What happens to my website if I fire my web company?
It depends entirely on what you own, and most owners find out what they own at the worst possible moment.
SHORT ANSWER
It depends on what you own. If the domain is in your name, you keep your address and can point it anywhere, which is most of the battle. If the content and site files are yours, a new company can rebuild quickly. If the site was on the company's proprietary platform, it usually goes dark when you stop paying and you start over. Before you give notice, secure four things in this order: the domain, a full copy of the content and photos, a backup of the site, and admin access to your own Google Business Profile.
Do these four before you give notice
- Check the domain. Look it up at ICANN Lookup. If the registrant is not you, ask for the transfer now, while things are still friendly.
- Save the content. Copy every page's text into a document. Download every photo at full size.
- Get a backup. Ask for an export or a full file backup. On WordPress this is straightforward; on a proprietary platform it may not exist.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It should be in your account with them as a manager, not the reverse. Check who the owner is.
The three outcomes
You own everything. You point the domain at a new site and the transition is a day of downtime at most.
You own the domain but not the site. The old site goes away and you rebuild, but you keep your address and your search history. Recoverable.
You own neither. The company owns your address and the site. This is the bad case, and the only fix is negotiating for the domain, which you have little leverage on once you have given notice. Do it first.
What happens to your search ranking
If the domain stays the same and the new site keeps the same URLs, ranking generally holds. If URLs change, redirects are essential and usually skipped. If the domain changes, expect several months of disruption. This is why the domain matters more than the site files.
How to leave well
Give notice in writing with a date. Ask for the backup and confirm the domain transfer in the same message. Do not turn off the old site until the new one is live and tested. And keep the old site's URL list so redirects can be mapped properly. We have taken over plenty of sites mid-argument and the ones that go smoothly are the ones where the domain was already the park's.
Related questions.
Can my web company hold my domain hostage?
If it is registered in their name, effectively yes, until they release it. This is why it should be in yours from the start.
Will I lose my Google ranking if I switch companies?
Not if the domain stays the same and the URLs are redirected properly. The domain is what carries the history.
What if the site is on a proprietary platform?
It generally goes dark when you stop paying. Save your content and photos first, and plan to rebuild rather than migrate.
Who should own my Google Business Profile?
You. Your web company should be added as a manager, never the owner. Check this now, not later.
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