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a9webdesign.com Web Design North Carolina

Professional Web Business Contract

It is imperative that you contract with your web clients. You are a business regardless if you establish yourself as a sole proprietor or a separate legal entity such as a LLC or corporation. In today's environment, a business requires all the legal protection it can muster especially a virtual business such as web design and web development where one's client can be half way around the world.

A contract is a binding legal document that can be crucial not only in court but in your relationship with your client(s).

A contract shows that you are a professional and to be ragarded with respect versus some amateur fly by night. If you advertise that you require a contract it gives your clients a warm fuzzy feeling that you are going to treat them and their business website with professional respect versus some kid just making a few extra bucks and will never been heard from again. Consider your contract a marketing tool.

I have been doing this for too many years and have yet had anyone not do business because of my contract.

Further, I enhance the process by providing an electronically signed contract. This expedites the process and gets the ball rolling really quick. That is, money in your bank account.

I NEVER begin work until I receive payment. I phase in payments based on the size of the job. This is all structured in the contract.

A client MUST sign off on each phase before the next is entered. This way, once they signoff and then they want changes, you can easily, by contract, charge them for those changes. The contract really sets the tone how the project will turn out. It makes your client really think about what they are doing or pay extra for it. It's their choice but you are protected by the contract and can refer to it at anytime.

eContract Variables

// CHANGE THESE VARIABLE BELOW FOR EACH CLIENT //
$cli="CLIENT NAME"; // ENTER CLIENT'S NAME
$dba="ADDRESS AND/OR DOMAIN"; // ENTER CLIENT'S ADDRESS of BUSINESS AND/OR DOMAIN
$erl="http://a9webdesign.com/contract.php"; // URL WHERE YOU WILL POST YOUR CONTRACT(S)
// THIS URL SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO YOUR CLIENT AT LEAST UNTIL CONTRACT JOB IS COMPLETE
$totalcost="$XXXX.XX"; // THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT

$purpose="designing and developing a World Wide Web site to be published on the client's web host server upon completion of this project";
// mine is as shown above - you can change it to whatever you want either permanently or for each separate client

// CHANGE THESE VARIABLE BELOW ONLY ONCE //
$yourname="YOUR NAME"; // YOUR NAME
$knownas="Web Designer"; // YOUR FREELANCE JOB TITLE - MINE is WEB DEVELOPER
$youremail="YOU@EMAIL.com"; // ENTER THE EMAIL ADDRESS YOU WANT TO RECEIVE NOTICE THAT THE CONTRACT HAS BEEN SIGNED
$yourcontract="YOUR WEB DESIGN CONTRACT"; // ENTER THE NAME OF YOUR CONTRACT - mine is WEB DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT
$contractitle="Web Design and Development Contract Agreement"; // TITLE OF THE DOCUMENT
$yourcompany="YOUR COMPANY NAME"; // YOUR BUSINESS NAME
$youraddress="123 Anystreet, Anytown, ST 12345"; // WHERE YOU CONDUCT YOUR BUSINESS
$yourbusiness="web design"; // WHAT BUSINESS YOU ARE IN - mine is independent freelance web designer and website developer

The Contract

I patterned my contract from that of Wilson's Web. He has been around before they invented dirt so I would say that he knows what he is talking about. You can view Wilson's Contract for some ideas.

You can best view my web design contract with these following notes:

  1. Black print is boiler plate (applies to all clients)
  2. Blue print is client specific
    This is the part you will need to change for each client detailing the web project.
  3. Variables need to be set (see eContract Variables in left column)
    The contract will read funny because I used generic variables. You will have to edit each contract with your own proper variables. Some need only be changed once. Others are client specific.
  4. Your client can print the contract and manually sign it if preferred.

It is vital that you understand that an electronically signed document is valid ONLY if the process is valid. Do NOT circumvent the process! The process includes:

You can download the generic electronic contract (in zip format) and modify it to your liking and upload all files to your server to test it. It is written in php.

For $60.00 USD I'll set you up with a password protected panel where you can seamlessly create a contract for each one of your client's within minutes.

If you have any questions you know where to find me.