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What a website handover includes
Use this checklist to walk through every step of handing over a new website to a business owner.
- A last check on a phone
- Approval and payment through one link
- The site live at its address
- The owner's domain connected
- The owner's login and how to ask for changes
- A short handover note
- A check-in date in your calendar
The last check before handover
Open the website on your phone like a customer would. Tap the phone number, check business and holiday hours, and send yourself a test message through every form. Read every price and name aloud to make sure it matches what the business published or told you.
16%
Pew Research Center's 2026 fact sheet says 16 percent of US adults reach the internet only through a smartphone. 1
Use the owner's own photos, or use images you have the rights to publish. Remove any image you feel unsure about before sending the link. Clearing it up now is much faster than explaining a photo choice later.
Approval and payment
When the owner says yes to the site, send the approval link by text or email. It opens a secure card payment page in your name showing your monthly price and any setup fee. Paying that page acts as formal approval of the exact website they saw, and records the date, time, and version approved.
Nothing goes live on the internet until the owner pays. If they choose not to approve, the website automatically goes offline 30 days after creation.
Going live and the domain
Once the owner pays, the website goes live at its web address in a few minutes. If the business already owns a domain, the owner connects it directly from their login. The login screen shows the single record to add at their domain provider, then checks the record until the site is live with a secure connection.
The record to add is usually a CNAME for www, and the exact values appear right inside the owner's login. The domain stays completely in their name. If they get stuck, ask them for a screenshot of the records at their provider, then compare those values with the ones shown in their login.
Owner actions inside their login
The business owner signs in directly on your storefront. From their dashboard, they can describe changes in plain words, attach new photos, update their payment card, and review billing history. Every request they send routes straight to your account.
You decide how much direct access the owner gets. You can manage the website entirely yourself, let them edit text and photos on their own, or require your approval before their edits publish. Every update appears in the site History, so you can revert any edit with a single tap.
The handover note
Send the owner one short message they can keep for their records. It answers their immediate questions and saves you an unnecessary phone call later.
A handover note
Your website is live at [website address].
You can sign in anytime at [login link] using your email address, and we will send a sign-in code to your inbox instead of a password.
To make updates, tap Request a change inside your dashboard or text me directly and I will handle it for you.
The monthly price covers your website, hosting, and any updates you need, and you can cancel at any time inside Billing.
Reach me directly at [your phone] or reply to this message. Thanks, [your name].
Who owns the website after handover?
The business retains full ownership of its domain name at all times. Your client keeps the website live by paying you each month, and they can cancel at any time. Throughout the entire process, the owner sees your name and brand, while Ironstone stays completely invisible.
If a card payment fails, automated reminders go out under your name while the system retries the card over 14 days. The website stays online during this window, and you can choose to extend that time if needed.
After the handover
Call the owner a week after launch and again a month later to ask if new customers are calling and if they want any site updates. Making their first update right away shows them how reliable your service is. Once they are happy with the site, ask if they know other local business owners who need one. You can read our complete guide on how to sell AI websites to local businesses to learn more ways to find clients.
Frequently asked questions
What should a website handover include?
A website handover should include a final check on a phone, approval and payment through one link, bringing the site live, and connecting the business domain. It also includes setting up the owner's login so they can request changes, along with a short note detailing how to reach you.
Who owns the website after handover?
The business keeps full ownership of its domain at all times. The website stays live on the web for as long as the business pays its monthly fee, and the owner can choose to cancel any month.
How do I transfer a domain to my client?
You usually do not need to transfer the domain to a new host. The owner leaves the domain with their current domain provider and adds a single DNS record using the values provided in their login.
Should I keep control of the website until the client pays?
The business owner reviews the finished website online at its shared link before making any payment. The finished website goes live only after they pay through the approval link, which acts as their formal approval.
How do I teach a client to use their website?
Schedule a quick five-minute phone call. Help them sign in, walk them through submitting one test change request together so they see it update, and follow up by sending over your standard handover note.
What happens if a client stops paying?
Payment reminders are sent out under your name while the system retries their card for 14 days. The site stays online during that period, then goes offline until payment resolves, unless you choose to keep it live longer.