Many Digital Agencies will only allow you to rent your website from them. This means that the content, design and everything in-between is owned by them, ultimately meaning that if you decide to move away from this agency then all the content that was created with the site may disappear.
There are many different elements of a website, which can be owned by different people. So lets go through it one by one…
Who owns my content?
Copyright is automatically assigned to the creator of the original work unless otherwise stipulated. This means that if your website was created by in-house developers then it’s all yours. If it was however created by a subcontractor, such as an agency, then it may be the case that they actually own your website.
With Dentons this is not the case. Once fully paid for, your website and its contents are yours to keep.
Who owns the html, style sheets, and source code in my website?
With Dentons Digital like with the content and design, if you’ve commissioned this, we view it that it’s your website, your code, and yours to take elsewhere if you so wish.
Who owns my domain name?
Perhaps surprisingly, you often don’t actually own this. You rent it, you have exclusive rights to it, but you don’t completely own it. This is similar to a phone number. It is your property though, even if it’s registered (often for ease) by your website company.
In doubt? If you have a .uk domain, you can use Nominet, the official registry for UK domain names to check ownership and resolve disputes.
You can, however, host your domain with Dentons Digital, as we are an authorised NOMINET domain reseller. With Dentons, you, the client will always be the named registrant, conferring you full ownership of the domain.
Can’t I just rent my site?
You can choose to rent your website from many different agencies or providers. This essentially means you receive a packaged solution with maintenance included. Although these can seem appealing due to their lower cost of entry, it comes with the same downside as renting a flat or house: it is never yours. You are tied to this agency or provider and if you were ever to leave, then you would need to build a new website from scratch.
Making the right choice
Choosing the best website solution for your business can be a lot like choosing a home. You’ll invest time, resources, and money, and when the selection is made, you’ll want to settle down and live with it for a while. There’s no wrong or right answer for everyone.
At Dentons Digital we try to give you the control over your website. You own the whole website. It’s yours. We then train you on how to use your website, so that you can make and small updates to content as and when you desire.
But in case you don’t want to deal with any of that, we also offer hosting packages which include time for you to use each month, during which we will make any requested changed to your website. It’s still yours, but we just look after it for you.
Speak to us today to discuss how you can own your website.
