Do You Know Where Your Website Keys Are?
You just bought a new home. You are so excited. Your realtor lets you in then leaves without giving you the keys to your new home. Can you enjoy your new home without the keys to your new home? Probably not.
Unfortunately this is exactly what happens when your website designer and developer hand over your brand new website. You might have lost your login credentials if you were given them. Maybe you never received them.
Now your website designer has moved on, is no longer in business, or you are no longer seeing eye to eye with where you want to take your business. Without those login “keys” you could be looking at months of delay just trying to get that which you own.
What keys should you have
There are 2 logins that are critical to keep in a safe place. These are some of the most valuable assets you own. Loss of control of these 2 assets could mean a lot of time and money and trust reputation.
Key #1 – Your Domain
This is the URL where your site can be found. Many times a designer or developer will use a third party to secure your domain. All domains must be registered. Companies like Namescheap, GoDaddy, and Siteground are just 3 of the many companies that can help you register your domain.
Why is your domain so valuable?
Google and search engines and your customers use your domain to find you, to provide a first impression, and to communicate your brand and credibility online. If your company is called “XYZ” then your domain should speak about your brand and make it memorable in a positive way. If you lose control of your domain account, you could lose your specially-picked domain name.
Your domain also communicates to search engines like Google the authority you have online. The algorithms measure how long you have had the domain. If it is blacklisted anywhere due to email spamming or some other reason. One of the critical big data measurements is domain authority. Scores larger than 50 show the search engines that your website and your content can be trusted and often rank very high in the search engines.
Not having access to your domain would be like not having the right to use your home address with the Post Office.
Key #2 – Your Hosting
The second critical “key” to your business is your hosting plan.
All websites have a domain. If you register it with a company like Squarespace, Shopify or WIX you might have what is called a subdomain. This is a domain that is a combination of WIX and your business name. But most people buy a domain separately and add it to these kinds of website builders. Others buy hosting on a server through companies like Siteground, Hostgator, or Bluehost and install all the files they need to build their website. Either way your hosting account becomes a critical asset for your company.
Your business proposition, your business statement, your biography, product descriptions, and photos are all kept as content on your website. The branding, logo and look of your website are kept in your hosting account. As well as full access to how your site runs, everything is located in your hosting account.
A quality web design company would know how to access your website from your hosting site panel .
Not having access to your hosting would be like not having the key to your basement where your heater and water controls are. You might be able to live for a while without it but there will come a day when the cost of not having access will be high.
Conclusion
Today the reputation of your company is more important than it has ever been. Especially online. Is the risk of not keeping your login information for your domain company and your hosting company worth the lost days of recovery and lost assets?
We don’t think so at White Hart Insight. Get in Touch, we are here to help.