When you are setting up your online business, be careful when you purchase your domain name and web hosting account for your ecommerce biz.

Some companies have free domain names with every web hosting account purchased and other have similar specials that will entice you to purchase your domain hosting with that particular vendor. Most of these companies are resellers for much larger firms and that shouldn't discourage you from doing business with them, as many of these companies can offer great discounts to you that will make it very cost effective to do business with them.

What you need to watch out for are the web hosting companies who sell you a domain or even offer it free to you in exchange for web hosting, and the domain name is in the name of XYZ1213 Hosting.com and not you. You will be listed as the technical contact that will insure you get emails regarding your site and the now obligatory spam unless you opt to have your information for web ownership cloaked and you may be none the wiser.

Most people find out they don't own their own domains when they become unhappy for one reason or another with their web hosting company and choose to make the switch. They then find out they will pay a hefty transfer fee and some less scrupulous web hosting companies will delete those owner's websites claiming them as property of the web hosting company, not the business owner.

The only way to avoid this scenario is to read the fine print when you are first setting up your domain. If you are already involved with a web hosting company go to http://www.whois.sc/ and check your domain. If you see any name other than your own listed as owner for your domain, better get out your web hosting contract and look for the fine print.