Unanswered messages. A broken or outdated site. No access to your own domain. It's one of the most frustrating situations a business owner can face — and there's a clear path forward.
You're not alone
Freelancer ghosting is one of the most common complaints from small business owners. Here's why it keeps happening — and why none of it is your fault.
You've emailed. You've called. You've messaged on WhatsApp. Nothing. Radio silence from someone who was once so enthusiastic about your project.
The developer holds the passwords, the domain, or the hosting credentials. Your business is effectively being held hostage through simple inaction.
Some developers vanish mid-project — especially after receiving the deposit. You're left with an incomplete site and a depleted budget.
A "quick change" was supposed to take a few days. It's been six weeks. Every chaser is met with "nearly done" — until eventually, nothing at all.
Immediate action
Don't panic. Work through these steps in order and you'll regain control faster than you think.
Your domain is your most important digital asset. Log into your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.) and verify you have full admin access. If the developer registered it on your behalf, contact the registrar directly — they have a dispute process for exactly this situation. Bring proof: business registration, payment receipts, or correspondence.
Do this first — everything else depends on itCheck your email for any original hosting account confirmations (look for SiteGround, WP Engine, Kinsta, Cloudways, or similar). If the developer set up hosting under their own account, you may need to request a migration. Most hosts will transfer sites to a new account if you can prove domain ownership.
Check your inbox for old "welcome" emails from hosting providersWrite down every digital asset: domain, hosting, email accounts, social media pages, Google Business profile, any CMS logins. For anything controlled by the developer, note it and start the recovery process. For social media, use the "forgot password" flow with your business email — most can be recovered without the developer.
A simple spreadsheet is enough to track thisIf you've sent multiple messages with no response, stop chasing. The time you spend trying to get a ghosting developer to respond is time you could spend getting back online. One firm, final email documenting the situation is useful (for any potential dispute). After that, focus your energy on the solution, not the problem.
One final documented email, then move onOnce you control your domain, point it at a new site. You don't need a new developer. You don't need months of waiting. ChilledSites generates a complete, professional website in 60 seconds from a plain English description. Your new site can be live within the hour.
Fastest path back online — no developer neededThe fastest route forward
You don't need to find another developer, write a brief, wait for quotes, or go through another 3-month build. AI changes everything.
ChilledSites uses AI to generate a complete, multi-page professional website from a plain English description. Design, copy, layout, navigation — done in under a minute. No developer. No waiting. No dependency on anyone.
Try it now — it's 60 secondsA different way to work
When you build with ChilledSites, you're never dependent on a person who might disappear. You're in control, always.
Your domain, your hosting, your site code. There are no developer accounts in the chain. You are the sole owner and administrator from day one.
Need to update your prices? Change a phone number? Add a new service? Type it. The AI makes it happen instantly — no support ticket, no waiting, no invoice.
The AI doesn't have a backlog. It doesn't go on holiday. It doesn't have other clients. It's there the moment you need it, every single time.
No proprietary CMS that only the developer understands. No cryptic admin panels. Your site is clean HTML you can take anywhere, any time.
Contact forms, enquiry forms, lead capture — all included and working from day one. Submissions go straight to your inbox. No plugin, no setup.
Hosting, domain connection, analytics, forms, AI editing — all in. No surprise invoices. No "I'll need to charge for that." Just one clear annual price.
The way things were
When you own your website with ChilledSites, all of the old developer dynamics disappear completely.
No more sending "just checking in" emails to a developer who's disappeared into their other projects and forgotten about yours.
Never again will someone else hold the keys to your own business website. You control the domain, the hosting, and the code outright.
The "2-week project" that drags to 3 months is a freelancer classic. With AI, your site is ready in 60 seconds. The only deadline is yours.
"That'll be £150 + VAT to update your phone number." Never again. Every change is included. Type what you want, and it's done.
Projects that expand indefinitely, promises that don't materialise, "just one more week" stretching into months. That cycle ends here.
Betting your entire web presence on one freelancer's reliability is a single point of failure. ChilledSites eliminates that risk entirely.
Every section, card, and line of copy on this page was generated by ChilledSites AI. No designer. No developer. No brief, no waiting, no invoice. Just a prompt and 60 seconds.
Build my site right nowCommon questions
Takes 60 seconds. No developer needed. No waiting. Your new site, completely in your control — from £29/year, everything included.