Should domain names I host be required to host their website with me?

[webling]

I have had web hosting customers in the past who host their domain name with me. Later they kept their domain name hosted with me but went to another company to host their website. Should I allow this or make it a requirement that anyone who registers their domain name with me to also host their website with me?

 

[bigredseo]

This is purely a personal decision. There's no money in registering domains, so you could be losing money if you're making any manual adjustments. If everything is automated, then it likely doesn't hurt anything, and may even move your domain reseller account into the next plan level for more discounts.

I've seen hosts require that if you register your name with them, you must host with them, and some say that they will not host a website if the domain isn't transferred to them too. I personally don't think this should be a requirement.

Many hosts have moved away from the domain registrations and only provide hosting. This is the process that we used internally with design clients (before closing all hosting options and requiring clients to get their own hosting & domains)

 

[easyhostmedia]

when i closed down my hosting business last May. i had many clients within my resellerclub (domains) and The SSL Store (SSL cert) accounts and some of these were not hosted by me.
I decided to keep these 2 accounts open as they really work on their own with very little work on my part

 

[SS-Maddy]

As long as his domain is with you, he is a customer after all. And depending on the brand recall exercise you do with your clients, he may come back to you as well, or may be use your other services or even hosting itself for some other domains he own or may own.

It's a relationship, why lose it ?

 

[kevinsimmons]

dont try that ever , its a personal choice , its a privilege that they are still hosting their domain with you , it takes just a few clicks to move the domain to another company.
Try to improve your service rather than forcing client to do some thing.

 

[easyhostmedia]

look at it this way

How many domains do these host

GoDaddy
123-Reg
Namecheap
Ionos
Fasthost

These are all hosting companies, but all offer domain services, but never force any client to also host with them if they register a domain (they may offer a discounted incentive hosting plan if you register a domain, but you are not forced to take it).

It is just like say you enjoy Cheese and Crackers, so you buy your cheese from Walmart, you are not forced to also buy your crackers from Walmart

 

[HostMarket]

I would not require anyone to do so. They technically paid for the domain name so honestly it belongs to the client. Maybe I am wrong but thats how I feel.

 

[easyhostmedia]

I would not require anyone to do so. They technically paid for the domain name so honestly it belongs to the client. Maybe I am wrong but thats how I feel.

technically yes, but here is another scenario

They purchase hosting(annual plan) with a free domain. The domain forms part of the contract, so in this case i would lock the domain (this prevents them from moving the domain to another provider).
If they decide to leave you within the 12 months, then they get no refund on the hosting fee and they have to pay the domain registration fee before you unlock it.

How i did this was provide a domain with annual hosting, but renewable at domain renewal price at the end of the 12 mths. I would unlock the domain at the 12 mth point

 

[zomex]

I think it would be silly to force clients who own a domain to use your hosting. It's not morally good and doesn't make sense from a business stand point.

 

[CyberSasu]

Is that domain name comes free with hosting or they paid for it? If they paid for their domain then you have to keep with you. But if that domain comes with free domain offer then you have the right to terminate or suspend their services.

 

[John @ S4]

Personally I think it's a good practice to register domains with one company and host sites with another, then at least if the host goes goes down you can always redirect the DNS.

So I would be really unhappy if a registrar tried to force me to host with them.

 

[easyhostmedia]

Personally I think it's a good practice to register domains with one company and host sites with another, then at least if the host goes goes down you can always redirect the DNS.

So I would be really unhappy if a registrar tried to force me to host with them.

Your host may ask you to register a domain with them through your client area, but 9/10 they wont be the registrar.
When i was hosting i had a reselerclub account and a WHMCS module, so users could register a domain in their client area, but the domain would actually get registered with resellerclub and client would also get a direct link to their domain area within resellerclub, so they always had access to thier domain. Most host will have this setup.
when i closed my hosting business down in 2018 i still kept my reselrclub and The SSL store sites open as have load of clients with domains and SSL certs, some of them never hosted with me.