3 Tips To Prevent Losing Control Of Your Website

Blog Post: Stephen Wicks

Have you ever heard of someone who lost control of their website?  Maybe you have or maybe it was even you who had this happen.  It is a very common phenomenon that happens to business owners every day.   Even though it happens a lot, this tragedy can actually be avoided if you know a few things upfront before getting your website designed.  In this blog post, we will give you 3 tips to prevent this from happening to you.

How it usually happens

Usually, a person who decides to get a website designed does one of two things.  1. Try to design it themselves or 2. Hire someone else to design it for them. 

There is nothing wrong with either option however; many people don't know the difference between having a "domain name" and a "website."  You can have a website and not have a domain name and you can have a domain name and not have a website.  It sounds confusing but let me break down the differences.

What Is A Domain?
A domain name is the set of letters or numbers that come after http://www  in your browser... such as www.StephenWicks.com . It is the address that directs people to where your website is being hosted. 

In actuality, the website StephenWicks.com is located on the internet at an address that consists of a set of numbers that's recognized by your computer. 

Most people will not be able to remember all of those numbers that represent our website's address.
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So instead of having to remember and type in many numbers, you can simply type StephenWicks.com and you'll find my website.  That's why domain names are so important.

What Is A Website?
A website is everything that you see when you go to a domain name.  This can be pictures, text, video, audio, documents, or whatever digital files the site's owner wants you to see.

The "website" is what people will "see" when they go to the "domain name address."

Do You See The Difference?
A domain name is seperate from the website.  I could own StephenWicks.com and NOT have a website.  StephenWicks.com is only the address of the website.

You Need Both A Domain Name AND A Website
So I hope you now understand that you need both a domain name AND a website in order to have a website that can hold the information that you may want clients or customers to see.

Most people don't understand the difference and when they let someone develop a website for them, they don't make sure that they "own" or have control of the domain or the hosted website files.

This means that the designer can theoretically register the domain in their own name and leave you out of the registration process.  You will not actually have control of the domain address at all.  This means that you can not truly make any changes with your website without your designer's permission.

Tip 1: Make Sure Your Domain Name Is Registered In YOUR Name

• Make sure that you let your designer know that you want the domain name to be registered to you and not them.  Do not allow them to develop your website if they refuse to put the domain name in your name.  Having the domain in your name is the only way you can leave your designer or web host on your own without needing the designer's permission.

Tip 2: Make Sure You Get It In Writing That The Domain Name Will Be Registered To You

• Get it in writing.  Even if you have it in an email it's better than not having it at all.  This will protect you if you ever have to bring legal action against a designer who refuses to give you control over your domain name.  If you have control of your domain you can always get another website designed by someone else and still control your website.

Tip 3: Make Sure That You Fully Understand Your Monthly Hosting Plan And Fees

• After you have control over your domain name,  you will also want to make sure you know your rights regarding your website files.  These are all of the content that your website visitors "see" or "hear" when they visit your domain.
• Make sure that your designer will not claim ownership of your website content.
• Make sure that all pictures, audio, and text are free for you to use on your website and not copyrighted by someone else.  (It's a costly mistake to make.)
• Make sure you understand the monthly or yearly costs associated with hosting your website.  (If you don't pay, your website content may be deleted and lost due to non payment.
• Make sure you can get a downloadable backup copy of your website so that if you do lose your website you can recreate it with another designer.

Ask questions!

The bottom line is that it's a common problem that people fall out of love with their designers and often lose control of their domain names and their websites.  This is terrible because if you lose control, many times you will have to start all over with a different domain name and / or website.  This may confuse your customers and be costly for you.

If you have any questions about this process you can contact us at Stephen Wicks Internet Development Company and we can give you a free initial consultation.

Building a website is a great experience when you know what common pitfalls to avoid.  So don't fret, get busy building your dream project!

Stephen Wicks
Email: [email protected] 
Phone: ​(678) 999-7945