If you follow me on social media, you may have come across a post where I said I saved a business owner roughly 75% on their yearly website costs. I sound like the car insurance commercial…you know the one (with the cute little lizard). If you don’t have a website yet, I’m hoping this blog will serve as a cautionary tale - don't fall victim to the same thing! If you already have a website, maybe this blog will be an eye-opening experience and we can work together to save you money. OKAY, let’s get started…
What is website ownership?
Website ownership SHOULD mean the same across all vendors, consultants, and agencies, but the sad reality is that it isn’t. It’s important to know what you should own/control to make sure your website is never held hostage.
After the initial website design investment, there will still be reoccurring fees such as domain/hosting services (you truly never “own” those). Design, images and content regardless of who designed/wrote it should also fall under your ownership. Next (and one of the most important in my opinion) is having the freedom to add or edit content on your own website. This can be accomplished with access to the Content Management System. Whether or not you feel comfortable making additions or have the time to commit to changes should be left to your discretion, but having the ability to do so is vital.
For those of you keeping a list, here is what your website contract should include:
Domain Name (www.yourbrandhere.com)
Design, Images and Content
Content Management Systems/FTP Credentials/Source Code
How “They” Get You…
With a Proprietary Platform - this is what happened to my client. These platforms are everywhere and hyper-focus on one industry. Typically a software or marketing company creates this platform saying we specialize in the beauty, automotive, or healthcare industry, etc. They require you to host it on their platform and often increase their fees year after year. When you ask to leave and how you can transfer your website, they say sorry no can do.
The It’s FREE Marketing Trap - as the saying goes, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” No upfront website costs with a bait and switch for low monthly payments to own your website. Lease to own websites tend to have a hefty cancellation fee.
Want to explore new website options? I’m here to help. Let’s get your website passwords in your hands!