Making Sure Your Website & Domain Are Yours

by: Amy M. Wheatley, AMW Assistants

October 2006

In the website business, we come across a lot of clients that have been burned in the past or just have no idea about their websites.  They've given over total control to someone they barely know or a friend they thought they knew.  But time and time again, when we're called to update an existing site, the owners know little to nothing about who hosts their site, how much they're paying, where their domain is, and especially usernames and passwords.  Because of this, we become PI's and have to hunt down the last person that worked on the site or spend hours on the phone with customer service trying to override and gain access to accounts.

That is why AMW Assistants wants to give everyone a few guidelines to go by when having someone else create a site for you.

Rule #1.  ALWAYS request a few choices for web hosting providers.  If your designer doesn't offer you a few hosting companies to choose from, then ask for them.  It's your money and you have a choice in where it goes.

Rule #2.  NEVER just give someone cash and let them create your accounts with their credit cards.  If your uncomfortable giving them your cc info, then they should have no problem sitting down with you for a moment and taking you to the sites where accounts need to be created.

This rule is very important, because most of the time the name on the credit card is the name on the account by default.  Also, credit card information is used for security clearances by some companies.  If you don't know their credit card information it will be harder for you to access your own account when they are no longer around.  It's your website and your domain name, it should be paid for with your credit card not theirs.

Rule #3.  VERIFY. Once your domain name is set up, ask for them to print out the domain information.  It will say the domain name, the registrar ( which should be you & your company), etc...  The only place you should see the designers name is in the Technical Contact Information IF and only if they are going to be maintaining your site.

Rule #4. HARD COPY.  At this point if everything has been put in your name and confirmations are being sent to your email, your on the right track.  Make sure to print out those confirmations and read over them to confirm that you have all the usernames and passwords for each site you would have to make changes to if your designer was no longer available.  At AMW Assistants, we give our website account clients a binder.  It has their initial proposal with our design ideas that they've chosen from and all the information about the web hosting companies, domain name companies, etc...  It's ONE place where they can keep all their website information.

W\hen we're through with their website, we take the time to sit down and go over all the papers they've received and make sure they have everything and understand what is what.  It's common courtesy. NO ONE should have control over something that is yours.

Rule #5. KNOW YOUR SITE.  In today's society, a company or individual's website is key.  Everyone goes to your website if their interested in your business. On a personal note: Even if I look in the yellow pages, if a company doesn't have a website listed I don't even look at them.   And there are many out there like that.  Keeping your site updated and changing periodically will keep your site fresh and high on the search engines.  Your website is another marketing tool, know as much about it as you do your other marketing outlets.

It's common for someone to know someone else that creates websites.  They may just do it on the side for extra money or just for when people ask them, but it's your business, it's your money, it's your time.  Know the basic and important information about your website and domain name, even if you never do anything with it, have a copy of it in your possession.  Your webmaster might not be there forever.