Do You Know Your Passwords? Part 2

Step 2. CONTINUED…

KEY TAKEAWAY: Your website and online presence is a vital asset to your business. Knowing key account details is a must, before deciding to work with a virtual assistant.

I have included links to services I use and some are affiliate links, where at no extra cost to you, I may receive compensation if you click on them.

When I first start working with a business owner, I need to know that they know their key passwords. Asking for changes or information on your site, social media, or other digital assets requires me to have some level of access to the back end.

If you are a DIY delight and did everything yourself, finding and organizing this information should be relatively easy. You can download my free digital assets spreadsheet to quickly visualize all of that data. And as I mentioned in part one, store the login information with LastPass.

Website Elements

Website design and development can be a complicated process and many, many business owners hire an outside person to design it for them.

There are 3 main elements of your website that you should know where and what the login is.

  1. Domain Name
  2. Hosting Provider
  3. Content Management System

1. Domain Name – My website domain name is hgsolutions.ca. Your domain name can be bundled with your website host or like in my case, it can be purchased through a different supplier. I use GoDaddy for domain name purchase because they like .ca domains and I can renew it for longer periods of time.

2. Hosting Provider – This is where your website is stored. I use HostGator as my hosting provider but, there are a ton of alternatives.

3. Content Management System – The name sounds complicated, but essentially it is where you build and edit your website. I use WordPress.org as it is one of the most popular systems but again there are many options.

Bundled providers – WordPress.com, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify and more, put all of those elements into one package and are often used by beginners.

Do You Own Your Website?

There are 2 main web designer/developer scenarios.

  1. Your web designer/developer built the site and then emailed you everything.
  2. You lease your website from your designer/developer and they bill your for all services.

Scenario Number 1.

Try using the following search terms in your email search bar: Host, domain, database, provider with [your designer/developer name]. Or if you are still working with the designer/developer ask them to send you that info plus links to change your passwords.

BONUS TIP – request Virtual Assistant user accounts.

Scenario Number 2.

If your web developer or designer leases your site to you there are some important issues to consider:

  • What happens to your site if they go on vacation or go out of business?
  • What are the costs of your site management? Are you being charged for each email and phone call?
  • Is the value of your site higher than the cost? Do you have access to that data?

Typically in this scenario you would have to go through the web designer/developer for anything you were considering a virtual assistant for.

This post Website Rescue: Are Developers Holding your Site Hostage? by Chris Vendilli is an excellent resource for more information.

Wrap Up

To sum up, when you are thinking about hiring a virtual assistant you need to consider if they will access to your digital assets. There is not much they can do for you without some level of access to the back end of your systems.

Creating an additional user account that doesn’t have full access is always recommended over providing your admin login information to staff or freelancers. Ensure you delete that user account or change those passwords frequently!

Are you ready to get started with a Virtual Assistant and grow your business?

Contact Me

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