Many people believe their domain belongs to the website builder because that is where they first typed it in. Usually it does not belong there at all, or it does in a way that is easy to untangle. The name is a registration; the site is a set of files. They connect through a few settings, and those settings can be changed.
Three pieces, three separate bills
Think of it like a shop. The domain is the street address. The hosting is the building. The site is what is inside. You can keep the address and move into another building without anyone else needing to know. Each piece may have its own login and its own renewal.
Some builders sell you a domain as part of the package, and that domain may be registered through them. That is normal, and in most cases it can still be released and moved, although some builders have waiting periods or ask for an authorization code first.
What changes and what does not
- ✓The domain name — stays exactly the same, only its settings change
- ✓The website files — are replaced by a new site on the new platform
- ✓Your email — stays connected if the mail settings are left intact
- ✓Customers’ links — keep working because the address is unchanged
Where email trips people up
The most common surprise is business email. If your mailboxes were created through the old builder, they may stop when the builder’s plan ends. Before changing anything, find out where your mail actually lives. A Google or Microsoft workspace is separate from the site and keeps working; a mailbox bundled with a website plan might not.
List every address you actually use and send a test message to each one after the switch. It takes five minutes and prevents the worst surprise.
What we do when you change platforms
We build your new site on our managed hosting. The pages are rebuilt from your wording, logo and photos, because a site made inside one builder cannot be lifted out whole. Your domain stays registered wherever it is, or moves if you prefer, and we point it at the new site only when you have approved it.
Hosting, HTTPS, backups and uptime checks are included with Website Care at $30/month. We do not edit inside Wix, Squarespace, WordPress or other builders and we never promise to move old data across.
A short checklist before you start
- ✓Find the registrar — it is where the renewal bill comes from
- ✓Release the domain lock if transferring — and request the authorization code
- ✓Record the current settings — screenshot or copy them for safekeeping
- ✓Keep the old site up — until the new one is approved
What to expect, honestly
- ✓We rebuild, we do not export — the new site is built on our hosting
- ✓Registrars set their own transfer rules — waiting periods and fees are theirs
- ✓Old platform data is not promised — we work from what you can supply
One example of what your site could look like
This is one sample we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words, and we have more examples if you want to compare directions.
What it costs
Websites are priced one-time by size, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly checks and A/B testing. Every package includes a consultation, mobile-friendly design, copy we write for you, a contact form, essential search setup and 10 revision rounds. Monthly SEO is an optional add-on when you are ready for it.
Optional add-ons, billed separately
The prices above are for your website. These two are separate monthly products you can add now or later. Neither is part of the website price.
Monthly SEO, from $50/month: new pages published on your site every month. See Monthly SEO →
Business Spotlight, from $30/month: articles about your business, labeled as paid, published on The Company Chronicle. See Business Spotlight →
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
Keep reading
Who owns your website · Switch designers, keep your domain · Redesign without losing traffic · Website redesign
