John Laluma Get in touch
  1. John Laluma
  2. Web developer disappeared

Web developer disappeared? I'll take over your WordPress site

The freelancer moved on, the agency closed, or the emails just stopped. Your website still needs updates, fixes and someone who answers. I help small businesses in Australia, the US and the UK get back in control of their WordPress sites, then look after them.

Tell me about your site See my work

First, find out what you control

Your website is really three separate things, and you need access to each one:

  • Your domain name (for example yourbusiness.com.au), held with a registrar. For .au domains, a lookup on auDA's WHOIS shows who the registrant is. If it's your business and your ABN, the registrar can help you get back in, even if your developer originally set it up.
  • Your hosting, where the website's files and database live. If the hosting account is in your name or on your card, the host can help you regain access. If it's in your developer's account, you'll need them or the host to transfer it.
  • Your WordPress login. If you can get into the hosting, a new admin login can be created even if you've never had one.

Most important: don't let the domain expire. Check its expiry date in the WHOIS lookup. If it lapses, your website and email stop working, and someone else could register the name.

What to do right now

  1. Gather everything you have. Old emails and invoices from the developer, any logins they sent, and receipts for hosting or domain renewals.
  2. Look up your domain. Find the registrant, the registrar and the expiry date, using auDA's WHOIS for .au domains or any WHOIS lookup for .com.
  3. Work out where the site is hosted. Your domain's settings, or a free hosting lookup tool, will show which company hosts the website.
  4. Send your developer one last message. Politely ask for the logins to your domain, hosting and WordPress, and give them a deadline.
  5. Ignore surprise "domain renewal" invoices. Letters and emails from companies you've never dealt with, asking you to renew your domain, are a common scam in Australia.

How I take over your website

  1. Recover access. I work with you, your registrar and your host to get every login into your business's name.
  2. Back up everything. A full copy of the site and database is made before anything changes.
  3. Audit the site. I check the WordPress version, theme, plugins, Elementor setup, security, speed, and anything custom-built.
  4. Fix what's urgent. Overdue updates, security problems and anything broken get sorted first.
  5. Hand you the keys. You get a simple document listing every login and where everything lives, all owned by your business, so this can't happen again.
  6. Look after it from there. Ongoing maintenance, or changes whenever you need them. It's your choice.

Why work with me

  • I've worked with WordPress since 2010. Maintenance and migrations have been part of my work for years, including running all the websites for a US company.
  • Elementor is my main page builder, and many small business sites are built with it, so picking up someone else's Elementor site is normal work for me.
  • I spent two years as project manager and lead web developer at an Australian agency.
  • I'm 2 hours behind Brisbane and 2–3 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne, so you're not waiting overnight for answers.

See my sample websites and work history.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to rebuild my website?

Usually not. Most sites can be taken over as they are, then updated and improved. A rebuild only makes sense if the site is very outdated or broken, and I'll tell you honestly if that's the case.

My developer registered the domain in their own name. What can I do?

Ask them to transfer it to your business first. If they won't respond, contact the registrar with proof that the domain is used by your business, such as invoices, your ABN and your website content, and ask about your options. It's slower, which is why it's worth checking early.

I don't have any logins at all. Can you still help?

Yes. We start from your domain lookup, find the registrar and host, and work through recovering each account in your business's name.

Can you work on a site someone else built in Elementor?

Yes. Elementor is my main page builder, and taking over sites built by other developers is normal work for me.

Will my website go down during the handover?

The aim is no downtime at all. I back everything up first and make changes one step at a time, so the site keeps running for your customers.

Who should own my website logins?

Your business, always. Every account should use a business email address you control, not your developer's. I set things up that way and give you a list of every login.

How much does it cost?

I'll quote you once I know what access you have and what state the site is in.