Website Horror Stories — Protect Your Online Marketing Investment
In our website development years, we have seen many website horror stories.
Review the following horror stories and make sure you do not become too familiar with any of them.
Horror Story #1
A new client sought us out almost a year ago because he wanted one media production firm that has the collective creative talents to handle jointly integrated marketing strategies, graphic design and website development.
This client’s existing website had been created by a website design firm in a large metropolitan media market. Our client asked for the necessary website details and a DVD of the entire website folder that would contain all the files that were online on a Web Hosting Company’s {WHC} server.
The firm didn’t want to surrender the website to their previous client, now our client. It took months to get a CD of the website folder, but even then, the large-city firm didn’t want to provide server details at Host Gator where the site was stored on one of Host Gator’s servers.
Some website design firms rent a large amount of server space from a WHC and then re-sell segments of the large server space to individual website clients. Our client was paying $250/year to the large city firm under this re-selling scenario with Host Gator. In contrast, we now have a server arrangement directly with Go Daddy where our client is only paying $65/year for the same-sized website/server space allocation.
On the client’s behalf, Thieme Creative Media {TCM} tried to convince Host Gator to provide server access to their client, now our client’s website. Host Gator refused.
Fortunately, the domain had been purchased at Go Daddy. TCM discussed the dilemma with Go Daddy and activated a process where the ‘lights’ were turned off at Host Gator and ‘illuminated’ within six hours at Go Daddy. But this lengthy, involved process generated a client fee of over $900 for orchestrating this transfer from one WHC to another WHC. Had the original web design firm handled this matter in a professional manner, much of this pain and cost would have been spared.
Horror Story #2
We are aware of website horror stories where a client’s previous website developer becomes unhappy with a client and overnight, removes the entire website from the WHC’s server. The unprofessional webmaster leaves the area and the company who paid for the website and has no security backup DVD that can be turned over to the company’s next web developer.
Horror Story #3
We are also aware of the horror story where the webmaster was professional and ethical, but unfortunately, the WHC had a server crash on which the company’s website was hosted. With no security backup DVD, the company must finance a brand new website creation.
Horror Story #4
Who has responsibility for ensuring that the website domain address {URL} is periodically re-registered with the registry where the domain address was originally registered?
We’ve had clients who failed to check their incoming email alerts from the Domain Registrar and ended up with an expired domain address.
The “sharks” quickly moved in, purchased the client’s domain, and then wanted thousands from our client for re-purchasing the domain address. As you know, domain URLs can be purchased for a very low nominal sum, with a small annual renewal fee.
These horror stories — and more — are reasons why you should be receiving the following information periodically from your professional and ethical website design firm:
Website Domain Registry Contact
- Name of Domain Registrar {e.g., Network Solutions, Go Daddy, etc.}
- *What is our Account Number {e.g., #55555555555}
- What is the name of the Primary Account Holder? Likewise, is there a Secondary Account Holder name?
- Is there a UserID with above Domain Registrar?
- Does the Domain Registrar require a "Pin #" to be provided, and if yes, what is that Pin #?
- What about "Password?" Surely, there must be one for accessing the account. Is this case sensitive or not?
- Was there a Security Question created, and if yes, what is the Answer?
- When is the Renewal Date?
- What is the Annual Fee?
- What is a phone number and email address for the Domain Registrar?
The above important details can be organized in a MS Word file. Nothing fancy, but you, the client, should receive the above information, in the event that the website design firm performed these actions on your behalf.
Web Hosting Company
You should have, once again in a simple Word file, the following details regarding the Web Hosting Company {WHC} where the website design firm placed your company website on one of the WHC servers.
- WHC Name
- Customer #_________
- Password _________
- Pin# {if required}
- IP Address _______________
- Server Type _______________
- Server Capacity ____________
- Connection Type, ____________
- DNS Name Servers: ____________ & _____________.
Is your website accessed via a website development software like Dreamweaver? If yes, what version? If not, what software is presently used for the website?
If it is Dreamweaver, do you use Dreamweaver's Internal Connection Feature or do you use an FTP software like WS FTP?
What type of web traffic analysis utility is provided by the WHC? Is this to the likes of Google Analytics, Urchin 5, SmarterStats or to the lower level of AWStats and Webalizer?
Does the WHC have its own Sign-Up Form code snippet e.g., <td><form action="/webformmailer.php" method="post">? Can the Form utilize "Captcha Technology" to ward off spammers?
What is a phone number and email address for the WHC?
Finally, how many email accounts are allowed with our WHC?
Periodic DVD of Entire Website Production Folder
The company writing the check for the website design and construction should receive a DVD of the design firm’s entire site production folder at least once a quarter. This DVD should contain not only all the files that have been uploaded to a WHC server, but also original images that were collected and then re-sized, formatted and optimized for uploading to the client’s website.
The Continuing Debate on Website Ownership
Who owns a website: the company or organization that paid a web design firm to create a website? Or the web design firm that created, constructed and launched the website?
Not the website design firm. The company that wrote the check for the web design services. They own the website.
