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Do you actually own your website?
A lot of small businesses think they own their website. Then they try to leave their provider — and find out they don't. Here's a plain-English guide to what real ownership looks like, the traps to watch for, and the questions that keep you in control.
Why this matters.
Your website is a business asset.
It's where customers find you, judge you and contact you. So it's worth knowing whether you actually own that asset — or whether you're just renting it from whoever built it.
More small businesses are renting than realise it. The site works fine, the bills get paid, everyone's happy — until the day you want to change providers, redesign, or simply move on. That's when you discover the domain is in someone else's name, the platform won't let you export, or you've never had a login. Suddenly the asset you paid for is holding you hostage.
This isn't about fear. Plenty of providers do the right thing. It's about knowing what to look for so you stay in control of something you paid good money for.
The common lock-in traps.
These are the patterns that quietly tie you to a provider. None of them are illegal — but they're worth spotting before you sign.
The proprietary builder
Your site is built on the provider's own platform that exists nowhere else. Stop paying and the site disappears. There's nothing to export and nowhere to take it.
"We host it — and you can't leave"
Hosting is bundled in a way that makes moving impossible. No access to the files, no database export, no migration. Your site is effectively trapped on their server.
No admin access
You've never been given a login to your own CMS. Every change — even fixing a phone number — has to go through them, often for a fee.
Domain in the agency's name
Your web address is registered under the provider's account, not yours. Lose the relationship and you can lose the domain your customers already know.
If two or more of these sound familiar, it's worth a quiet check of who holds what before anything goes wrong.
What real ownership looks like.
Real ownership is simple: if your provider vanished tomorrow, you'd still have everything you need to keep your website running and move it elsewhere. Four things make that true.
You hold the domain
Your web address is registered in your name, in your account. You control where it points and nobody can take it away.
You hold the hosting
The hosting account is yours, with your billing and your login. You can move hosts whenever you like.
You hold the CMS admin
Full administrator access to WordPress or Shopify — so you can log in, make edits, add users and stay in charge.
You hold the code & content
The files, the design and your words and images are yours and exportable — built on standard platforms, not a locked black box.
This is exactly why we build on WordPress and Shopify rather than a closed builder. They're standard, widely supported platforms — so you're never tied to one person to keep your site alive.
Questions to ask any provider.
Before you hire anyone to build your site, ask these. Clear, confident answers are a good sign. Vague ones are a flag.
Will the domain be registered in my name?
It should be — in your own registrar account that you can log into.
Do I get full admin access to the CMS?
You want administrator-level access to WordPress or Shopify, not a limited editor seat.
If I leave, can I take everything with me?
The answer should be yes — files, content and a clean export, with no penalty.
Is hosting in my name, and can I move it?
You should own the hosting account, or be free to move to one you own.
What exactly do I own when it's done?
A straight answer in writing: domain, hosting, CMS admin, code and content — all yours.
How ProofCraft does it.
No lock-in. Ever. We build your site on WordPress or Shopify, register everything in your name, and finish with a full handover — domain, hosting, CMS admin logins, code and content, all yours to keep.
We're a small studio, so you work directly with the person who builds your site — no account managers, no hostage situations. If you ever want to move on, you walk away with everything. That's the whole point. You can read more about how we work on the studio page, and see what's included with each option on packages & pricing.
Still weighing platforms? Our guide to WordPress vs Shopify breaks down which one suits your business — and both leave you fully in control.
Sign off
Build it once. Own it for good.
Fixed quote. Full handover. Everything in your name.