ADVICE
Keys to the digital kingdom
Caught in the
supplier’s web
Getting a professional to produce a slick website for your company is
always a smart move, but do you know who owns the rights to your online
venture? Aaron Martin and Dan Norris-Jones, directors at Collective
London and Priocept respectively, investigate
I
n an age where digital is
becoming an increasingly
important part of the business
model, a company’s online
presence can be business-critical
even for those that wouldn’t be
described as digital businesses.
But are you confident you own
your online presence? Could you
change supplier tomorrow with
little consequence? Or are you at
risk of being held to ransom by
your digital supplier?
Here are five points to bear in
mind when selecting, working
with, and managing your digital
suppliers, all designed to ensure
you can develop your digital
presence to your own agenda,
and not your supplier’s.
OWNERSHIP
While it makes sense that you
should own everything you pay
for, in the world of digital it’s
rarely straightforward. Unless you
have specifically agreed ownership
terms, your supplier may try to
retain full ownership of everything
you have paid them to build.
Make sure that everything
that you pay to be created is
contractually owned by you.
And make sure you have
practical ownership as well
as legal ownership, by having
unrestricted access to your assets.
And make it clear that any of
their own software products are
banned from the list.
CONTROL
EDUCATE YOURSELF
If yo W"F