Ownership for Services That Can’t Be Moved
In this post we talk about why you, as a business owner, should have ownership for services that can’t be moved. This is important in the instance of Google Analytics for example where moving would cause you to lose all your existing data.
Although we own some licences that relate to the services you receive, as well as licence subscriptions for website related services it’s important that you retain a number of these services yourself inhouse.
These include Google Analytics, allowing you to gain valuable insights about your website traffic and user patterns. As well as Office 365 for your email management. We’ve outlined a few reasons to help you have a clearer understanding as to why owning your licences these services outright is invaluable for your business.
Allows You to Access Support
One of the great benefits of having your own registration for services like Google Analytics is that you get to benefit from service support. This can be valuable in allowing you to get the most out of your service with their product or platform. Especially as these are continually being updated and worked on. Sometimes you need to be able to report bugs so having your own access for this type of service is necessary.
Another important element of having independent registration for your emails specifically is it keeps your data safe and secure. We’ve already talked about preventing hacks and malfunctions with updates. However another point we haven’t covered is future proofing your emails and tracking services by selecting premium providers. Generally these come at some kind of cost, although often when these are broken down over an annual subscription the cost for business can be minimal in comparison to the overall gains. As well as minimising the risks by opting for a free service.
When building your website, we always opt for plugins that are built by large development companies, such as WooCommerce and Yoast for example. These are preferred and deemed more secure than smaller independent developers. Although you do have to pay for these plugins, you also get to benefit from the longevity and stability of the company. Safe in the knowledge that the plugin will continue to be updated forevermore as there are multiple hands working in the background. For services like this we have licence subscriptions set up with clients to allow them to access these benefits.
Giving You Control As A Business Owner
An underlying theme throughout this post, and a reason why you should have full ownership for services your business relies on like email and Google analytics is really that it gives you freedom and control as a business owner. To have full access to every area of your business, as down the line you may leave the business, or your business may be sold to someone else. So it’s important that all of the tools that help your business run are kept securely in-house where you have full access. So having ownership for services that can’t easily be moved or transferred will make these transitions smoother. As a result, we’re encouraging all of our clients to be proactive. Owning these registrations personally, so these scenarios are never a concern.
Annual Registrations
Now that you’re aware of the benefits of ownership for services that can’t be moved or transferred. How do you know what ones need to be updated annually? You’ll be prompted by your service providers like Google for example. You can also set up monthly payment plans to ensure you never experience any downtime in your services. They should be treated in the same way that domain renewal and website hosting is. In that they are a vital part of the marketing and running of your business online.
When Would I Benefit From a Licence Subscription?
However with all that being said. Our world has changed and there are some instances where it makes sense to have a licence subscription. Particularly for other types of services that can easily be transferred. For example plugin licences and those relating to products and services like Yoast that improve your website rankings.
These are licences that your developer can hold that are often costly to purchase but that you can benefit from by splitting the cost with others who are using this service too. In this instance you can set up a digital licence subscription with us. You can find out more about this service and our licence subscription costs based on your needs and requirements. Be sure to get in touch and share these with us for a bespoke quotation based on the products your website is currently using to operate important areas of it’s design or functionality.
If you have any questions relating to licences, or about any of our digital services, then please feel free to contact us to discuss in more detail. You can also find a whole variety of user guides in the blog area of our website.