Terms of business.

These are the terms I work to. They are written in plain English so you know exactly where you stand before we start. They apply to every project, alongside the short project agreement we both confirm before work begins. If the two ever disagree, the project agreement wins.

1. Who these terms are between

“I”, “me” and “my” mean Jake Johnson, trading as JJ Websites, a sole trader based in Leeds, UK. “You” means the person or business named in the project agreement.

2. What is included

Before any work starts, we agree in writing what your project includes: the pages, the features, the price and anything else that matters. That project agreement is the scope of the work.

A “page” means one screen of content with its own web address, such as Home, Services or Contact. Unusually long pages, and pages with special features such as a booking system or a gallery, are priced individually.

Anything not listed in it, such as extra pages or new features, is additional work. I will always quote for it and wait for your go-ahead before doing it.

3. What I need from you

• The information, wording, photos and logo you want on the site, or a clear steer if you would like help with them.
• A domain name registered in your own name, which I will connect for you.
• Timely replies and feedback, so the project keeps moving.

I aim to show you a first design within 10 days of our first conversation. That time runs from when I have what I need from you to begin.

You are responsible for making sure you have the right to use everything you give me, including text, photos and logos.

4. Revisions

We refine the design together until you are happy with it. There is no fixed limit on the number of rounds of changes within the agreed scope.

Changes that go beyond the agreed scope are additional work and are quoted separately. That includes new pages, new features, or starting again in a different direction after a design has been approved.

Once you approve the site to go live, the project is complete. Changes after that are covered by your hosting plan if it includes them, or quoted individually.

5. Prices and payment

• Your price is agreed in writing before work starts.
• One-page sites: the full price is payable when the site goes live.
• Multi-page and custom sites: a 50% deposit is payable before work starts, and the balance when the site goes live.
• Invoices are sent by email with a secure link to pay online, and are due within 14 days.
• Hosting plans are paid monthly, in advance.

6. Delays

If I do not hear from you for 30 days while I am waiting for something I need, I may treat the project as paused, invoice you for the work completed so far, and close it. We can pick it back up later by agreement.

If your site is finished and ready to go live, and you have not approved it or asked for changes within 30 days, the price becomes payable as if it had gone live.

If something outside my control delays my side of the work, I will tell you as soon as I can.

7. Cancelling a project

You can cancel at any time before the site goes live. You pay for the work completed up to that point. A deposit covers work already done and is not refunded once work has started.

I may end a project if payments are not made, or if it becomes impossible to work together constructively. If I do, I will refund anything you have paid for work I have not done.

8. Hosting plans

• The lower “hosted with me” website price comes with a hosting plan for a minimum of 12 months. If you leave within those 12 months, the difference between the hosted price and the website-only price becomes payable.
• After the first 12 months you can cancel a hosting plan by giving one month’s notice.
• If a monthly payment is missed, I will send you a reminder. If a second month goes unpaid, the site will be taken offline until the balance is settled.
• Changes included in a plan cover the content and design of your existing site. New features and rebuilds are quoted separately.
• “Unlimited changes” on the Ongoing updates plan means as many changes to your existing content and design as you like, handled one request at a time in the order I receive them.
• I can change plan prices by giving you at least one month’s notice. If you do not accept a change, you can cancel.

9. Ownership

• Your domain name is yours from the start.
• Once you have paid in full, the design and code of your website are yours. Until then they remain mine.
• I may reuse general techniques and building blocks from your project in other work, but never your content, branding or anything confidential.
• Some parts of a website, such as fonts and software libraries, belong to other people and are used under their licences.

10. If you leave

If you decide to host your site elsewhere, ask and I will hand over the website’s code, provided everything owed has been paid. Ongoing support is not included after you leave.

11. Showing your site in my portfolio

Whether I show your finished website as an example of my work is entirely your choice. I will only feature it, or name your business, if you say yes.

Most clients are happy to: it is free publicity for your business, with a link to your site in front of everyone who visits mine. You can change your mind at any time and I will take it down.

12. Availability and security

I take reasonable care to keep the sites I host online and secure. No website can be guaranteed to be available all of the time or to be immune to attack, and I do not promise that. Please keep your own copies of any content you supply.

13. Limits on my liability

If something goes wrong because of my work, my total liability to you is limited to the amount you have paid me in the 12 months before the problem arose. I am not liable for loss of profits, loss of business or other indirect losses.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot legally be limited, such as for fraud or for death or personal injury caused by negligence. If you are a consumer, your statutory rights are not affected.

14. Personal data and your responsibilities

How I handle personal information for my own business is explained in my privacy policy.

If your website collects personal information, such as enquiries, customer accounts or bookings, you are responsible for it. In data protection law you are the “controller” of that information and I only handle it on your behalf. That means it is your responsibility to:

• check whether you need to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and pay its data protection fee;
• have a privacy policy on your website that explains what you collect and why;
• deal with requests and complaints from the people whose information you hold.

I will point these out when we start, but I do not manage them for you, check that you have done them, or give legal advice. My own ICO registration covers my business only, not yours.

If your website will store your customers’ personal data, we will put a separate data processing agreement in place before it goes live.

15. Law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.

16. Questions and changes

If anything here is unclear, ask me at hello@jjwebsites.co.uk before we start. If these terms change, the version that applies to your project is the one in place when we confirmed your project agreement.