A Brief Introduction About the Web Developer Contract
A web developer contract is defined to be a legally binding document that records the agreements that are made between hiring parties and web developers for web development services rendered. They provide the purpose of making certain that the customers would receive the particular services within certain time frames, and the service providers would get the specified amounts of remuneration.
This form of contract is also known as a website developer contract, web design contract, website development agreement, or freelance web developer contract.
Who Takes the Web Developer Contract?
This contract is signed between an individual or business and a freelancer or team of web developers.
Purpose of the Web Developer Contract
The contract contains the details, such, the parties involved, agreed-upon payment methods, work-related necessities, time restraints, and others. Apart from covering financial agreements, it assists in alleviating the common pressure points that happen during a project and improve time management.
You must use the developer contract document if:
- You are hiring a web developer for a website design project.
- You are being hired as a web developer for a website development project.
Contents of the Web Developer Contract
It must contain several important elements, which includes:
- Summary of work or project that shall be undertaken
- Definition of the scope of the work or project
- Description of what the parties shall agree to do
- Specification of the design elements comprised in the project
- Whether the text content would be included in the project
- The party that would provide photography or videos and own the copyrights as well as the acceptability of stock photography and license requirements for the pictures used
- The party liable for programming, debugging and updating HTML, Javascript, CSS, and additional coding elements
- The party that would be performing browser tests on all platforms and make the essential changes
- The party that is liable for making changes and revisions
- Whether technical support would be included in the contract as well as the duration of the support service and further charges if any
- Legal recommendations from a lawyer
- The party that would own the intellectual property of the design and codes
- Payment method and schedule of payment
- Method for management of the transfer of information
- Signatures of consenting parties as well as the effective date of the agreement
How to Draft the Web Developer Contract?
A well-written contract must contain few things, which include:
- Setting realistic deadlines – Freelance web designers must set realistic deadlines towards ensuring that the project would be completed on time, while a hiring corporation must set deadlines that are reachable and give extra time for remedying missed deadlines.
- Knowing precisely what you want – While you are hiring a designer, you must know exactly what your website is going to be like and communicate it clearly towards the designer. Also, give sample pictures, color schemes, and other instances of the kind of website you want.
- Get several bids – Getting a bid would give you more choices and increase your probabilities of finding the right web designer.
- Increase your budget – You might have to spend more to hire a designer who could deliver the quality of work you want. While you don’t have to select the highest bid, you must be prepared to pay more for the experience and expertise they carry along.
A good website developer contract must keep in mind the following things:
- Final Handover – The designer must give the client access to the newly created website, which includes login, password, and account information.
- Training – In case the client wants to update the website or add content in the future, the designer could provide training. Also, clients may purchase a training program for performing simple updates.
- Maintenance – Problems might occur following the initial round of testing. A client could opt for an add-on to the contract through the inclusion of terms for website maintenance. The additional service could be paid for at an hourly rate. If extensive work is required, a new website developer contract could be created.
Benefits of the Web Developer Contract
In case you are a web developer who works with small customers, you are the one who must make a website developer contract. Few clients might not know the procedure of creating a website, so they would depend on your knowledge and expertise to make certain that everything is included. Creating the contract is beneficial because it permits you to set realistic deadlines and helps in addressing common concerns and issues.
However, creating a website or updating a website is quite simple, but communication concerns are common, so making this type of contract clear could help. This type of contract not only covers financial agreements but also assists in easing common pressure points and the time management part of the project.
What Happens in Case of Violation?
A developer through this agreement ensures that work doesn’t violate the patent, copyright, trade secrets, or other property rights of any individual, corporation, or entity. In case if there is any conflict arising out relating to this type of contract, the parties agree to seek a suitable resolution through a neutral arbitrator(1), whose ruling would be considered final and binding on both parties.
A web developer contract is created between a business or individual and a freelancer or small team of web developers. It contains all the basics; for instance, the parties involved and payment agreements, detailed information regarding the work and time limits, and ensures quality and timely deliverables by the web developer to the client.