Your agency disappeared after launching your site
If your web agency went silent the moment your site launched, it is almost always because the launch was the profitable bit and ongoing support is not. You can still get hold of your site, your domain, and your content - and you can move to someone who actually answers the phone. Here is exactly what is happening and what to do about it.
Why agencies go quiet after launch
Agencies make their money on the build. The four or five thousand pounds you paid for the site is where the margin is. Once the site is live, you are no longer a project - you are a low-priority support ticket.
If you are on a small monthly retainer, you sit at the bottom of the queue. New build clients are paying ten times more and getting all the attention. Your emails get read, flagged, and forgotten.
It is rarely personal. It is how the agency model works. The team that built your site has moved onto the next project, and nobody is being paid to think about yours.
What you are actually paying for now
If you are still paying a monthly fee after launch, it is worth knowing what that money is supposed to cover. Usually it is some combination of:
- Hosting - keeping the site online
- A security certificate - the little padlock in the browser
- Software updates - keeping the moving parts patched
- Some allowance for small changes
- A vague promise of support
The first three are largely automated and cost the agency a few pounds a month. The last two are where you are meant to get value, and they are exactly what disappears when the agency goes quiet.
The monthly invoice keeps going out either way. Direct Debits do not require anyone at the agency to be doing anything at all.
How to tell if they have truly gone
There is a difference between an agency that is slow and an agency that has effectively abandoned you. Check the obvious signs first.
- Their website is still up and being updated
- Their phone number still rings
- They are posting on LinkedIn or social media
- Companies House lists them as active
If all of those are true and they still are not replying to you, you have not been forgotten - you have been deprioritised. That is worse, because it is a choice.
If their website is down or their company has been struck off, you have a different problem: your site is sitting on a server controlled by people who no longer care if it stays online.
What to do this week
Stop sending polite follow-up emails. They have not worked and they will not start working. Do these things instead.
Send one final email in writing. Short, dated, with a deadline. Something like: "I have not had a response to my last four emails. Please confirm by Friday that you are still supporting my site, otherwise I will assume the contract is no longer being honoured and will make alternative arrangements." Keep a copy.
Find out who owns what. Log into your domain registrar account if you have one. Check who the domain is registered to. Check whether you have a login to your own website. If you do not have these, write them down as things to recover.
Cancel the Direct Debit, not the contract. Cancelling the payment forces a conversation. Cancelling the contract by email to a silent inbox achieves nothing. When they suddenly notice the payment has stopped, you will discover how reachable they actually are.
An agency that has not answered an email in three months will reply within an hour of a failed Direct Debit.
Moving on without losing your site
You do not need the old agency's cooperation to move. You need three things: your domain, a copy of your site, and someone to put it on a new server.
The domain is the most important. It is the address people type to find you, and it is legally yours regardless of who set it up. If it was registered in the agency's name rather than yours, you can ask them to transfer it - they are required to. If they refuse or ignore you, the company that runs the domain system can intervene.
The site itself is easier than people think. Whatever is showing in your browser can be copied. A decent independent developer can rebuild a small business site in days, often faster than waiting for the original agency to reply.
This is what I do. SkipTheAgency's Maintained plan is £65/month and includes hosting, security, and up to ten content changes a month with a same-day response - the things your old agency was charging £100-200/month for and then not delivering. If you need a fresh build, that starts at £600, and I handle the migration from your current setup at no extra cost.
You are not stuck. You are just being ignored, and that is a problem with a solution.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait for my agency to reply before assuming they have given up?
Two weeks of silence after a reasonable email is the point where you should stop assuming good faith. Send one final written message with a deadline, and start preparing to move. Polite follow-ups beyond that point are wasted effort.
Can my agency hold my website hostage if I stop paying?
They can take the site offline by stopping the hosting, but they cannot keep your domain or your content if those are yours by right. Even if the domain was registered in their name, you can force a transfer through the company that runs the domain system. The site itself can be rebuilt without their involvement.
Should I cancel my Direct Debit to my web agency?
Yes, if they have stopped responding to emails. Cancelling the payment usually produces a reply within hours, which tells you they were always reachable - just not for you. It also stops you funding a service you are not receiving.
Is it worth chasing the agency or just starting fresh?
Chase only to recover what is yours: the domain, any logins, and confirmation that they will not interfere when you move. Beyond that, do not waste time trying to revive the relationship. A new developer can have you sorted faster than the old one will reply.
What if my agency has gone out of business completely?
Check Companies House to confirm. If they have been dissolved, the contract is effectively dead and your domain may need to be claimed back through the registry. An independent developer can usually handle this for you as part of moving your site across.
How do I avoid this happening with the next developer?
Make sure the domain is registered in your name from day one, that you have your own logins, and that the contract is rolling monthly rather than locked in for a year. If someone refuses any of those three, walk away.
Tired of emailing a ghost?
If your agency has stopped replying since launch, I will take over hosting, support, and content changes from £65/month - and handle the move from your current setup at no cost.
Message me on WhatsApp