Most of the content in this part of our presentation is already covered in a blog post, but this matter is so very important that it's well worth our time—and more particularly, your time in going over it again here in quite some detail.
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Getting This Wrong:
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"Could destroy your business completely!"
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We don't say that lightly, nor do we wish to use scare tactics, but as you will see as you follow this page down, this is one of the most important aspects of your online presence to get right for the security of any business...
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... and yet we are frequently astonished by how many otherwise very sensible and careful business owners have never even thought about it! If that's not you, well done! If it is you, it's high time to get it fixed, before it's too late!
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So, Who Actually Owns Your Website and Domain?
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Is it you — or your web designer?
If you’ve paid someone to build your website, you probably assume it’s yours. But in practice, ownership isn’t always that simple — especially if you didn’t register the domain name or hosting account yourself.
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Many business owners only discover the pitfalls of unclear ownership when it’s too late. Here's what to watch out for — and how to protect yourself.​
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Your Domain Name: Who Registered It?
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Your domain name (e.g. yourbusiness.co.uk) is your online address. But if it was registered by your web designer in their own name, then legally, they control it — not you.
That means:
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They can renew it… or let it expire;
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They can lock you out in a dispute;
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If they disappear, go bust, or even pass away — you might lose access entirely.​​
Your domain should be registered in your name, using your email address, with full login access to the registrar (e.g. GoDaddy, 123-Reg, Google Domains).
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At WebSmiths, we’re happy to register domains for clients — but we ALWAYS do it in your name, not ours.
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Website Platform & Hosting: Who Has Control?
Every website on the internet must be hosted somewhere, so whether your site is hosted on GoDaddy, IONAS, Wix, Shopify, or someplace else, what matters is:
Who can access the account it's hosted on?
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If your designer:
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Sets up the platform under their name or email;
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Pays hosting bills with their card;
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Doesn’t share login details.
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…then you don’t really control your website. You’re just a guest in someone else’s account.
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Worst-Case Scenarios:
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Your designer disappears — and you can't edit your own site;
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They go out of business — and your site vanishes;
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You can't leave — because they have the keys.
Best Practice:
Make sure you have admin-level access and your own login credentials.
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At WebSmiths, once your final invoice is paid and the site is approved, we set you up with your own admin login so you’re always in control. If we part company for some reason, you will have full access to transfer your site somewhere else.
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Email Accounts: Who actually owns your company's email?
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If your domain-based email (like you@yourbusiness.co.uk) is set up under someone else’s account — and not registered in your name — you could be at risk.
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You could:
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Lose access if they stop paying the bill;
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Get locked out with no notice;
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Face difficult or impossible recovery if they go quiet.
Best Practice:
You should own the email account and the platform account it's hosted on (e.g. Zoho, Google Workspace).
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At WebSmiths, we’re happy to set up domain emails —but again, always in your name.​​
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"Why Does All This Matter So Much?"
Picture this:
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Your designer ghosts - he/she doesn't answer calls or reply to texts or emails;
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Your site can’t be updated;
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Your business email stops working;
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Your domain expires… and EVEN WORSE someone else buys it!
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Suddenly, you’re offline — losing business, trust, and time.
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Can you imagine spending 10 years building a business with a domain known to thousands of your customers, only to learn that your domain expired and one of your main competitors bought it?
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Now all your traffic is going to them! And what can you do legally?
What We Do at WebSmiths
We take ownership and access VERY seriously.
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When you work with us:
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You own your domain, in your name;
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You control your website platform, with full admin rights;
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Your email accounts are yours exclusively, not part of any of our systems;
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If we manage anything on your behalf, we document and securely share every login and credential with you - but they are legally your logins, we are just using them as your agent.
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That means you’re never locked out — even if we part ways.
Before You Hire Any Designer, Ask This:
“Who will own the domain, the site, and the email when it’s done?”
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If the answer is unclear — or they dodge the question — walk away.​
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Quick Links to each Section
As we said above, the presentation is best watched in order - it will make more sense that way. However, if you've already been through it once and want to re-watch a particular section then the links below will avoid you having to go through the whole thing again to get to the part you want to re-watch.
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Part 1: What type or style of website do you actually need?
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Part 2: What exactly do you want the website to achieve for you?
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Part 3: How should homepage/landing page images best be combined with text for maximum impact?
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Part 4: Why you must own (in your own name or in your company's name) your domain & email service, and have full admin access to your hosting.