Are your website, domain name, and email accounts safe from being taken from you and held hostage? They might not be!
If you run a business that has an online presence, this very important episode is for you to ensure the safety of your digital assets.
This AMPLiFY! Business eTip episode was created after our agency recently was hired to take over all digital assets and marketing for a non profit organization who discovered their entire online identity and all materials were not in the company name.
Their email, domain, website and more were being held by their previous service provider, preventing the organization to have access to these business fundamentals. As a result, we had to re-create everything from scratch for their new CEO.
Sadly, the stress this poor client went through is not a new one. We have seen it happen before and unfortunately is completely preventable so ensure you follow the steps outlined in this eTip to avoid it from happening to you as well.
This situation reminded me of a story I heard at a conference recently of a woman who lost her part of a multi-million dollar business because she had no contract with the friend she had started the company with.
Always make sure you have agreements in writing and that you have complete control over the essential components of your online presence.
So what you can do to prevent your digital assets from being hijacked by the individual or team who originally created them? Here’s 3 business essentials to follow at all times:
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Get it in your name
The first thing you want to do is make sure that all your digital assets are in your name or your company name with your business contact information.
Accounts like your domain name registrar and individual domain names, website hosting, email provider, newsletter service provider, social media platforms, your data storage centers, content management systems, and more.
Make sure everything you are using is in your name and you have complete control over it. -
Know who has your logins
Next you should have a list of all key personnel who have access to your properties so that when they do leave, you can easily change all the passwords they had access to.
Sometimes people end working relationships on bad terms so make sure if that happens you don’t get stung by a frustrated/resentful former employee. -
Stop sharing
Lastly….stop sharing passwords! Don’t send them by email, Skype, or any other possibly vulnerable points where someone could spy on your conversation and take your info.
If you need to send such sensitive data to someone, try splitting up the info if you can. Send the username in one email and the password in another. or use Skype to send a username and phone the password over.
The point is to make it as difficult as possible to hijack this sensitive and valuable information.
Don’t get caught in a situation where you find your website and digital assets have been taken hostage by your previous tech or marketing person.
We never want to assume they are going to harm your business like what has happened to our new client, but these simple precautions will prevent that possibility from happening. This will give you peace of mind that you can easily switch service providers without undue stress and angst.
To your business success,
Susan Friesen
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About the Author, Susan Friesen
Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.
Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.
Visit www.BrandIdentitySteps.com and download your FREE guide: "Unlocking Customer Trust and Business Growth: Your 7-Step Guide to Defining a Compelling Brand Identity that Appeals to Your Perfect Clients".
