As a web designer, not only do you need to know all about web designing, you also need to be savvy at running the business side of web design. One of the most beneficial and critical areas of web design is the contract. The web design contract is a way to make sure your clients pay you as scheduled, and to be sure you’re getting paid for exactly the right time, effort and entire process of the web site.

Furthermore, if you ever were to run into any legal trouble with a client, your contract is your backup. You may want to seek guidance from an attorney to verify your contract, but regardless, the contract can help you when you most need it. Whether you’ve written a contract before or this is all new to you, all of the suggestions below will help you to formulate a perfect contract without leaving any loose ends. This can save you in the long run, trust me.

The following is a list of suggestions for your Web Design Contract:

1. Authorization - This is what you begin your contract with. It is basically your opening statement that includes all the information for authorization of access to the client’s accounts such as the hosting account. While you may not need access to all of their personal information, whatever you do need access to in order to complete the design process should be listed here. This section should give you full range of those accounts as stated. This section may also include access to disk space, databases, creation of applications, and search engine submissions.

2. In-Depth Work Agreement - This section is to provide both you and the client the overall scope of design functions to be performed. It is important to add the time limit for each design or function and each current price structure for the work. You will also add here that if further work or updates are to be performed, that a new contract will need to be formed. Other important aspects to include are:
• Your Business name
• The client’s business or individual name
• Exact specifications requested by client (or what you have recommended based on their requests)
• Allotted time for each design, function, and/or project
• If revisions are required, a new contract will be necessary
• Process for review of graphics, design and function, and how and when the client will provide feedback
• Content of design is exclusive to the client
• Your company requires, for portfolio purposes, that the name of your company appear at the bottom of the website as well as replication of the site be made for reference

3. Confidentiality Agreement - This is for both you and your client to sign to state that all information discussed will be held confidential between the two parties.

4. Website Details and Specifications - This section is for a detailed review of all the specifications required in order to make your client’s site a functional one. You will want to list each function you want to perform in the design process. In some cases, if you wrote a proposal for the client, you can refer to that here and say “refer to proposal.” This section is where you will add your HTML, PHP, SEO plans and so forth. You should also state that if further revisions are made, it is either the client’s responsibility or yours (if you choose to offer this) otherwise a new contract will be required.

5. Content - It is important that you and the client are in agreement of who will be providing the website’s content. This should include any text and/or images. Usually, the client or a copywriter and graphic designer will provide this sort of content to the website designer. It will be important to state, if you choose to, that all content such as these, if editing (image resizing, correction of text) is necessary, that the client will incur extra fees.

6. Outsourcing - This section provides you the right, if you think it could be necessary, to contract other employees to help with the creation of the site. Of course, you wouldn’t want to outsource the entire project (unless you had stated this previously) as it would make your contract completely void. However, if you were in a time crunch to meet your deadline and needed some extra help, this section will help you to do so.

7. Completion date - You’ll begin this section with the start date of the project and with the date that you and the client have discussed for the launch of the website. The launch date will be on the understanding that the deposits have been paid, contracts have been signed and that all content for the site has been received. If you happen to have a problem with any of these, you may add that a 10% fee (of the overall completion payment) will be charged if it interferes with your completion date.

8. Hosting and Domain Registration - This section will be made upon the conversation with the client. Each client is different, so some may already have hosting and a domain name, while others may look to you for help. It’s important that if you are creating a domain name for a client, you tell them that you are not responsible for the renewal and this will be completely their responsibility. With hosting, you’ll want to add that it’s being hosted by a third party (if they’ve already prepared a hosting site) or if they need your help, you’ll write the information for where you’re hosting their site.

9. Refund policy - It’s always nice for a contract to include a refund policy. Most web designers will have something along the lines of “if client doesn’t want to work with my company name, continue here: http://zolamandesign.com/tutorial/daily-tips/50-how-to-write-a-flawless-web-design-contract

yinmu at refund policy. . .