Do You Really Own Your Destination Website?

By Leigh Farrior

Do You Really Own Your Destination Website?

If your DMO website is built on a proprietary platform like Simpleview, you may not have full ownership or control. Here’s why that matters—and what to do about it. Read time: 3 minutes. 

Do You Really Own Your Destination Website? 

In tourism, your website is your welcome mat. It showcases your brand, builds itineraries, and inspires visits. But what if you don’t truly own it? 

If your site was built on a proprietary platform like Simpleview, Squarespace, or Wix, the reality is you may only control part of it. While you might manage content and photos, the underlying code, hosting, and design often remain with the platform. 

 

For Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), this can lead to: 

  • Difficulty switching providers or updating functionality 
  • Higher costs for features you don’t use, especially for smaller organizations 
  • Limited control over layout, performance, and analytics 
  • Starting from scratch if you want to change platforms 

 

At Stamp, we help destinations create long-term marketing assets, including websites built on open-source platforms like WordPress and ExpressionEngine. These solutions give you: 

  • Ownership of your design, code, and content 
  • Freedom to choose any hosting provider 
  • Full ADA Compliance  
  • Full control to update or redesign as your brand evolves 

 

Open Source vs. Proprietary: What’s the Difference?   

Open-source platforms (like WordPress and ExpressionEngine):   

  • Use code that’s freely available and community-supported   
  • Can be hosted on virtually any server, so you’re free to move your site as needed   
  • Give you access to the full code and database with full design & functionality control   
  • Subscription costs are generally low, but scalable depending on features   
  • You own the site and data   
  • There can be a slight learning curve, and it’ll require a trusted developer partner   

 

Proprietary platforms (like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify):   

  • Tied to the platform, locking you into their hosting and software ecosystem   
  • Often restrict access to backend code or database exports   
  • Make migration difficult or impossible without rebuilding   
  • Limited customization, but ease of use with drag-and-drop content in most cases   
  • Bundle features—but at the cost of flexibility   
  • Subscriptions can be costly and include features you don’t need   

 

So… Do You Own Your Website?   

If you’re unsure, that’s a red flag. Ownership means control, flexibility, and the ability to grow on your own terms. Whether you run a destination marketing organization, convention and visitor bureau, travel and tourism group, venue, attraction, or other destination organization, you don’t want to be renting your most important marketing tool. 

At Stamp, we help organizations build flexible, secure, and future-ready websites that put them in control. Let’s build a destination website you can truly call your own. Let’s connect.