With your law firm’s website, ownership is not just a technical detail—it’s critical to your long-term success. And it’s the easiest mistake to make, if you’re rushing to launch.
Many attorneys start with proprietary platforms like Wix or GoDaddy because they’re easy and affordable. But here’s the reality: relying on these platforms is like leasing a car. You don’t truly own it, and if you decide to cancel, you may have to start from scratch.
Proprietary systems like Wix will lock you out of key aspects like your website’s code, content, and data. You don’t actually own that stuff! This leaves you vulnerable to future disruptions and high switching costs.
Here’s exactly what “ownership” means for your law firm website, why it matters, and how to ensure you control everything on your site from the code to your content and data.
Proprietary platforms vs. open source
Proprietary: Using a proprietary platform like Wix is a bit like leasing a car. It’s convenient and cost-effective, but you don’t truly own it.
Open Source: With open-source platforms like WordPress, you have full control of your website’s code. This means more freedom to customize and more scalability to grow.
Why does this matter so much? Think about the present and future needs of your firm.
- Canceling or changing: If you want to cancel a proprietary subscription, your website often disappears—and rebuilding from scratch takes time and money.
- Adding features: Proprietary platforms have restrictions that limit your customization options. Others lock you into ongoing subscriptions for essential tools.
- Security and flexibility: If you don’t own your code, you don’t own your data. To keep your data secure, you need to own everything on your site. Open-source code gives you the flexibility to evolve and adapt to new technology and market demands.
Each proprietary platform is different for what is “owned.” This matters for longevity, uniqueness, data management and security, and your budget (aka subscriptions).
Open-source platforms protect your website’s long-term value and save you from costly rebuilds later. By making a single great decision now, you could save your future self a ton of stress.
Elements you may or may not own
Proprietary platforms tend to blur the lines of ownership. You may have partial control over key elements of your website, but you may not strictly “own” them.
- Imagery and copy: Do you retain the rights to your content if you cancel? Many platforms aren’t clear about this.
- Tools and licenses: Web forms, chat systems and other essential tools may require ongoing subscriptions or separate licenses. If you want to migrate or make changes, you could be stuck.
- Ad management access: Huge red flag here! Some providers actually withhold access to your ad dashboards, claiming a proprietary “secret sauce”. If you can’t get access to this, you don’t own it.
- Data ownership: Proprietary platforms may embed their own tracking systems. This limits your access to valuable insights since data is filtered through their platform.
Life’s too short and the market is too competitive to allow another company to control your content and your data. If you don’t clearly own everything on your site—like you do with a custom code site design—your firm could lose essential elements, increase costs and complicate any future transitions.
How to vet a provider
The good news is that it’s easy to vet a website provider. Just ask these questions.
- Will I own the source code and have access to modify it?
- Are the images, copy and tools mine to keep if I switch platforms?
- Do I have full access to my ad dashboards and analytics?
- Can the site grow and change, or am I locked into a specific ecosystem?
- Do I control my tracking and data, or is it tied to a proprietary system?
To ensure full ownership of your website, don’t commit to a provider until you get answers. As a side note, we’re always happy to consult with firms for free. You deserve to know what we offer, what you’re paying for, and how much it will cost.
Ultimately, firms should own everything on their site
Your website is one of your firm’s most valuable assets. While it’s normal for sites to be updated regularly or even redesigned, you should not have to tear it down and start from scratch if your needs change.
To ensure longevity, scalability, and security, you should own:
- The code for full flexibility and future-proofing
- All content, from images to written copy
- The tools and integrations essential to functionality
- Your data, ensuring privacy and accessibility
This is not a comprehensive list. Make sure you retain control over every aspect of your site. For instance, what about the domains for your site?
Work with a thoughtful website developer who can help you create an asset you own.
Leasing a website leaves your firm dependent on a third party’s platform, pricing and policies. Ownership, by contrast, puts you in control.
Review and next steps
Ownership is your goal. Ownership means control, which means you have full responsibility for the growth of your business. No excuses.
If you’re considering website providers, do a thorough vetting process to ensure that your website will be an asset you fully control—not a liability tied to a third party.
Get started with a free consultation and step into life as a website owner. It’s better over here.
