A client has asked me to look after their websites and wider IT services, but they have not provided many details yet. I'm comfortable with some web maintenance, but I'm unsure how a handoff from their current provider normally works or what I should include in my proposal.
My own sites are hosted with IONOS, and I hold their domains. I need to find out whether the client expects me to maintain the existing hosting and software or migrate everything to a different provider. The current website is in poor shape, and another company is reportedly paid annually to look after it. What information, access, documentation, and safeguards should I request before agreeing to take this on?
3 Answers
First establish the scope. Are you only maintaining the website, or are you also responsible for hosting, DNS, email, backups, domains, security, and other infrastructure? If the existing hosting is staying in place, you may only need properly managed user access and documentation. A migration is a separate project and should be priced and planned separately.
Get written authorization from the client and create an asset and access inventory before changing anything. Request the domain registrar details, DNS records, hosting account, email configuration, SSL certificates, CDN, analytics, code repositories, database access, licenses, renewal dates, scheduled jobs, integrations, and administrator accounts. Ask the existing provider for current website and database backups, then test restoring them on a staging environment.
The client should remain the domain registrant and billing owner wherever possible. Document the current setup and create a rollback plan. If DNS or hosting will change, check email routing carefully, reduce DNS TTLs ahead of time, and move one component at a time. Afterward, test forms, email delivery, redirects, SSL, backups, analytics, and administrative access before removing the previous provider’s access.
Don’t move the site just because you’re more familiar with another host. If the client only wants ongoing fixes and development, taking over the existing environment may be safer. Ideally the site should be in version control with a proper deployment process. If it isn’t, make backups first and set up a basic staging environment so changes can be tested and rolled back.
Also review the current contract and ask why the client is leaving. A neglected site can hide outdated software, missing backups, broken integrations, or unclear ownership. Include an initial audit and cleanup phase in your proposal instead of promising unlimited maintenance from day one.
I hadn’t used version control before, and I recently caused an email migration problem without a rollback. Setting up backups, staging, and a recovery plan is definitely going to be a priority.
They haven’t clarified that yet, so I’ll make the distinction explicit in my proposal rather than assuming I’m taking over everything.