Attention all business owners! Do you know the answer to this question: Who gets to keep the website after you divorce your webmaster?

Just like in a marriage, it all depends on the pre-nuptial agreement (contract). Do you have one?

My personal disclaimer: Some of this information may be about legal issues; however this article is not intended as a substitute for legal advice. I am not an attorney nor do I play one on webTV therefore you should consult with an attorney familiar with the laws concerning internet and intellectual property.

Ok, now on with the story, the short version. . .

Here's the situation, for whatever reason the client decided not to pay their annual bill for web hosting services. Even though there were several attempts to reach the client the bill went unpaid for more than 90 days. As a result, the hosting was cancelled and the site was removed from the server.

Several months later the client sent this exact message: "you have my website and I need you to let me know how to get it back, like I said before I paid you money to build it so....? that money had nothing to do with hosting or anything".

Just because you paid for the development of your website does not mean you own it. There are Intellectual Property laws designed to protect the creator and to encourage the creator to create. If you hired a company they own the software development and website design produced by its employees. If you hired an independent contractor you must obtain a written "assignment" of the copyright in the commissioned work from them.

Most business owners unknowingly give their webmaster complete control over their business website. Even if you don't have a pre-nuptial agreement (contract) or own your website you can still maintain some control. While you and your webmaster are honeymooning be sure you can document the answer to these questions:

1. What software was used to develop the website?

• Exact name
• Version
• Software website

2. How to access the code?

3. Where is the code located on the server?

4. How to change the content?

• Graphics
• Text

5. How to create a weekly back up?

6. How to grant access to additional users?

7. How to obtain the master copies of your website design?

As a business owner, how many people realize their webmaster is like their spouse? Voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce), not many! Just like in marriage a prenuptial agreement (contract) is a practical solution to dealing with the risks and problematic topic of who gets to keep the website after your divorce.

No matter what site you build it will never be able to make money unless it gets traffic. You ask anyone online who is either new or intermediate what their biggest challenge is. The majority would say that getting traffic to their site is their number one priority.

So when building a site you will naturally want to build it in a way that will help this to happen. In order to do this you need to research extensively what way you will be able to get in front of people searching for products or information relative to your sites theme. You will need to research markets somewhat relative to your interests. For example you may be interested in travel.

Some guru's say you should not necessarily build a site around something you are interested in - instead you should build a site around a subject that will make you money. While this is understandable many people would be challenged to keep up the motivation doing something they do not like when they are starting out - because at this point there will be very little if any money coming in.

What you can do is pick a subject of general interest and then find niches within that which are profitable. This way you have the best of both worlds helping you to stay motivated and make money at the same time.

So your primary goal is to build a site that can compete with others and make you money. Develop the site in a way that the search engines will be able to understand and your visitors will enjoy. This way you will build relationships and as a result make money. To learn more on how to put all this together select any of the following links.

The greatest breakthrough of the Web 2.0 age is the advances made in web page coding. Previously, an interactive web page would require you to click on the control to trigger the action, then the request would be sent to the web pages server, and you were stuck waiting for the page to reload. This is an inconvenience on your part, as you are stuck waiting. Similarly, if you are the owner of the webpage, it is an inconvenience to your users to have to wait. Furthermore, if you are offering your services or products, you are losing potential customers and gaining downtime on your webpage.

But AJAX, which stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, is a new type of web coding technology which allows you to create an interactive website that does not need to reload and communicate with the server every time an action is taken. For you as a web page owner, this means faster loading times for your customers, as well as more interaction with the page on the end users' side.

AJAX uses a combination of Java, XML, HTML, and CSS coding, all rolled into one to create a unique and interactive web pages.

Are you wondering where AJAX has been employed on the Web? Ever used Google Maps? Google Maps allows you to drag the map, zoom in and out, as well as set markers on the map without the need to bee constantly interacting with Google's server.

If you want to create a unique and interactive webpage with less loading time, allowing your members to view more in less time, AJAX coding is the way to go.