Website Ownership: What You Must Own Before Hiring a Designer

One of the most common horror stories we hear from service business owners goes something like this: "My old web guy disappeared, and I can't access my own website," or "I want to move away from my agency, but they say I don't own the code."

Your website is a critical business asset. Just as you wouldn't let a mechanic hold the title to your work vehicle, you should never let an agency or freelancer hold the keys to your digital presence. Before you hire anyone to build your website, you must ensure you will own these four critical assets.

1. The Domain Name

Your domain name (e.g., yourbusiness.co.nz) is your digital real estate. It's the most important asset you have online. If your agency registers the domain name under their own account and their own name, they legally control it.

If things go sour, they can hold your domain hostage, forcing you to start from scratch with a new URL (and losing all your hard-earned Google rankings in the process).

The Fix: Always register your domain name yourself using a registrar like domains101 or Namecheap. Then, simply give your web developer "delegate access" or update the DNS records yourself. If they insist on buying it for you, demand that the registration details are in your company's name and that you are granted administrative access to the account.

2. The Google Business Profile

For a local service business, your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is often your primary source of leads. It's where your reviews live and what shows up on Google Maps.

We've seen agencies create this profile using their own agency email address, effectively locking the business owner out.

The Fix: Create the Google Business Profile yourself using your primary business email address. If an agency is helping you set it up, ensure they transfer "Primary Ownership" to you immediately after verification. They only need "Manager" access to do their work.

3. The Website Code and Content

Some agencies build websites on proprietary, closed-source platforms. While this might seem convenient, it means you can never take your website and host it somewhere else. You are renting your website, not owning it. If they raise their monthly fees, your only choice is to pay up or lose your entire website.

Even if they use an open platform like WordPress, some agencies write clauses into their contracts stating that they retain the copyright to the custom design or code.

The Fix: Read the contract carefully. Look for a clause that explicitly states that upon final payment, the intellectual property, design, and code of the website transfer entirely to you. You should be free to host the website wherever you choose.

4. Google Analytics and Data

Your website's traffic data is invaluable for making marketing decisions. If your agency sets up Google Analytics under their master account instead of a dedicated account for your business, you will lose all your historical data if you ever leave them.

The Fix: Ensure Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and Google Search Console are set up using a dedicated Google account that you own. The agency should be added as an administrator, rather than owning the master property.

The Rocket Studio Handover Guarantee

We believe that if we do great work, you'll want to stay with us. We don't need to lock you into restrictive contracts or hold your assets hostage. When we launch a Website Sprint or Growth System, we ensure you have full administrative access to your domain, your analytics, your Google Business Profile, and your website's code.

Keir Beaman

Lead Strategist

Keir specializes in helping New Zealand service businesses turn their websites from digital brochures into high-performing lead generation systems.