When you hire a firm or an individual to create your website, make sure they understand that the files created and all the content therein belongs to YOU, the customer.
It seems like a very simple thing, and that there could be no confusion. After all, you paid for it, right?
WRONG. All too often I hear nightmare stories about how a webdesigner 'held the site hostage' or refused to grant access to the files to the customer because they wanted to be paid more than was agreed upon. Make no mistake, that is theft.
Here are a few simple things you MUST do to protect yourself:
1. Register your own domain names. Many companies, even mine, will do this for you, but it must be set up under your own account. Understand that the higher rate you pay the designer to do this is for their time. You will still have to log in and pay for the name yourself, but if you need help, it is very simple for the designer to walk you through it over the phone. This is the ONLY way for you to retain control over your domain name(s). Additionally, make sure they are locked to keep any unwanted transfers form happenning. Consult your designer on how to enable these settings.
2. Make sure you have access to your hosting account. Even if your designer sets up your hosting account on his/her server, you should have the login and password to be able to access your files directly.
3. Once you have useable files on your hosting account, DOWNLOAD THEM. You pay for the work that is created and you should have a copy of your own. If you end up with designer trouble, a new firm or designer can work with what you have and won't have to start from scratch.
Your responsibility in creating content your website: You must supply content to the designer.
You do need to realize that there is more the website than just the design! And you WILL have to do some legwork. If you want the designer to write about your products/services and fill the site with interesting tidbits about your company, etc., you must realize that it adds many hours to he workload, and the designer probably did not quote you on all that additional time. So, if this is going to be a part of the job, please be very clear about it from the beginning. You would be suprised at how much time it takes to go through a shopping cart and add descriptions about each item!
Honesty is the best policy.
Before you begin a project, be very clear about your budget, your ownership of the created files, and the timetable of payment(s). If both parties have a clear understanding of each other's expectations, your website project should be a very exciting a rewarding one!
