Upon learning of the unfortunate passing of your web designer or marketing consultant, it is crucial to take immediate action to secure your business’s online presence. Your domain name, email, ongoing marketing, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) campaigns, and website are essential to your business operations, and losing access to them can be disastrous. Follow this step-by-step guide to secure your digital assets quickly and efficiently.
Need help with recovering your domain name or website?
Navigating the death of a web designer or digital marketing service provider can be complex. If you are unsure about any step, reach out to our team for assistance. We offer website support, domain registration, website hosting, DNS (Domain Name System) migration, and email rescue services for business owners who want to work with us. Fill out the contact form on our website to get started.
Check your Website Address in WHOIS Lookup
What is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a public database where you can find out who owns a domain name (aka your website address), when it expires, and where its DNS records are hosted. Think of it as a search tool for looking up the owner of a piece of property. In this case the piece of property is your domain name.
How to Use WHOIS Lookup:
- Go to a WHOIS lookup website like ICANN Lookup, GoDaddy.com, whois.com or networksolutions.com.
- Type your domain name (your web address) in the search bar and hit enter.
- Review the results to find the registrar (the company where the domain is registered), the expiration date, and the name servers (where DNS records are stored).
Why This Matters:
- Registrar: Knowing the registrar helps you understand where your domain name is managed and renewed.
- Expiration Date: This represents the “paid through” date and is crucial to ensure your domain does not expire unexpectedly.
- Name Servers: Name Servers are like the address book of the internet, directing traffic to your website and email. Most domain registration companies provide Name Server hosting. However, sometimes name servers are moved and hosted on a server outside of the domain registrar.
Document this Information:
Write down all the details you find.
Check Domain Registration
Who Paid for and Registered Your Domain Name?
Your domain may be registered under your name or your web designer’s name. If it is not under your name, you may not have control over the credit card used to pay for the annual registration fees. Furthermore, unless your web designer put your contact information as the owner, the registration company will assume they are the owner, and you won’t get access to the domain name. In the worst-case scenario, the domain could expire and be purchased by someone new, and you may never get it back.
How to Find Out:
- Check the Who Is record. Usually, this information is redacted as private, but sometimes the owner will be listed.
- Review contracts, invoices, and proposals from your web design or marketing firm. These documents often contain information about domain registration.
- Search your emails for domain registration confirmations.
- If you registered your domain name, try to find your login information. If you do not have it, then you can usually retrieve this from the domain registrar’s website by resetting the password and answering security questions.
Why This Matters:
If your name is on the registration records as the owner, you can request access from the registrar. This will give you the highest level of control. If the deceased web designer’s name is on it, you need to act quickly to transfer ownership. Domain registrars are very efficient at cancelling unpaid accounts.
Check Your Email Hosting
Where is Your Email Hosted?
Your email hosting provider is critical for maintaining communication with your customers and suppliers
Steps to Take:
- Log in as an administrator to your email service. Confirm how your email service contract is paid.
- Identify required DNS records (MX records, CNAME records, etc.).
Why This Matters:
Just like your domain name, if you do not control your email service contract, you could lose access to your emails. You will need the DNS information for potential DNS migration.
Migrate DNS Records if Necessary
Why Migrate?
If your domain is registered by you, but the name servers are managed by your web designer, you should migrate the DNS records to a new name server to prevent downtime. This can usually be done by an Information Technology Consultant or web designer.
How to Migrate:
- Hire an experienced IT (Information Technology) professional to minimize downtime and conflicts.
- Consider using Cloudflare or a similar service for free tools to manage DNS records.
- Double-Check with Your Email Service Provider to ensure you include all necessary DNS records like MX, CNAME, and TXT records.
Email Migration
Why Migrate Email?
If your web designer’s company hosted your email, you might need to migrate your email to prevent data loss.
Steps to Take:
- Secure full admin access to your email.
- Set up Email Services: Purchase email services from a new service provider that match your current email accounts exactly.
- Migrate email and DNS records together to avoid downtime.
Contact the Survivors
Why Contact the Survivors?
The family or survivors of your web designer might be trying to manage the business, sell it, or have a process in place for transferring credentials and ownership.
Steps to Take:
- Reach out to the web designer’s family or survivors. Explain the situation and stress the urgency.
- Inquire about their process for transferring control of digital assets.
- Ask if they have access to passwords or need to contact third-party service providers with a death certificate to gain access to critical resources.
- Suggest that they contact a professional for assistance. Transitioning responsibilities can be challenging, and an experienced team can help ensure it goes smoothly.
Why This Matters:
The family may need to provide proof of death to gain access to critical business accounts. If they have employees, the employees may have access to systems to assist in the transition. Refer the Family to our article for help: “Transitioning ownership of a web design or digital marketing business after death or medical emergencies “
Contact the Domain Registrar and Hosting Providers
Why Contact the Registrar and Hosting Providers?
If the survivors cannot help, you may need to reach out to the domain registrar and web hosting companies directly.
Steps to Take:
- Prepare to provide proof of ownership of your business and any documentation linking you to the domain.
- Explain the situation and request assistance in transferring control of your domain and hosting services.
What Information Will You Need?
- Proof of business ownership: Articles of incorporation, business licenses, or other legal documents.
- Communication history: Emails or contracts showing your relationship with the web designer.
- Proof of payment: Invoices and receipts for services rendered by the web designer.
Why This Matters:
Time is of the essence. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of losing access to your domain, email, and website.
Check if you have access to and ownership of your social media, email marketing, analytics, and digital marketing accounts
Why does this matter?
Digital marketing including Google Search Ads, Local SEO, Email Marketing and Social Media Management, and marketing are a huge part of advertising a successful business. You need to secure ownership of these accounts to continue advertising for new customers and reaching your customers on social media. Platforms typically assume the person who sets up the account is the owner and many times it is an employee or third party.
Steps to take:
- If you do not have them already, request ownership credentials to your marketing accounts including:
- Social media profiles: LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook (Instagram), YouTube, TikTok, others
- Search Engine Ads accounts: Google Ads, Google Local Guaranteed, Bing Search, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram account
- Local Listings: Google Business Profiles, Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing, and others
- Email Marketing: MailChimp, Constant Contact, Campaign monitor, HubSpot
- Google Analytics: Tracking and measuring performance of your marketing activities and website requires access to an analytics platform.
- Contact the support channels if available for each platform and explain the situation, you may need to provide verification of business ownership. This work can be time-consuming.
Get prepared for the worst-case scenario: starting over
- Backorder your existing domain name: There is no guarantee you will be successful, but this will allow you the opportunity to register the domain name again after it expires and before it goes out to auction, and before it is picked up by someone else.
- Register a new Domain Name: If you are unable to regain control over your domain name, search for a domain that is as close as possible to your company’s name.
- Recover your website from Archive.org. If your website is down and you cannot gain access to your website files and database from the previous hosting services another resource is to recover some of your website’s content from Archive.org. Websites across the internet are backed up by a Non-Profit called the Wayback Machine. Here you can access historical page information from your website. To recreate your website, including the Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to manage the website’s content, you will need technical knowledge to recode everything.
- Setup Website Hosting for the new website: This may require hiring a web designer to help. If you have access to a backup of the old website this may be used. If not, you may need to create a new website.
- Update your Contact Information: If you had to register a new domain name and recover your website to the new domain, you will need to update the website link on all your social media accounts and local listings. This can be a large task. You may want to use a Local SEO syndication platform like YEXT. YEXT lets you enter the information once and the platform handles the rest.
- Create new accounts. If you are unable to gain control of your digital marketing accounts (advertising, social media, email marketing, etc.), you need to consider replacing them. This is a last resort activity because it can be time-consuming and costly. You will lose followers, reviews, social media templates, website content, email templates, reports, and a solid history of data on what works. The setup time for starting over can be substantial. You may want to consider hiring a professional for the project.
Notify Everyone Your Company Works with About the Transition
Why Everyone?
When a significant change occurs, such as the loss of your domain name and email services, it’s crucial to communicate transparently with all parties your company interacts with. This includes customers, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders. Clear communication helps maintain trust, ensures continuity, and prevents misunderstandings during the transition.
Steps to Take:
- Craft a Clear and Comprehensive Message: Clearly explain the situation, for example: “We regret to inform you that our business partner, [Name], has recently passed away. As we transition our services, we want to keep you informed and assure you that we are taking steps to prevent the loss of our domain name and email services and to ensure continuity in our operations.” Provide updated contact information and explain any changes in how your business will operate during and after the transition.
- Use Multiple Communication Channels: Send an email to your customers, suppliers, and partners explaining the transition and providing your new contact information. Post updates on your website and social media platforms. If applicable, include a notice in any ongoing communications, such as newsletters or service updates, to ensure the message reaches everyone.
- Highlight Any Changes in Contact Information: Emphasize the new email address, phone number, or any other updated contact details. Encourage recipients to update their records and add the new email address to their contacts to avoid any disruptions in communication.
- Monitor Responses and Follow Up: Keep track of responses to your notifications. Follow up with any stakeholders who have not acknowledged the change to ensure they are aware of the transition.
Why This Matters
By notifying everyone your company works with about the transition, particularly regarding the potential loss of your domain name and email services, you maintain transparency and trust during a challenging time. It ensures that all stakeholders are informed and can continue to engage with your business without confusion or interruption.
Update All Accounts with a New Email Address
Why Update Your Accounts?
If your web designer managed your domain name and you risk losing it due to their passing, it’s essential to update your email address across all your accounts before the domain expires. This step ensures that you maintain access to important communications, service notifications, and recovery options for your business’s digital assets.
Steps to Take:
- Replace Your Current Email Addresses with New, Secure Email Addresses: Set up new email addresses that you control, preferably using a reliable email provider. Ensure this email address is secure and uses strong, unique passwords.
- Identify Critical Accounts: Make a list of all the accounts associated with your business that are linked to the old email address. These might include:
- Domain registrar accounts
- Web hosting accounts
- Email hosting and marketing platforms
- Social media profiles (e.g., LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram)
- Analytics and advertising platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Google Ads)
- Cloud storage and project management tools
- Banking and financial services
- Update Contact Information: Log in to each account and update the primary contact email address to your new email. This will ensure you continue receiving critical notifications, such as domain renewal reminders and security alerts.
- Change Recovery Options: Update your account recovery information, such as backup email addresses and phone numbers, to reflect the new email address. This is crucial if you need to recover access to any accounts in the future.
- Act Quickly Before Domain Expiration: Time is of the essence. If your domain is nearing expiration, updating the email address associated with critical services should be a top priority. This will help prevent the loss of services and ensure you receive renewal notifications.
Why This Matters:
Failing to update your email address before losing your domain can result in losing access to essential services, including banking, software licenses and financial services. By proactively updating your accounts, you safeguard your business against disruptions and ensure continuous access to all necessary tools and platforms.
If the Business is Sold
Why Act Quickly if the Business is Sold?
The survivors might sell the web designer’s business to another company. The new company may assure you that the only change will be the billing contact information, and that support will remain the same.
Steps to Take:
- Mitigate risk. Use this opportunity to gain control over your domain name, website backups, email, social media, and advertising accounts.
- Transfer ownership of your domain and hosting services and other platforms to accounts that your company can control.
Why This Matters:
If you do not take control now, you might face the same situation again in the future. It is essential to secure your digital assets to prevent recurring issues.
Need Help?
Navigating this situation can be complex. If you are unsure about any step, reach out to our team for assistance. We offer a domain, website, and email rescue service for business owners who want us to handle everything for them. Fill out our contact form on our website to get started.
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Read our article, “How to hire a web developer without getting hacked” for more tips on safeguarding your online presence.
Stay proactive and protect your digital assets to avoid potential disasters.
