It was her brand identity online. She’d built credibility, earned backlinks, grown her presence—all under that domain name.

Then one day, her website disappeared.

What happened?
Her web designer forgot to renew the domain name.

And just like that, the domain was gone.

Now, if you search for that domain name, it’s listed for sale—for US$6,000. And no, we are not joking.

A Costly Error With Long-Term Damage

She likely won’t pay that inflated price. Why should she? It was hers to begin with.

But let’s unpack this mistake because there are important lessons here for every business owner:

1. She worked with someone who didn’t understand marketing.
   Her web designer might have known how to build a website—but didn’t understand that a domain name is more than just a URL. It’s a digital asset. A powerful one.
2. She treated her domain like an afterthought.
   In trying to “save money,” she handed over critical business responsibilities to someone who simply took orders, not someone who could advise her on long-term strategy.
3. She lost a decade’s worth of SEO value.
   A domain with 10+ years of history is SEO gold. It has trust, authority, backlinks and rankings. When it’s lost, rebuilding that trust with Google takes time—years, not months.
4. She damaged her brand identity.
   Her domain name was her brand. Losing it means confusion for customers, broken links everywhere, and a blow to her professional reputation.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

This could have been avoided with one simple principle:

Always keep your domain name in your own hands.

When we work with website clients, we make this crystal clear. Your domain name is not something you delegate without oversight. It should be registered in your name, with your account. We may help you manage the domain but it belongs to you.

A good advisor will tell you this and make sure you’re protected and never let this happen to you.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Check who owns your domain or who manages it.
• Renew your domain name on time. Set a reminder in your phone to renew yearly if you’re doing it on your own. If you’re not the person-in-charge, give instructions to your web management team to renew it.
• Use a reputable registrar. Stick with established domain providers and keep login credentials safe. Or work with a reputable web management company if you’re not technically savvy.
• Treat your domain name like property. Because it is. And once it’s gone, you may not get it back—unless you’re willing to pay thousands.

Don’t let someone else’s oversight ruin what you’ve built.

Your domain is your identity, your visibility, your history.
Protect it like the asset it truly is.

Need help with your website and domain name? Get in touch—we’re here to make sure your business is always in your hands.