[FAQ]

Hey everyone,

Hope you’re all going well.

I’m thinking about getting a website sorted, and I keep coming back to the idea of “owning” it. What does that actually entail in 2025? Is it just about owning the domain name, or does it cover the content, the design, and the actual platform the site is built on?

I’m particularly curious about the difference between using one of those all-in-one website builders versus maybe self-hosting something like WordPress. Do you have more “ownership” one way or the other? And how much control or ability to move your site around do you get?

Keen to hear your thoughts on this!

[Jeff Bullas]

G’day,

That’s a smart question – “owning” a website isn’t as black and white as owning a car, for instance. It really comes down to a few key bits:

Your Domain Name (e.g., yourwebsite.com.au):

Yes, you “own” this in the sense that you register it and have exclusive rights to use it as long as you keep paying the renewal fees. It’s your unique address on the web.
Your Content:

Generally, the text, images, videos, and other original material you create and put on your site are yours. You hold the copyright to your own creations.
The Website Itself (Files, Design, Platform): This is where it gets a bit different:

Self-Hosted (e.g., WordPress.org software on a hosting plan you pay for): This is the closest you get to full “ownership” of the operational site. You have access to all the website files, the database, and the design (especially if it’s custom or a theme you’ve bought). You can, in theory, pack it all up and move it to a different web host.
Website Builders (like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress.com): With these, you own your domain (if you buy a custom one) and your content. However, the platform itself – the drag-and-drop tools, the themes (even if you customise them), and the underlying code that makes it all work on their system – belongs to the company providing the service. You’re essentially using their tools and infrastructure. You usually can’t just download the whole shebang as a working website and move it somewhere else; you’d typically have to rebuild it.

The Main Difference is Control & Portability:

Self-hosting gives you the most control and the ability to move your entire site.
Website builders offer ease of use and convenience but tie you to their platform for the site’s functionality.

For most people, owning their domain name and their content is the crucial bit. Whether you need full technical ownership of every site file often comes down to how much control you want versus how easy you want the setup and maintenance to be.

So, you can definitely own the most important parts. Full “turn-key” ownership and portability usually means going the self-hosted route.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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