At SimplyBestWebsites.Com, we make sure that we give our clients all the particulars (usernames, passwords, etc.) pertaining to their website at the end of the project. However, over the years of working with several clients, we have experienced that their previous website design agency had not provided them with the same. In this blog-post, we recommend various steps one should take to stay in control of their website after it has been built.

Domain names: The first item on the list is the domain name. Often, business owners commission their website design agency to sign up for a domain name for their business. When the domain name is registered, business owners need to ensure that the name is being registered to their business and not to the agency. This allows them to renew, transfer or even sell the domain name as and when they want.

Hosting: Next, comes hosting. Every domain name is associated with a corresponding hosting account, where website files (webpages, photos, etc.) are hosted. For any website to be modified, an access to a hosting account is a must. Web developers use hosting account to build and edit a website. Businesses must ensure that they have access to the hosting account as well (even though they may not be actually building or editing the website). The most common forms of hosting accounts are cPanel and FTP (File Transfer Protocol). Businesses should make sure that the web developer is relinquishing the username and password to the hosting account upon completion of the project. If your website does not require constant updates, go ahead and change these credentials by calling the host (e.g. GoDaddy, HostGator, BlueHost, etc.). Thus, in an event of dispute, you can avoid a disgruntled web developer from simply locking you from accessing your website or even deleting the site completely. It also gives you flexibility to move to a different developer and continue working on your existing site.

Email & other miscellaneous services: A website developer may have created an email address for a business or signed up for other services such as email marketing, etc. Businesses should ensure that they are given passwords to these services upon the completion of the design process.

Back-up of files: Other than passwords, business should always make sure that their web developer provides them with a back-up of all website files. Thus, in the event of a site being hacked or going offline for some other reason, a business can quickly restore it using the backup files.

All the suggestions in this post are simply provided as a measure of precaution, and hardly mean that your web developer is dishonest or something. However, sometimes people move on to pursue other carriers or change their phone numbers or for some other reasons may become unreachable. In such cases, having all your website credentials in your possession, won’t leave you stranded and you can continue with hosting and editing your website.

Here’s a list of items that your web developer should give you at the end of the project:
1. Username and password for the domain registrar
2. Username and password for hosting account (cPanel, FTP, Wordpress, etc.)
3. Username(s) and password(s) for email address(es) created
4. Username and password for any other service such as email marketing, analytics, etc.

Tips:
1. Register all your credentials with a single service provider (GoDaddy.Com, HostGator.Com, etc.). This makes it easy to retrieve information.
2. Change all your log-in information upon completion of project, if your website doesn’t require constant updating.
3. Maintain a back-up of latest website files in more than one location (e.g. on your computer and on a CD).
4. Maintain a hard copy of your passwords as well, in the event your computer crashes and you lose your data.

A penny for your thoughts!