In recent days, I came across a troubling case where an agency owned a client’s domain. The moment the business owner wanted to switch providers or make changes, they hit a wall – and it turned into a massive problem.
So, what should your company own outright and have 100% control over?
- Domain name
- Hosting (You should pay for it directly; don’t let the agency resell it to you.)
- Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Tag Manager (including server-side GTM setups)
- Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) accounts and reports (Don’t settle for read-only access or locked reports.)
- Facebook pages and ad accounts
- Databases / data (e.g., Google BigQuery containing GA4, GSC, GAds data)
- Google Cloud Project, Google Search Console
- Any other critical tools and accounts tied to your business
If you don’t fully own or control any of the above, that’s a major red flag. Ideally, access and ownership rights should rest solely with your internal team. Only they should manage adding or removing external users, like agencies.
If you’re unsure about your current setup, politely but firmly ask your agency or freelancer to transfer ownership to you. Owning your accounts and data is essential for protecting your business and safeguarding your know-how. Plus, it spares the agency from unnecessary admin tasks like “add John, remove Peter” – you’ll handle that in-house.
Why am I writing this?
For years, I’ve made a point of never owning my clients’ accounts. I always take on the role of an editor at most. It’s fair, ethical, and ultimately protects me too – I’m not liable for managing something that should, by principle, belong to the client.
TL;DR:
- Don’t underestimate the importance of owning your tools and accounts.
- Clarify ownership and management responsibilities at the start of any collaboration.
- If ownership doesn’t sit with you, address it as soon as possible and get it transferred.
Stay in control of your website, e-shop, and data. Don’t let improper access or ownership settings leave your business vulnerable!
PS: If you’re an agency or freelancer and still have ownership of a client’s accounts, it’s time to relinquish it. Transfer the rights back to your client.
PPS: After I posted about this on Facebook, I received dozens of stories highlighting how common this issue is. So, be vigilant. A company’s domain should never be owned by someone’s brother, spouse, or friend – it should always belong to the business itself.