Published 2 min read
Should you own your website or have it hosted for you?
There are two common ways to get a business website. You can own it outright and edit it yourself, or have your developer host and look after it. Here's how the two compare and how to choose.
Before you pay anyone to build your website, ask one question: who will own it when it’s finished? There are two common setups, and both are fine if you know which one you’ve signed up for.
In short: if you want the lowest up-front cost and someone else to look after the site, have it hosted. If you want everything in your name and to edit the site yourself, own it. Either way, register the domain in your own name.
Option 1: your developer hosts it
The developer owns the website, hosts it and keeps it running. You pay less up front, and when you want something changed, you ask them.
This suits businesses that want a good website without having to learn how to update it. It also means someone is keeping an eye on the site, the hosting and the security.
What to check before you sign:
- What does a change cost, and how quickly is it done?
- Is there a monthly fee, and what does it cover?
- If you want to leave, can you take the website with you, and what does that cost?
We offer this option with an optional monthly hosting and care plan that covers security, updates and changes.
Option 2: you own it
The website, the hosting and the logins are all in your name. You can edit pages, add products and change your phone number yourself, and you can move to another developer at any time.
It usually costs more up front, and looking after the site becomes your job, or you pay someone to do it.
This suits businesses that update their site often, such as an equipment hire business adding and removing items, or a store adding products. When we build a site you’ll edit yourself, we set it up so it’s hard to break: templates for new pages, locked layout blocks, and contact details set in one place. We also record short how-to videos for the jobs you’ll do most.
How to choose
Ask yourself three things:
- How often will the website change? If it’s a few times a year, hosting usually makes more sense. If it’s weekly, owning it usually does.
- Do you want to learn to edit it? Some owners enjoy it. Others would rather never log in.
- What’s your budget now? A hosted site keeps the up-front cost down.
Whatever you choose, own your domain
Your domain name is your business’s address online. Register it in your business’s name, not your developer’s, and keep the login somewhere safe. We’ve rebuilt websites for businesses that didn’t own their old one, and the first job is always untangling who controls the domain.
Not sure which suits you?
We’ll explain both options on a free 15 minute call and give you a fixed quote for whichever you choose. Get a free website quote, read more about our website design, or see how much a website costs in Australia.
We build and host websites for businesses in Bendigo, Albury, Wodonga, Shepparton, Wangaratta and Benalla, and right across Australia.
Questions about this topic
Is it cheaper to have my website hosted by the developer?
Usually, yes, up front. When the developer owns and hosts the site, the build often costs less, and changes go through them. Owning the site outright usually costs more up front.
Can I move my website if it's hosted by the developer?
Ask before you sign. Find out whether you can take the site with you, what it costs, and who owns the content and design if you leave.
Who should own my domain name?
You should, whichever option you choose. Register the domain in your business's name and keep the login somewhere safe.
