Website subscription or purchase: compare responsibilities before price
Compare who looks after the site after launch, which edits are included and what you keep when leaving. This makes a subscription and a purchase easier to assess.
A recurring fee for a defined plan.
Check what is included and the exit terms.A project with an agreed handover.
Agree who handles hosting and future edits.Both arrangements need a clear agreement on scope, ongoing responsibilities and what is handed over.
The essentials,
first.
Ask every proposal to specify pages, features and who handles content and hosting.
Request examples of included edits and clear answers about support, backups and recovery.
Check cancellation, remaining fees and exactly which files and rights you receive when leaving.
In this guide06 sections
Assign responsibility after launch
Decide who changes hours, adds project photos, orders new pages and checks the form. If nobody in the firm has time, you need a named provider and a clear way to request work.
- Subscription
- Can combine the website and ongoing care in one agreement. Read the monthly fee alongside the help actually included.
- Purchase
- Can suit you if you want the files and will arrange hosting and edits yourself or with another provider. A one-off purchase does not make future hosting free.
Ask every provider who handles content, hosting, technical maintenance and support. Compare the same responsibilities across proposals.
Define a clear delivery
Ask the proposal to name pages, languages and features. A simple enquiry form involves different work and maintenance from booking or login. Also agree who writes copy, chooses photos and checks facts.
“Homepage, three service pages, projects page and contact” can be checked. “Complete website” tells you less about what will be delivered.
- Try the proposal on a phone and computer.
- Check that contact routes work.
- Agree how errors are corrected and who approves publication.
Prepare the brief using the website content checklist.
Clarify included edits
Ask the provider to explain “minor edits” using three concrete requests:
- Replace a phone number.
- Add three new project photos.
- Build a completely new page.
Ask what is included, what costs extra and whether work is measured by request, time or another scope. Agree which channel to use and how requests are confirmed.
A desired completion date is not a guaranteed response time. If you need quick help before a seasonal launch, discuss it before signing so the provider can confirm what is possible.
Check hosting and recovery
Maintenance depends on the solution. A publishing system with plugins needs different ongoing work from a static website. Ask the provider to describe the work for your particular site.
- Hosting responsibilities
- Who renews the domain, handles certificates, fixes hosting problems and checks connected services?
- Backups
- What is copied? Website files do not automatically cover mailboxes or a separate booking system.
- Recovery
- How does it work, and is the work included? Ask about each part the business depends on.
- Reporting problems
- Record whom to contact and how.
Read the exit terms
The domain’s registered holder is separate from rights to design, code, copy, images and licences. Ask for a concrete list of material and file formats that can be handed over.
- Terms: record the minimum term, notice period and renewal process.
- Cost: ask which fees remain at your desired exit date and whether migration help costs extra.
- Handover: confirm when hosting ends and whether the next provider can use the files.
This gives you more to assess than a broad promise to “own the website”. Use the domain, email and hosting guide to inventory accounts and plan the change.
Compare proposals using the same questions
- Which pages, features and languages are delivered?
- Who handles copy, images and approval?
- Which edits and maintenance are included after launch?
- Who handles the domain, hosting and any email accounts?
- What are the upfront, recurring and additional-work costs?
- What do I receive when leaving, and what does handover cost?
Hantverksnavet offers the following arrangements:
- Base
- A website, domain registration, hosting, maintenance and minor edits.
- Plus
- Base with agreed work on local SEO, Google Business Profile and content.
- Buy out
- The files, with hosting arranged by you. Setup is an optional extra.
Read the current scope and prices and terms. Use the pricing guide to compare costs over the same period.