Marketing & SEO Discussion List - LED Digest

We are having a nice discussion about web design / maintenance rates. How about some pointers on a contract before the work starts? Anyone have a basic contract they would share?

Thanks

Nancy Cardinali

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Written by Martha Retallick
March 7, 2006

Here's a web design contract that may be worth emulating: http://www.wilsonweb.com/worksheet/pkg-con.htm

Martha Retallick

westernskycommunications.com

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Written by Mark Medlicott
March 7, 2006

Hi Nancy

I too have had to search around over the years to find a suitable 'basic' contract. I now have a generic contract, which covers design outcomes, confidentiality, time, payment and customer expectations quite well. It should work as well in the USA as elsewhere in the world, and is easy enough even for the customers to understand.

To make it easy to access I have added it for you to view on the following page: http://www.medlicottdesign.orcon.net.nz/smallbusiness/StandardContract.pdf

Use it or adapt it to suit as you wish. I like it mainly because it is simple and works.

Regards

Mark Medlicott

medlicottdesign.orcon.net.nz

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Written by Mark Frank
March 7, 2006

I started my business with a free contract that I got from another designer. This free contract cost me a lot of money (and time) in unpaid work because it did not protect me from clients who changed the scope of the work in the middle of the job.

After being stung a couple of times, I broke down and hired a lawyer to create a website design contract for me.  It cost a few thousand dollars, but it paid off right away.  It is one of the best website design contracts around because my lawyer and I wrote it to specifically cover the problems and issues I encountered as a website designer.

I provide this resource to other designers (at a really low price) so that they don't get burned by their clients or by their own inexperience with contracts.

If you are interested, you can find it here: http://www.websitedesignbiz.com/website_contract.htm

Mark Frank

websitedesignbiz.com