Digital governance means the business, not a contractor or a former employee, owns and controls its digital assets, and that there are simple rules for who gets access and how it is removed. We inventory your domains, website hosting, analytics, advertising and social accounts, customer data stores and the vendors who touch them, fix ownership gaps, and leave you with a register and a routine to keep it current.
Why it matters
A surprising number of established businesses discover a gap only when something goes wrong: the domain renewal reaches a former employee's personal inbox, an agency relationship ends and the ad account goes with it, or nobody can log in to the website host. Each of these is cheaper to prevent than to fix.
There is also a less dramatic cost. When nobody owns the register, licences linger for people who left two years ago, and several tools quietly do the same job.
Who this is for
- owners who are not sure who registered the company domain, or in whose name
- businesses that have changed web or marketing suppliers more than once
- companies preparing for a sale or investment, where buyers will ask who owns what
- teams with staff turnover and shared passwords
If what you need is help choosing or auditing a marketing agency, that is a different discipline; MarketingAdvisor.ca covers it.
What is included
- Asset inventory. Domains and DNS, website hosting and content management, analytics and tag management, search console, ad accounts, social profiles, business listings, email marketing tools, CRM and other customer data stores.
- Ownership check. For each asset: the legal owner, the account administrator, the billing contact and the renewal date.
- Access register. Who has access, at what level, and why. Shared logins are flagged.
- Gap remediation plan. The steps to bring each asset under business ownership, in priority order.
- Vendor responsibility matrix. What each supplier is responsible for, what they must hand back at the end, and where that is written down.
- Joiner and leaver routine. A short checklist for granting and removing access.
- Data location summary. Where customer information is held, so your privacy lead or lawyer can review it.
Privacy and electronic messaging
Governance touches regulated areas, so we name the regulators and point to their guidance rather than interpreting it. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada summarises PIPEDA's requirements, including its ten fair information principles, and notes that Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have their own private-sector privacy laws. Commercial electronic messages fall under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation. We do not give legal or compliance advice; we make sure the right person has an accurate map of your systems to review.
Timeline
Most governance engagements take three to five weeks, depending on the number of assets and how many former suppliers are involved. Account transfers can take longer, because they depend on the platforms and third parties.
How results are measured
- every listed asset owned by a business account, with a named administrator
- shared logins replaced with individual access
- renewal dates recorded and assigned
- the leaver routine applied on the next departure
A simple register you can keep
The register itself is deliberately plain: one row per asset, with columns for the asset, the legal owner, the platform administrators, the billing contact, the renewal date, the supplier involved and the date of the last review. Most small businesses end up with 25 to 60 rows. Kept current, it answers in minutes the questions that otherwise take days, for example when a staff member leaves or a buyer asks during due diligence.
Mistakes to avoid
- Registering assets in a personal name. Even with good intentions, it creates a problem later.
- One administrator. Every critical account should have at least two business administrators.
- Contracts silent on handover. Supplier agreements should state what is returned at the end; have your lawyer review the wording.
- Treating it as a one-off. Without a quarterly review, the register drifts within a year.
Governance pairs naturally with data and reporting and with any new software selection. See the pricing page for fee options, or text (604) 632-4959 to start.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as choosing a marketing agency?
No. We do not select or manage agencies. Governance is about control: the business owning its domain, website, analytics, ad and social accounts and customer data, whoever does the day-to-day work.
What if a former agency or employee holds our logins?
It is common and usually fixable. We document what is held where, and help you request transfer through each platform's official ownership process. Where a dispute arises, that is a matter for your lawyer.
Does this include privacy compliance?
No. We record where customer data is stored and who can access it, and we link to the relevant regulator's guidance, but conclusions about legal obligations belong with your lawyer or privacy professional.
How often should the access register be reviewed?
Quarterly, and whenever a staff member or vendor leaves. The review takes an hour or two once the register exists.