Download Website Maintenance Agreement for free
Website Maintenance Agreement is an agreement in which the client decides that Company or the Developer will be the sole provider of web site maintenance services for the duration of this contract, and that no other entity will have access to or rights to modify the web site. Along with the general services defined in the agreement,if someone other than the Company/Developer makes adjustments to the website, any errors as a result of those adjustments are also fixed.
What is the importance of a Website Maintenance Agreement? (From a client’s perspective.)
In today’s day and age, it is difficult enough to run a company. The last thing you need is to get entangled in a tangle of squabbles with your website maintenance and service customers. A lack of clarification about both parties' expectations can transform into a nightmare of late payments, angry site owners, and negative publicity which can impose as a major threat to a flourishing company.
This is why it's important to have a website support and maintenance agreement. Your clients will have the details they need to determine whether you can satisfy their needs if you elaborate your services that whether you provide site protection and quick support and policies up front. It also provides legal defense in the event that the relationship becomes sour.
What is the importance of a Website Maintenance Agreement? (From Company/Developer’s perspective).
The key importance of a well-defined Website Maintenance Agreement are as follows:-
_
_
- It helps in increasing the revenue by providing maintenance and support services to your potential clients.A straightforward, pre-determined web support and maintenance agreement spells out the obligations from the outset, ensuring that there are no unpleasant surprises later on.
- Your contract should also provide information about your clients' responsibilities to you, such as when and how much they would pay for your services.This way, if a client argues with how much they owe, you can refer to this Agreement. If this doesn't work, your web support contract will provide you with valuable legal protection.
- In the event that a client refuses to pay you, you'll need proof of the agreed-upon price.A simple website maintenance agreement may be a good tool for a secured paycheck, if you use it to persuade delinquent site owners to pay up or present it while taking legal action.
What are the Key Particulars that should be included while drafting a Website Maintenance Agreement?
Although there are numerous particulars which one can add while drafting a Website Maintenance Agreement, therefore below given are key particulars which one should take into consideration, while drafting the Agreement.
Elucidation of Services: -
The first major aspect of a Website Maintenance Agreement should be the elucidation or description of the services which will be provided under the said agreement by the Company/Developer to its Clients. This segment should outline, what are the responsibilities of the Company/Developer towards its Clients. Therefore the description of services in the Agreement should be clear and precise in nature, so that any doubts or hindrances can be avoided in the future.
Amount and Tenure of Payments: -
The second major aspect that should be taken into consideration while preparing a Website Maintenance Agreement should be the clear explanation regarding the amount to be paid to the Company/Developer for the services rendered by them in addition to a clear description of the tenure during which the services of the Company/Developer will be required and when will the payments be made. In addition with the above, the agreement should also consist the clauses relating to the policies which will be implemented in case of any late or missed payments by the clients.
Policies with respect to Termination and Renewal: -
This particular of the Website Maintenance Agreement should clearly explain how you or the client can terminate the agreement by giving a notice, as well as the steps which should be taken in the event of any of the abovementioned situations. If the agreement consists of a date of expiration of services, the complete procedure of renewal of the services can also be listed in this section to provide clarity to the Clients.
Ownership Agreement: -
This particular clearly elucidates that the client would be in complete ownership and control of their website and its content both before and after the contract. Thus this aspect of the Website Maintenance Agreement should be precise and trustworthy as it plays a crucial role in building the trust of clients.
Assurances and Liabilities: -
The one of the most important aspect while drafting a proper Website Maintenance Agreement should be a clear explanation of the Assurances and Liabilities entertained by the Company/Developers. It is important because in an event of any uncertainty, the Clients can't hold you responsible if anything goes wrong on their website when you're working on it. Moreover this particular is very important because it plays a major role in providing legal protection to the Company/Developers.
Dispute Resolution: -
This particular of the Website Maintenance Agreement should also be precisely defined as it helps in laying out a clear procedure,in case there is an event of disagreement between the Clients and Company/Developers regarding the contract. Therefore proper explanation of this particular is also a must in order to avoid any future difficulties.
What kind of services should be provided under the purview of Website Maintenance Agreement?
Although there are a numerous kind of services, which one can provide under a Website Maintenance Agreement, below given are some of the few services: -
- Updating word press cores, Plug-Ins and themes.
- Creating and storing Backups.
- Monitoring Security.
- Optimizing Performance
- Fixing broken links.
In addition to the abovementioned services, one can also provide below given services also:-
- Whenever there arises a situation like troubleshooting errors or fixing broken features on sites you built. For instance, if a client is experiencing the White Screen of Death (WSoD), they can contact you for assistance.
- Another instance can be performing a repair on a broken form or another feature you created. If you decide to provide assistance, the most important factors to consider are when and how you will be available. Make sure your hours and request process are well defined.
Conclusion
In this modern day and age, there are many business setups and new start-ups which are entirely conducted or controlled through a particular website. The controlling of a flourishing business through a website can do wonders for the business as well as the clients it caters it services. Therefore a sound Website Maintenance Agreement is of utmost importance for a business in today’s era. It is helpful as it ensures the smooth functioning of the website an at the same time it protects the website from any difficulties or hindrances, which it would face in the absence of the services or protection provided by the Company/Developer, who are bound to do so under the Agreement.
Moreover, regular monitoring of the functions is also necessary in order to ensure the website’s smooth operations so that it can generate adequate revenues to meet the needs of the Business Owner. Thus a well drafted Website Maintenance Agreement is the need of the hour for businesses as well as Start-ups which are constantly striving hard to make an impact in the society through their services.
