Full Transcript
Lauren: Okay, so a friend of mine is finally getting a website for her business. She found a web designer, and she's about to sign a contract. And I'm like, wait... do you even know what to ask this person?
Honor: Welcome to the 805 Web Minute with Lauren and Honor... We make interwebs and website stuff make sense... Let's get into it.
Honor: That's actually a really good instinct because there are a few questions that can save you a lot of pain later. And most people don't think to ask them until it's too late.
Lauren: Okay, so what's the number one thing she should be asking?
Honor: Who owns the website and the domain? And I know that sounds obvious, but it catches so many people off guard.
Lauren: Wait, wouldn't I own my own website? I'm paying for it!
Honor: You would think so. But a lot of contracts actually give the designer ownership of the design they create. And the domain, your actual web address, if they register it in their name, they control it.
Lauren: Oh no.
Honor: Yeah. There are real cases of people holding business domains hostage for thousands of dollars. Like, "You want your own web address back? Pay me five grand."
Lauren: That's like... hiring someone to build you a house, and then finding out they own the front door. And now you have to pay rent to walk into your own home!
Honor: Exactly! That's exactly what it is. And people don't realize it until they try to switch providers or make changes and suddenly they can't.
Lauren: So she needs to make sure she owns the domain and the website outright. What else?
Honor: The second big one: what happens after the website goes live? Because building it is just the beginning. You're gonna need updates. Hours change, new services, photos need swapping, something breaks.
Lauren: Right, websites aren't just like... set it and forget it.
Honor: Not at all. And with a lot of freelancers, after they finish the project, they move on. They get new clients, get overwhelmed, and suddenly you can't reach them anymore.
Lauren: Oh, they ghost you!
Honor: It happens all the time. We actually wrote a whole blog post about why web designers disappear because it's that common. And then you're stuck with a website you can't update and no one to call.
Lauren: That's like hiring a mechanic who fixes your car and then leaves town. And now the car needs an oil change and you don't even know how to open the hood.
Honor: Perfect. Yeah, and the other option is agencies who will help you, but every little change costs money... Need to update your phone number?... That'll be 150 bucks.
Lauren: Oof... So it's either ghosted or nickel-and-dimed.
Honor: Pretty much... unless you find someone who includes ongoing support. There are also a few other things to ask about, like, will it work well on phones, how long will it take, what happens if something breaks. But honestly, ownership and ongoing support are the two that bite people the hardest.
Lauren: So the moral of the story is: before you sign anything, ask two questions. Who owns everything? And what happens after you launch?
Honor: That's it. Get those in writing, and you'll avoid most of the horror stories.
Lauren: And if you don't want to worry about any of this... give YouGrow a call!
Honor: Yeah, with us, you own everything. period! We manage your site forever... updates included... no extra charges for normal changes... 79 dollars a month... month-to-month... cancel anytime. Most sites go live in days. not months! And when something goes wrong, you call a local number. I'm in Arroyo Grande. I pick up the phone.
Lauren: I love that. Alright, this has been 805 Web Minute. Thanks for listening.