You would think that if you purchased a hosting account, paid good money for a domain name and then loaded content you created yourself onto your new website, you’d have full ownership of what you’ve created.
Unfortunately, some of my new customers have found out the hard way that this is not always the case.
One work at home mom told me during her initial consultation that her website experience so far had been frustrating. She’d hired a local company to build and host her website – and she’d paid more than $1,000 for it. But when she started asking for support she found out that she was on her own. And when she tried to move her site, the company told her that they owned all the files in her hosting account – and her domain name.
After reading the terms of service for the site, I discovered that when my client had signed up, she’d agreed that the domain name would belong to the hosting company until she had paid for a full year of hosting.
Another client gave the task of domain registration for his company to an employee several years ago. The employee registered the domain name in her name, so when she left the company, my client could no longer control his domain name. He tried finding the former employee, but without success. He ended up having to register a new domain name.
Another client used a site builder to upload all of her content to the her old website. When she decided to move the site, she was told that she cannot download any of her files.
I truly wish I could have reached out to these clients before they ever found themselves in these situations. Regardless of whether a home business owner chooses my services, I’d at the very least, prefer not to see them mired in a website mess.
So, I’m putting together this list of tips to help you avoid making the same mistakes my clients did.
1. Make sure you read all the details in the terms of service at your hosting and domain name companies.
2. Never allow someone else to register your domain name in their name. The domain name should always be in your name, with an email address only you have access to.
3. Make sure you have all of your usernames and passwords in a safe place. I recommend printing them out and storing them in a notebook, in your desk, or file cabinet. Just find a safe place offline.
4. Backup your website often. If you’re on a cPanel-based hosting account, this is very easy. If your host does not offer an easy way for you to backup your website, find another host.
5. Read your web designer and writer contracts to find out if you own the copyright to the work they have done for you. In most cases, the creator of the works owns the copyright. If you’re a small business and you’re planning to stay that way, having a license to use your graphics for your business may be enough. However, if you’re planning on becoming a larger company, you may want to make sure you have full ownership of your graphics and writing.
6. Research your business name and domain name and all relevant state and federal copyrights and trademarks before you start your business. You don’t want to pour two years into a business, only to find out that someone owns the trademark on your name and you have to give it to them.
Generally speaking, doing your due diligence and making sure you read all contracts, researching all aspects of your business and consulting with an expert will help you avoid many of the pitfalls of website ownership.
Michelle Waters has more than six years experience helping small businesses sell physical products online. She shares her ecommerce expertise and the stories of many online business veterans in her weekly podcast, Product Sellers Talk Radio.