The sale closed. You have the keys, the equipment and the customer list. What you may not have is the domain login, the website admin password or even a clear idea of who built the site. All of that sits with the previous owner, an old web person or a free email account somewhere. Getting it sorted early saves you a painful scramble later.
The access inventory to ask the seller for
Send the seller a polite, specific list rather than a general request. The aim is to find out what exists and who controls it. Many sellers genuinely do not know, so ask them to forward renewal reminders and invoices that name the providers.
Ask the seller to add you as an authorized contact, or to transfer the account into your name, rather than sharing their personal password. Separate credentials are easier to manage and safer for both of you.
What to ask for in writing
- ✓Domain registrar account — the name, who is registered as owner and the renewal date
- ✓Hosting or builder account — the provider and how it is billed
- ✓Business email — the mailboxes, plus who controls their admin access
- ✓Other connected accounts — Google Business Profile, social pages, directories
Proof comes first
Registrars and hosts are careful, as they should be, about handing control of a domain to someone who merely says they bought a business. Expect to show a bill of sale or purchase agreement, your ID and proof that the previous owner agrees to the transfer.
We work the same way. Before we change anything on a site you recently acquired, we ask for proof of purchase or written permission from whoever controls the accounts. That protects you and the seller alike.
What we do once access is yours
With permission confirmed, we rebuild the site on our managed hosting using the existing wording, logo and photos where they suit you, and update details that changed with the sale such as ownership and contact information. Your domain stays registered under your name once transferred, and we point it at the new site only after you have approved it.
Backups, security and support come with Website Care at $30/month. You do not have to keep the previous site’s look or structure; many new owners use the moment to simplify.
Send us these
- ✓Proof of purchase or permission — a bill of sale or a note from the seller
- ✓The current web address — so we see what is live
- ✓Whatever logins exist — registrar, host, builder, email
- ✓What you want changed — new name, new photos, new services, or nothing yet
What to expect, honestly
- ✓We need proof before we act — ownership paperwork or the seller’s permission
- ✓We cannot release accounts for you — registrars and hosts control that process
- ✓Old 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 · Website after a name change · Maintain your website after retiring · Website redesign
