- If you cannot log in to your own website, domain or hosting, you do not fully own your business's online presence.
- Slow replies, slow pages and surprise invoices are signs the relationship is failing.
- Moving developers is usually simpler than people fear, as long as you start with the domain.
- A good developer puts everything in your name and explains how you would leave.
Most business owners do not fire their web developer. They just stop calling, and the website quietly gets older while the business moves on without it.
We take on a lot of businesses in exactly that position. As a website design agency in Centurion, the most common first conversation we have is not about design at all. It is about getting access back.
5 signs it's time to fire your web developer
1. They are holding your domain hostage
If your domain is registered in your developer's name, they control your website and your email. This is the most serious sign on the list. Your business name online should belong to your business. Under the ICANN transfer policy for international domains, and through accredited registrars for .co.za, the registered owner can transfer a domain. The question is who that owner is.
2. You cannot change a sentence without paying
Every phone number update becomes an email, a wait and an invoice. A modern site should let you edit text and images yourself. If yours does not, it was either built that way on purpose or built without you in mind.
3. The site is slow on a phone
Most of your visitors are on mobile. Run your homepage through PageSpeed Insights. If the mobile score is in the red, you are losing enquiries every day, and Google's Core Web Vitals factor speed into how pages are ranked.
4. Nobody can find you on Google
Search for your main service and your suburb. If competitors appear and you do not, your site was probably built without on-page SEO or a Google Business Profile. The basics are covered in What is SEO? A practical guide for 2026.
5. They take days to reply, or do not reply at all
A website is part of how you trade. If a broken contact form takes a week to fix, the cost is the enquiries you never received. Silence is the clearest sign of all.
You own everything: files, domains and accounts stay in your name.
What to do next
- Find out who owns your domain. Look it up through a WHOIS search, or ask your registrar directly. If it is not in your name, request a transfer in writing.
- Ask for all logins. Hosting, WordPress admin, Google Analytics, Search Console and Google Business Profile. Ask in writing and keep a record.
- Request a full backup. Files and database. Most hosts can produce one in minutes.
- Check your data obligations. If your site collects customer details, you are responsible for them under POPIA, whoever built the form.
- Brief a new developer with the facts. Access, backup, what works and what does not. A good developer can usually decide within one call whether to repair or rebuild.
How to choose a web designer in Pretoria or Centurion
- Ask whose name the domain and hosting will be in. The only right answer is yours.
- Ask to see sites they built more than a year ago, and check they are still fast.
- Ask how you would leave. A confident supplier explains it without hesitation.
- Ask what is excluded from the quote. See our 2026 website price index for what to compare.
At weDesiign every domain, hosting account and login is registered to the client from day one. If you are looking for a web designer in Pretoria or a website design agency in Centurion, start with our work or our guide to choosing a marketing company in Centurion.
Frequently asked questions
Can my web developer refuse to give me my domain?
If the domain is registered in your name, you can transfer it through the registrar. If it is in theirs, you will need their cooperation, which is why ownership should be agreed in writing before any project starts.
Will I lose my Google ranking if I change developers?
Not if the move is planned. Keeping the same domain and redirecting any changed page addresses preserves most existing search visibility.
Should I repair my current website or rebuild it?
If the structure is sound and the problems are content, speed or SEO, repair is cheaper. If the site is outdated, slow and hard to edit, rebuilding usually costs less over time.
How long does it take to move to a new web designer?
Access and backups can take a few days. A domain transfer typically completes within about a week. A rebuild runs alongside, so your current site stays live until the new one is ready.
Sources & further reading
- ICANN — Transfer PolicyHow domain transfers work.
- web.dev — Core Web VitalsGoogle's page experience metrics.
- Information Regulator South AfricaPOPIA guidance for businesses.