<aside> As web design agencies grow, there comes a point when transferring billing responsibilities directly to clients makes sense for both parties. This post outlines a real-world process we developed for The Darling Group, a hospitality management company, when transitioning their website from our agency billing to direct client billing.
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Transferring billing for an existing website with CMS content presents several technical challenges. Simply changing the billing contact on an existing site risks losing content or causing site downtime. Our client needed a seamless transition without disrupting their online presence.
After several tests, we developed this workflow for transferring billing while preserving site integrity:
Schedule a call with the client to explain the transfer process and set expectations. Make sure they understand the temporary duplicate site stage and potential brief downtime.
Rather than modifying the existing site (which could risk CMS content), create a complete duplicate of the client's website. This serves as a "staging ground" for the billing transfer.
Transfer the billing to the duplicate site so I can add client billing to the real site in the next step.
Mark the original site as "Paid by Client" in your internal systems.
Once payment is confirmed:
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Ensure a DNS backup has been made
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