Regardless of how much you may spend on the development of a website there are a few basic rules of engagement you will want to follow with any firm and or contractor working with your website. Without a doubt the highest risk in setting up a website contract is ensuring that copyright laws have been followed. Often a contractor will provide a low-ball quote on a website build because they are copying HTML code from another website. Once the other website is aware that your website is using the same code they will send a cease and desist and then follow with a copyright infringement suit.
Copying website code to build quick websites is definitely something to be aware of, but in addition you need to make sure the graphics and the code are your property at the end of the project. Specify in your contract agreement that all graphics and HTML code must be original and ownership of the code, graphics, and content on the website is owned solely by yourself or your company. At the end of the contract once all code is delivered you should have the option to either continue on with the contractor for maintenance of the website and or if you do not wish to work with the contractor request that code and assets be removed from their system after you have a successful archive. The use of libraries that are Open Source to build the website is perfectly acceptable, but it is important to know which assets you own and which assets are Open Source. At some point a value of the website code may be included as an asset for your company so you want an easy way to determine a ratio of custom, owned code versus Open Source.
Payment is always a touchy subject when it comes to website development. There are multiple ways to handle payment for services under a website contract. There are services like Escrow.com that will hold the money until deliverables are accepted and approved and then release the funds. Most of the time there will be a standard agreement in place whereby the contractor is paid based on delivering specific phases of the project. Deliverables are handed over for the phase, evaluated against the requirements provided to the contractor, and then payment is made. Once payment is received the contractor begins on the next phase of the deliverables.
Contractors and or firms working with sitejet must meet specific criteria in order to work on projects with our team. Contractors or firms must follow our rules of engagement in terms of contract agreements, be willing to utilize escrow services if requested by the customer, and must maintain a solid reputation as it relates to the service of our customers. Working with a third-party that has extensive experience in project management and website builds can eliminate risk, project timeline delays, and reduce cost by managing the developers to the agreed upon requirements.
Follow these simple guidelines and before you know it you will have a website live without all the worry. Our team can assist in project management, perform project reviews, website testing, code analysis, and assist in finalizing your contract agreement. Once your website is live, explore our marketing content to find ways to bring visibility and traffic to your website.