For small and mid-sized businesses, marketing consultants or web developers can add plenty of value. They often provide insight into new areas of your business, and use their education and experience to improve your website or overall marketing efforts. This can be a great alternative to hiring an in-house employee. Unfortunately, not all of these consultants have your best interests at heart.
A business relationship with a consultant can end for a number of reasons. Poor performance, inconsistent communication, high fees, or simply the end of a big campaign are among the most common. However, before you do part ways, it is vital to understand the access and ownership rights that this third-party may have for your website or other online accounts.
One of the most serious consequences of a professional relationship ending is the complete loss of digital assets. For example, when developers build a website from scratch, they often register a domain, set up a hosting platform, and create content through their accounts. While this may streamline their workflow, it can also mean they legally own everything that has been purchased and built. Unless your contract explicitly defines who owns what, you may lose access to your assets due to uncooperative developers who you no longer pay ongoing fees to.
Imagine ending a business relationship, then finding out your website is offline, or your access is blocked. Here are 4 straight-forward steps to prevent it.
Work With Reputable Consultants & Companies:
Utilize your relationships with other businesses and seek out developers that can be vouched for. Use online reviews, and other sources to identify trustworthy companies. Remember, you are entrusting them with one of the most important and expensive pieces of your business.
Verify Ownership:
Ensure your domain name, hosting, and content are registered under your name or business. Review the settings related to these accounts and ensure you are listed as the primary account owner.
Secure Your Access:
Keep control of all passwords and only give consultants the permissions they need to do their job. Many platforms allow for third-party access and controls.
Review Your Partnership Agreement:
Ensure any agreement you sign clearly states that you own all aspects of your website. If you don’t currently own it, then work with your developer to gain ownership while your relationship is in good standing. In addition, look for a clear “Scope of Work” and timeline for other activities your partner may execute for you.
Stories of consultants with ill-intent are more common than many may realize. While many assume that their initial partnership agreement states they own the site, this is not always the case. However, by following these 4 simply steps you can protect your digital assets, and continue to use them to grow and promote your business for many years to come.
Finally,
Whether it’s branding, marketing and design, website and SEO audits, or access to professional marketing partners, Central is the right choice for customizing the marketing needs of your business. Our highly dedicated team has decades of experience to help you identify best-practices and implement initiatives that deliver results. We’re ready to partner with you so your company can save and grow! You can reach us at marketing@centraltis.com. Access all of our Marketing and Business articles HERE.