Redundancy is So Important

From site hosting to ad accounts to ecommerce systems we rely on a larger and larger list of digital properties that keep our businesses running. To avoid a catastrophe, every business should ensure they maintain owner-level access and redundant admins for the platforms that manage their online presence.

Peace of Mind

If you have never done this, it will provide you with some piece of mind for the future. If it’s been a year or more, review everything and add new properties to the list. You might be surprised at how large your list is. For your website alone you will have multiple services and third-party apps that you need to track.

Create a Process

Get your team together and create a structured discovery process that uncovers everything including hidden integrations. Ask everyone what tools do they log into, what platforms do they use weekly, and what platforms they receive system email notifications from.

Review How You Conduct Business

Go through how your business functions and ask questions such as how do customers find you?, how do they pay you?, what tools do you use to communicate with customers?, who built the site?, and who runs social media?

By focusing on the functionality of the business you can get close. In parallel review bank statements, credit cards and receipts and identify those hidden expenses you might forget otherwise.

Review your website! Typically the site functions as the hub for most or all connected third party services. Review all the site add-ons with your web admin to determine if you need to own some you don’t already.

Check your browser bookmarks and saved passwords. For very small teams, browser data can be a great place to discover hidden costs or old platforms where you need to retrieve data. Review apps on your and your teams’ phones.

Document the Results

Create a document that outlines what the business owns, how each item connects, which accounts much have owner-level admin access, who has access now and other people you may delegate as redundant admins.

Maintain Policies

Create a company-owned phone number for 2-factor authentication so you can always log in. Using digital authenticator apps makes logging in much easier. Back up your log ins in a password vault where stake holders know how to get to them.

Remove former employees, old agencies or service tool access and unknown users. Downgrade permissions for those that have too much access.

Create an internal policy where a platform owner must be a top-level admin. Have company-wide email addresses for log in accounts and make it easy for stake holders to get to these accounts.

In Conclusion

Taking control of your digital properties is always an afterthought — until it isn’t! It’s a preventative measure to safeguard for your operations and your future. It can avoid costly delays and safeguard your revenue. Make it an annual habit.

At a Glance

This article emphasizes the importance of businesses maintaining clear ownership and access control over all their digital platforms—such as website hosting, ad accounts, ecommerce systems, and third-party tools. Without proper documentation and owner-level access, operations can stall if key team members are unavailable.

It recommends conducting a structured audit of all digital tools, reviewing how the business functions, checking financial statements for hidden subscriptions, and documenting account ownership and access levels. Businesses should also implement security best practices like password vaults, two-factor authentication, redundant admins, and removing former employees’ access. Making this review an annual habit helps prevent costly disruptions and protects revenue.

FAQ

Why is documenting digital account access important?
Because promotions, website updates, or customer communications can stall if the only person with access is unavailable.

What types of accounts should be reviewed?
Website hosting, domains, ecommerce systems, ad accounts, social media, third-party apps, payment processors, email platforms, and any subscription-based tools.

How can we uncover forgotten tools or accounts?
Review team logins, system emails, browser bookmarks, saved passwords, phone apps, and financial statements.

What is “owner-level access” and why does it matter?
Owner-level access ensures the business—not an individual or agency—has ultimate control over the account and can assign or remove admins as needed.

What security best practices should we implement?
Use a password vault, set up two-factor authentication with a company-controlled number, assign redundant admins, and regularly remove former employees’ access.

How often should we review our digital properties?
At least once per year, or anytime there is a major change in staff, vendors, or business operations.