Do I Own My Website?

A common question we get asked by prospects is, Do I own my website?, and it is a valid one. Some prospects have experienced working with web designers and/or web developers that maintain control over their website, which can be costly + damaging to your business. So, here’s our top tips on website ownership.

5 Ways To Take Ownership of Your Website

It is not uncommon for business owners to get confused or feel completely out of their depth due to the nature of a website build, including all the technical jargon that goes along with it. However, at Web-Sta Web Design + eMarketing, we believe not taking ownership of your website can be detrimental to you as a business owner for many reasons, including:

• Complete dependency on your web designer to make minor tweaks and changes
• Web developer charges for changes at an hourly rate, taking days or even weeks to complete, costing you time + money
• Information can become outdated very quickly
• Long-term safety and security of your website can be in jeopardy

This is why when it comes to the question “Do I own my website?”, our answer is “you sure do!”

In this article we cover five ways in which you can take ownership of your website to ensure it does what you need it to do. That is, effectively represent your business online, convert prospects into loyal customers, and help you scale + grow your business.

1.   Do I Own My Website? It All Starts With the Platform

Taking ownership of your website starts with the very platform used to build your website.

Web-Sta uses Wordpress to build all of our client’s websites. Wordpress is known worldwide as one of the most reliable platforms around, offering:

• Flexibility in design
• Multiple functions from blogging to shopping carts, membership portals, booking systems, and more
• Foundation for powerful Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies
• Integratable with social media channels and email databases
• User-friendly dashboard

In addition to the many tutorials available online, we have created a ClientHub that empowers our clients to make minor tweaks and changes to their website should they want to.

2.   Review Your Online Information Regularly

Just like the nature of your business, your online information is likely to change. Not only is it important to have accurate online information so potential customers know how to reach you, it is also your legal obligation to do so.

Particularly if you are selling products or services online, you will need to ensure things like your privacy policy, procedures, contact information and refund policy is completely up to date and mitigates risk.

3.   Invest in Frequent Edits & Updates

When it comes to the question “Do I own my website”, there are two things you must be sure of.

The first happens right at the start, when you hire your web designer. Make sure ownership over your website is legally yours. This includes access to all the content, imagery, brand style guide and so on that your web designer has created for you. You want to be absolutely sure you will have access to all of this once your website build is complete.

At Web-Sta we do this by ensuring the key information you need is all in the one place // your Website’s Dashboard // and by providing you with login details.

The second, is whether you are communicating to your potential customers you have ownership over your website.

What do we mean by this?

If your content, images or promotions are out of date, this doesn’t exactly give the impression to potential customers that you have any ownership of your website, or take pride in what you are offering.

Your website is a representation of your business and when done correctly can serve as a powerful tool to convert leads into repeat customers.

This is why it’s important to ensure your content, imagery, services and promotions are kept up to date. There is nothing worse for a potential client than landing on an outdated services or promotions page, only to discover your offerings are no longer available or have changed!

4.   Make a Habit of Testing Online Forms, Shopping Carts + Button Links

Due to continuous software updates, your buttons, forms and links need to be tested regularly to ensure they are functioning as they should. It is not uncommon for software updates to mean your online forms or buttons also need to be updated.

5.   Keep Your Administration Login Details Safe & Perform Regular Security Updates

Probably the most important question to ask yourself after “Do I own my website” is “How safe and secure is my website?”

Research shows that about 30,000 websites are infected with some type of malware daily in the USA alone. Some 73% of Americans fall victim to some type of cybercrime. And, 40 million Americans lose information annually due to business hacking.

Websites are also subject to spam and viruses if not carefully managed and maintained. To help combat this, you will want to do two things:

• Ensure your administration login details are safely stored and only accessible by you
• Perform regular safety and security updates to combat spam and computer viruses

There you have it, five ways you can take ownership of your website to better serve your business. After implementing these five things, you’ll never have to wonder “Do I own my website” again!