Do you actually own your website? The questions to ask your provider

You may have paid for your electrician website, plumber website or dog grooming site. That does not always mean you control every part of it. Several separate accounts and services sit behind the pages your customers see. A provider may control the web address, the server, the code, the words and your Google Business Profile. If you do not know who holds each part, you could face problems when you want to move.

This matters when a provider closes, raises its monthly fee or stops replying. It also matters when you sell your business, change your name or ask another company to improve the site. A cleaner might discover that the old provider owns the web address. A driving instructor might learn that the site can only run on the original company's system. Ask these questions now, while the relationship is still working well.

Your domain is the address people type into their browser, such as yourplumbingcompany.co.uk. It should be registered in your name or your company's legal name. The account should use an email address you control. If the provider used their own details, they may be able to renew, change or transfer the domain without your direct access. That can make a move slow and stressful.

Ask your provider: "Whose name is on the domain registration?" Also ask: "Which email address receives renewal notices?" and "Can I have the login details today?" Check that the spelling is correct and that the renewal date is clear. Ask whether there are other domain names linked to your business, such as a .com version or an old trading name. Make sure you know where each one is held.

Hosting is the rented space where your website files live. It is similar to renting a unit for your tools, except the files are delivered to visitors' phones and computers. You may not need to manage the server yourself. You should still know who provides the hosting and who can access it. Your provider should be able to give clear answers without hiding behind technical language.

Ask: "Who is the hosting company?" "Is the account in my name?" and "Can another web developer access it if I leave?" Ask whether you can receive a copy of the website files and database. Also ask how often backups are taken, where they are stored and how you would restore the site. A landscaping company should not lose its enquiry pages because one supplier's account was cancelled.

The code is the set of instructions that makes your website work. It controls the pages, menus, forms, booking tools and other features. Some providers build with common systems that another developer can work on. Others use a private builder made only for their own customers. Neither option is automatically wrong, but you need to know which one you are buying.

Ask: "Can I receive all the website files if I leave?" "Can another developer edit them?" and "Are any parts licensed only to your company?" Ask whether the forms, booking system and payment tools will keep working after a move. A salon may have paid for an online booking feature that stops as soon as its monthly plan ends. Get the answer in writing before you sign.

Your content includes the words on each page, photographs, logos, service lists, prices and customer questions. It may also include blog posts, before-and-after galleries and downloadable guides. You should own content you supplied or paid to create, unless your agreement clearly says otherwise. Keep your own copies of important files. Do not rely on a provider being able to send them later.

Ask: "Can I reuse every word and image if I leave?" "Who owns the logo and photographs?" and "Will you provide the original image files?" Check whether stock photographs have usage limits. A builder may need to reuse project photos in brochures. A dog groomer may want to keep its breed guide and care instructions. Make sure the contract does not give the provider control over materials that represent your business.

Your Google Business Profile is the listing that can show your phone number, opening hours, reviews, photos and service area on Google. It is separate from your website. A provider may have created it for you, but that does not mean they should remain the main owner. You should have your own Google account listed as the owner, with other people added only to help manage it.

Ask: "Which Google account owns the profile?" "Am I listed as the primary owner?" and "Can you remove your access if I leave?" Check this yourself by signing in and opening the people and access settings. Do not share your personal password. If a driving instructor changes area, or a cleaner moves premises, the owner should be able to update the listing without asking an old supplier.

A monthly website plan can be useful when it covers updates, hosting, security and support. The risk comes when the fee pays for access rather than ownership. Some private builders keep the website on their system. If you cancel, the pages may disappear, the forms may stop and the web address may point nowhere. You may then have to pay again for a new site, even though you funded the first one.

Ask: "What exactly stops if I cancel?" "Can I export the site and content?" "Can I keep the domain?" and "Is there a transfer fee?" Ask for the cancellation period and any minimum term. Ask whether future changes are included or charged separately. A personal trainer should know whether losing a monthly plan also removes class timetables, enquiry forms and landing pages used to attract local clients.

Put your questions in an email and ask for simple answers. Request domain access, hosting details, website files, content copies and Google Business Profile ownership. Store the details in a password manager, not in a notebook kept at the reception desk. Do not cancel anything until you know where the new website will live and how the domain will be moved safely.

Make a small ownership list today. Record the domain company, renewal date, hosting provider, website system, file location and Google account owner. If any answer is "we hold that for you", ask what happens when you leave. A trustworthy provider should explain the position clearly. You can still pay for support, without giving away control of the foundations of your business.