What does owning your website include?

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Think of your website as a small piece of property with four parts:

• The domain is your street address on the internet, such as yourbusiness.ca.
• The hosting is the building where the website lives and stays online.
• The design and content are the signs, photos, and words inside: your layouts, logo files, images, and writing.
• The logins are the keys to your domain, your hosting, and the tool you use to edit your pages.

When all four are in your hands, your website is truly yours.

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Who should your domain be registered to?

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You should be listed as the owner, using your business name and an email address you check regularly. The company where the domain is registered is called a registrar, and GoDaddy and Namecheap are two well-known examples.

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To check, search your domain in a free "WHOIS" lookup tool (for .ca domains, CIRA offers one) or log in to the registrar's account. Turn on auto-renew so your address never expires by surprise, and keep the renewal reminders going to an inbox that someone on your team reads.

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Where does hosting fit in?

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Hosting is a monthly or yearly subscription that keeps your website online. It can sit in your own account, or in your designer's account while they manage it for you. Both arrangements can work well as long as everyone knows which one applies and you can move the site into your own account whenever you want.

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A quick question gets you the answer: "Whose account is my website hosted in, and who pays for it?"

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Do you own the design, photos, and writing?

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That depends on your agreement, which is why it is worth reading. A clear agreement says that the designs, pages, and content created for your project become yours once the project is paid for.

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Photos deserve a quick look too. Images you license from a stock library come with their own usage terms, so ask which ones are included in your site and whether the licence carries on after launch.

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What should you ask your web designer about ownership?

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These questions take five minutes and give you a lot of peace of mind:

• Whose name will my domain be registered under?
• Where will my website be hosted, and who pays for it?
• Will I have full access to edit my own pages?
• Do I own the designs and content when the project is paid for?
• What happens if we decide to stop working together?
• Will there be training so my team can update the site?

A designer who is proud of their work will be happy to answer every one of them.

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What if a past designer controls your website?

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Many business owners find themselves here, and it usually has a straightforward fix. Reach out kindly and clearly, and ask for three things: the domain's transfer code (a password-style code that lets you move the domain to your own account), access to your hosting, and a copy of your content and image files. Most designers are glad to hand things over when the request is direct and polite.

If the designer cannot be reached, your domain registrar's support team can often walk you through the next steps for proving you are the rightful owner.

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How does Greaterthan handle website ownership?

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Our proposals state that all work produced for your project becomes your intellectual property. At launch we connect your own custom domain, and every project includes a training session and video guides so your team can update the site. With the CMS in place, you can add pages, posts, and projects without waiting on anyone. Free support for the first 30 days means you have a helping hand while you get comfortable.

The aim is a website you can run, grow, and take wherever your business goes.

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Frequently asked questions about website ownership

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Can I move my website to another designer later?

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Yes, when you have access to your domain, your hosting, and your content. Webflow sites can also be transferred from one account to another, which keeps handovers tidy.

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How do I find out who my domain is registered to?

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Use a WHOIS lookup tool for your domain name, or check your email for registration and renewal notices from your registrar. If you can log in to the registrar's account, you can see the details directly.

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Is it okay for my designer to pay for my hosting?

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It can be, as long as the arrangement is clear and you have the option to move the site into your own account. Ask your designer to confirm it in writing.

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What is a domain transfer code?

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It is a unique code, sometimes called an authorization code, that lets you move your domain from one registrar to another. Your current registrar or designer can provide it.

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Should I renew my domain for more than one year?

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Many business owners register for several years at a time and switch on auto-renew as a backup. Either approach keeps your address safe, so pick whichever suits your budget.

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The bottom line

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Owning your website comes down to four things: your domain, your hosting, your design and content, and your logins. When each one is in your name or fully open to you, you keep the freedom to update, grow, and change partners whenever the time is right.

Start with a five-minute check this week. Look up who your domain is registered to, find out where your site is hosted, and ask where your design files and logins live. You will know exactly where you stand, and you will be ready for any conversation with your next web partner.

Greaterthan builds websites that are fully yours, with the training to run them. If you would like a site that grows with your business, let's talk.

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