How to change web designers?

[deniser]

If I wanted to change web designers, what information do I need from the existing one so as to enable a new person to take over the running of my sites?

[openmind]

You would need full FTP access to the site along with logins for any databases you may have.

Ideally you would have access to the hosting control panel as all this information would then be available to the new designer.

You should also have full control over your domain name records...

[deniser]

You would need full FTP access to the site along with logins for any databases you may have.

Ideally you would have access to the hosting control panel as all this information would then be available to the new designer.

You should also have full control over your domain name records...

Thanks. I have full control over the domain names and the hosting as I deal with these aspects myself. What I don't have is the means of accessing the sites which is presumably the FTP access (not sure what this means) and log ins which you mention.

So if I am emailing him to ask for this information would I just ask him for the FTP access and log ins?

And if I gave those to someone else, would they be able to work on my site without any other kind of handover as to how it works?

Sorry one more question. When looking for a new web designer, are they all familiar with all the different types of website or should I be looking for a specialist of some kind? My sites are all ecommerce sites - one existing very busy, one which is just a holding page for a new site and one brand new with just the domain name purchased. The existing site needs a lot of work - it is a few years old now - and the two new sites need setting up from scratch.

[fisicx]

Depends on the ecommerce package you use. If it's an off the shelf application then you need to make sure you have the licence. If it's a bespoke design then it's unlikely that the current designer would release the code and a new designer be able to do the developemnt you need.

As to choosing a new designer, you need to detail the ecommerce package you have, in particular if it is PHP or ASP (or something else) as not all developers work with both. Or maybe you don't need the backend changing just the template or the images or the navigation. Each may require different skills set so the brief is quite important.

[Steve2507]

You would need full FTP access to the site along with logins for any databases you may have.

Ideally you would have access to the hosting control panel as all this information would then be available to the new designer.

You should also have full control over your domain name records...
As soon as you receive any log in details you should change the passwords. I know of someone (no me) who fell out with the designer over the final bill and the designer changed all the passwords. Took weeks to correct.

So don't pay any final bills until you have everything and all passwords are changed.

[deniser]

Depends on the ecommerce package you use. If it's an off the shelf application then you need to make sure you have the licence. If it's a bespoke design then it's unlikely that the current designer would release the code and a new designer be able to do the developemnt you need.

As to choosing a new designer, you need to detail the ecommerce package you have, in particular if it is PHP or ASP (or something else) as not all developers work with both. Or maybe you don't need the backend changing just the template or the images or the navigation. Each may require different skills set so the brief is quite important.

It is bespoke. I know that the copyright of the design is vested in me. Does that mean just the visual look of the site, the structure or does that include the code?

So a designer can hold me to ransom effectively? What about the substantial business generated from the site? How do I protect that in the event that something were to happen to the designer?

[openmind]

The ownership depends on the contract so you need to check. Referring to my previous post, do you have FTP/DB access for the site?

[nickpp]

Also check who pays the bills for the hosting, if your web designer is a reseller etc, even with ftp details if you do not move your site you could still have problems.