Website portability and intellectual property ownership. Boring, humdrum and dull topics, right? Quite possibly… at least until you try to leave your current provider, only to find out you can’t take your website with you.
There are 4 companies in our industry, as of the posting of the blog, that we know for a fact build portable sites.
- Acorn IS
- EW3D
- InsideOut Solutions
- White Stone Marketing
And how do we know that, you ask? Because we’ve all moved websites from one of us, to the other successfully.
And by successfully, I mean the website could be “picked up” and moved from one host server, to another and run properly.
So, you may be wondering about all the other companies out there? Well, we’ve been asked to move websites from a variety of the other web companies in the industry, only to find out that the Innkeeper didn’t own the site. Web Design Firms in our Industry: AIHP Affiliates, PAII Affiliates.
The real kicker is - - - They thought they did!
They realized, too late, that they had asked the wrong question when vetting their web company of choice.
- They Asked: “Do I own my site?”
- They Were Told: “You own your content. You own your photos.”
They assumed that meant they owned their site.
They asked the wrong question.
- They should have asked: “Can I pick up my website and move it to another hosting company, like GoDaddy or Network Solutions, and will it function properly?"
- That’s the right question! That’s the “Is my site portable?” question.
So, is your site portable? If not, do you want a portable site?
Some Innkeepers are happy leasing their site. But these innkeepers must understand they will need to reinvest in building another site, should they ever decide to leave the company they are leasing with.
Leasing vs. Owning. It’s your decision.
Just make sure you understand what it is you are paying for, and choose wisely.
Want to research this topic further? I’d encourage you to read Vikram Singh’s article A Brief Guide to Managing Your Hotel’s Digital Assets.
“In my experience working with hotels and asset management firms worldwide, I have seen most of the hotel managers and marketing departments show apathy towards owning and managing their digital assets. Their neglect is usually a result of trying to keep costs down…”
Have you or someone you know had trouble moving a website they thought they owned, but didn’t?
If you are comfortable sharing the story below, we’d love to post your comments.
