Client Agreement
Last Updated: 02/22/19
Strategy Driven Marketing
Summary:
We will always do our best to fulfill your needs and meet your goals, but sometimes it is best to have a few simple things written down so that we both know what is what, who should do what and what happens if stuff goes wrong. In this contract, you won't find complicated legal terms or large passages of unreadable text. We have no desire to trick you into agreeing to something that you might later regret. We do want what's best for the safety of both parties, now and in the future.
In short
You are hiring us, Strategy Driven Marketing, to [design and/or develop solutions for a Squarespace or Shopify website] for the estimated total price as outlined in email correspondence. Written email agreement to the estimate and adding Administrator privileges to your website binds this agreement. Of course, it's a little more complicated, but we'll get to that.
What do both parties agree to do?
As our customer, you have the power and ability to enter into this contract on behalf of your company or organization. You agree to provide us with everything that we need to complete the project including text, images and other information as and when we need it, and in the format that we ask for. You agree to review our work, provide feedback and sign-off approval in a timely manner too. Deadlines work two ways and you will also be bound by any dates that we set together. You also agree to stick to the payment schedule set out at the end of this contract.
We have the experience and ability to perform the services you need from us and we will carry them out in a professional and timely manner. Along the way, we will endeavor to meet all the deadlines set but we can't be responsible for a missed launch date or a deadline if you have been late in supplying materials or have not approved or signed off our work on-time at any stage. On top of this, we will also maintain the confidentiality of any information that you give us.
Getting down to the nitty gritty
Design
We will create designs for the look-and-feel, layout and functionality of your website. This contract includes one main design plus the opportunity for you to make up to two rounds of revisions. If you're not happy with the designs at this stage, you will pay us in full for all of the work that we have produced until that point and you may either cancel this contract or continue to commission us to make further design revisions at the hourly rate set out in our original estimate.
HTML/Javascript/CSS
If the project includes HTML markup, Javascript or CSS, we will develop these using valid techniques. We will test all markup, Javascript and CSS in Squarespace supported browsers. We try to perform the least amount of custom coding possible to avoid future issues as browsers or search engines perform updates. This is best for your site's user-experience and for your budget.
Supported Browsers
Squarespace and Shopify support the three most recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari and the most recent version of Internet Explorer for editing your site. They also support the three most recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer for viewing your site.
Photographs
You will supply us with photographs either in digital or printed format. If you choose to buy stock photographs we can suggest vendors of stock photography. Any time we spend searching for appropriate photographs you be charged at our hourly rate.
Changes and revisions
We know from plenty of experience that fixed-price contracts are rarely beneficial to you, as they often limit you to your first idea about how something should look, or how it might work. We don't want to limit either your options or your opportunities to change your mind.
The estimate/quotation prices at the beginning of this document are based on the number of hours that we estimate we'll need to accomplish everything that you have told us you want to achieve. If you do want to change your mind, add extra pages or templates or even add new functionality, that won't be a problem. You will be charged the hourly rate set out in the estimate we gave you. Along the way, we might ask you to put requests in writing so we can keep track of changes.
Technical support
If you do require help with anything beyond the design and development of your site, we'll be happy to help and will charge you our hourly rate laid out in your initial proposal.
SEO Services
For the purpose of receiving professional SEO services, you agree to provide the following:
Administrative/backend access to the website for analysis of content and structure.
Permission to make changes for the purpose of optimization, and to communicate directly with any third parties, e.g., your web designer, if necessary.
Unlimited access to existing website traffic statistics for analysis and tracking purposes.
An email address for the purposes of requesting links.
Authorization to use client pictures, logos, trademarks, web site images, pamphlets, content, etc., for any use as deemed necessary by us for search engine optimization purposes.
If your site is lacking in textual content, we can provide recommendations for the purpose of creating additional or richer web pages.
You must acknowledge the following with respect to SEO services:
All fees, services, documents, recommendations, and reports are confidential.
SEO is a very time-consuming process. It may take anywhere from 4 months to 6 months to see results depending upon the competition. Hence minimum contracting term should be of 6 months or 12 months. Consequently, the best time for major performance evaluation and contract renewal should be 6 to 12 months.
We have no control over the policies of search engines with respect to the type of sites and/or content that they accept now or in the future. Your website may be excluded from any directory or search engine at any time at the sole discretion of the search engine or directory.
Due to the competitiveness of some keywords/phrases, ongoing changes in search engine ranking algorithms, and other competitive factors, we do not guarantee #1 positions or consistent top 10 positions for any particular keyword, phrase, or search term.
Search engines like Google may hinder the rankings of new websites until they have proved their ability to exist for more than ‘x’ amount of time or have enough back link strength.
A new website may get a temporary boost in ranking for some targeted keywords for few days but then it settles down to its real place. This is known as ‘Google Sandbox’ and it is quite common to happen.
Search engines can drop rankings for no clear or predictable reason. Often such rankings reappear without any SEO efforts. A website search engine ranking can fluctuate any day, any time because of ongoing changes in the ranking algorithm, SEO efforts made by the competitors or both.
Some search directories offer expedited listing services for a fee. If you wish to engage in said expedited listing services (e.g., paid directories), you are responsible for all fees for inclusion or expedited service fees. We can offer a list of expedited listing services upon request.
Linking to “bad neighborhoods” or getting links from “link farms” can seriously damage all SEO efforts. We do not assume liability for your choice to link to or obtain a link from any particular website without prior consultation.
We are not responsible for you overwriting SEO work.
Legal stuff
We can't guarantee that the functions contained in any web page templates or in a completed website will always be error-free and so we can't be liable to you or any third party for damages, including lost profits, lost savings or other incidental, consequential or special damages arising out of the operation of or inability to operate this website and any other web pages, even if you have advised us of the possibilities of such damages.
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the above. We look forward to working with you and helping to grow your business!