What Happens to My Website If I Switch Providers?

It’s a smart question, and one that too few people ask before signing a web design contract. What happens if you want to move on? Do you own your site? Can another developer pick it up?

The answer should always be yes. But it isn’t always.

The lock-in problem

Some web design providers, intentionally or not, create dependency. Common tactics include:

Proprietary platforms where your site only works on their system
No code access: they built it, but you can’t see or export the source code
Domain held hostage: they registered your domain under their account
Content in a closed system: your text, images, and data can’t be exported
Contracts with exit penalties: hefty fees for leaving before a term expires

This isn’t limited to small agencies. Some of the biggest website builders work this way. The platform is free to use, but the moment you want to leave, you discover that your content is trapped.

What you should own

When you commission a professional website, you should own:

Your domain. The domain name (yourname.com) should be registered under your name, in your account, with your credentials. If your provider registered it for you, they should transfer it on request.

Your content. Every word of text, every photo, every document on your site. That’s yours. You created it or paid for it. It should be exportable at any time.

Your design. The visual design was created for you and paid for by you. You should be able to take it with you.

Your data. Any contact form submissions, analytics data, or user information. That’s your data, not your provider’s.

The right questions to ask

Before working with any web design provider, ask these questions:

“Who owns the domain registration?” The answer should be you.
“Can I get the source code?” The answer should be yes.
“What happens if I want to switch providers?” The answer should be a clear, no-penalty process.
“Is my site built on standard technology?” If yes, any competent developer can maintain it.

If a provider hesitates on any of these, that tells you something important.

Standard vs. proprietary technology

This is a crucial distinction. A website built on standard web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) can be maintained by virtually any web developer in the world. It’s not dependent on one company’s survival or goodwill.

A website built on a proprietary system, one that only works within a specific platform, is only as portable as that platform allows. Some platforms let you export. Many don’t.

When evaluating options, ask: “Could another developer take this over tomorrow?” If the answer is yes, you’re in a good position. If the answer is “only if they also use our platform,” that’s a dependency you should think about.

Our approach to ownership

We believe in a simple principle: we’d rather keep your business by doing a good job than by making it hard to leave.

Here’s how that works in practice:

Your domain is registered in your name, under your control
Your site is built with standard, open web technologies
You receive full access to your content and assets
There are no exit penalties, no lock-in contracts, no surprises
If you ever want to move, any web developer can pick up where we left off

We earn your continued business through quality and service, not through contractual traps.

Business continuity

A related concern: “What if your company shuts down?”

Fair question. The answer is that your site runs on independent, standard infrastructure. It’s not tied to a proprietary system that disappears if we do. Your domain is yours, your hosting continues to work, and any developer can step in.

We’re building this as a long-term business, but we’ve structured everything so that our clients are never dependent on our existence. That’s not a bug. It’s a feature.

The best client relationships are the ones where both sides stay because they want to, not because they have to. Your website should work the same way.