OUR FEES
& TERMS

WEBSITE SILK T&C's

Like most of our clients, we're a small lean operation, trying to offer superb service at affordable cost to help more small businesses. This necessitates fair terms.

If our terms are not acceptable to you, we encourage you to find another organisation to assist you. Rest assured that our T&C's are also there for your protection, prompting our most individual, professional, quality service.

All quotes and work are subject to our Terms and Conditions below:

• DEPOSITS and CANCELLATIONS
  
  
  1. Once we understand your needs, we'll provide a success roadmap for you. We issue a formal quote for each distinct phase of work. If quote is accepted, a 50% deposit (100% if payment is by a 3rd party) is required before work will be scheduled or started.
  2. If extended requirements discovery is required, needs definition sessions will be billed for on a weekly basis, together with findings and recommendations to date. You can stop the discovery process without losing value.
  3. Once work is complete, the balance is invoiced and payable upon presentation.
  4. Full payment of the invoiced balance has to be received before deliverables, passwords etc will be released.
  5. Cancellation: If work has started after quote acceptance, you lose the deposit paid. If we receive ample notice before finishing all work, we may agree to not invoice the full balance; actual expenses (e.g. stock, travel), will be charged.
  6. Any refund made, always at our sole discretion, will without fail incur a R1000 admin fee.
  
  
• INCURRED COSTS
  
  
  1. Travel Costs seldom apply as we do most of our work remotely, however, where required, it will incur standard AA rates, plus a fee to cover time spent.
  2. Incidentals: where a project incurs actual costs, e.g. printing of brochures or signs, courier costs, data charges in the event of unusually large volumes of data, or 3rd party services or deliverables, these will be recovered from the client in all cases, at the actual cost price.
  3. Client delay: where we LOSE INCOME due to the client not being ready with materials required by the time allotted for development; a 25% surcharge, payable immediately, may apply (see below).
  
  
• APPOINTMENTS
  
  
  1. We offer ONE FREE 40 MINUTE CONSULT. It is forfeited if you don't show or cancel it within 24 hours of appointment.
  2. Subsequent appointments not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance, will be charged for at our standard consulting rate.
  3. Minimum charge of 1 hour per appointment, regardless of how short it may be.
  
  
• PAYMENT METHODS
  
  
  1. We accept payment via EFT or Bank Transfer only.
  2. We do NOT accept payment via credit card or cheque.
  3. A surcharge is levied on any cash deposits into our bank account.
  4. A 50% deposit (100% if payment is by a 3rd party) is payable before work will be scheduled or started.
  5. If the total value of work exceeds R40 000, we may do it in phases or agree on payment terms to suit both parties.
  6. Invoices are payable upon presentation, i.e. reasonably within 2 business days maximum, and inflation-related interest may be charged on overdue accounts.
• ONGOING MANAGEMENT RETAINERS
  
  
  1. Please see detailed Terms related to Retainer packages (PDF) here.

TERMS & CONDITIONS CONTD..

• HOSTING
  
  
  1. Website Silk is not a web hosting firm. There are great hosts with high end infrastructure, backup & 24/7 customer service. We DO require that you host directly with a mainstream South African host, on a linux server (Webonline, XNeelo etc). Your host is responsible for server-level issues.
  2. You are required to provide us with a working FTP log-in, obtainable from your hosting firm.
  3. YOU must please arrange with your host to implement the following (you can copy and paste these and email to them, they should know!): 1) GZIP to be enabled, 2) SSL certificate, 3) Auto-redirect from http to https, 4) auto-redirect from www.domain.co.za to domain.co.za (typical) or vice versa.
  4. We take no responsibility for your email accounts, their backup, their settings or spam/missing mail issues - this is for your mail server host to address. We can set up your new email account on the server, but you need to set up your local email accounts on your computers and devices (this depends on differences between O/S and Email programs). A mainstream host should guide you through this, or ask your computer person to assist.
  5. We have to charge extra at our hourly rate when we have to do battle with unresponsive or unreachable hosts with difficult systems, weird server setups, email issues or hosts who do not implement these basics.
• GENERAL
  
  
  1. Website Owners remain responsible for the content on their websites. Website Silk does not take responsibility for content, e.g. should any images etc have copyright on them or should any content be found to be plagiarised or not truthful. We do our best, but the Website Owner knows his/her industry and material and as such remains accountable.
  2. By using our services, you agree that we may use your logo, photo and any testimonial provided, on our Website and Social Media. This also assists you in that it helps Google find, index and rank your site/page and it provides free exposure to your business.
  3. Unless specifically discussed and specified, our quotes cover ONE review cycle (opportunity for you to say what you need changed), after which additional time spent on rework will be charged for. This is to keep development costs as reasonable as possible.
  4. If you booked us for a specific time period and then postpone or do not provide all material on time (usually after several weeks allowed), we may need to charge you a 25% surcharge on the quoted work, due immediately, if we cannot replace your time slot with other work - since this would leave us with a work gap (thus LOST INCOME) at extremely short notice. "Poor planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on mine." ― Bob Carter
  5. Furthermore, if you missed your development calendar spot/s because you weren't ready, we cannot let work stand over for a following financial year and will refund your deposit minus admin fee; or if you do not provide your banking details when requested, you will forfeit your deposit.
  6. Work is subject to clients providing the necessary material required and registering relevant online accounts etc. The quality of our work is inextricably linked to the clarity and completeness of information provided to us by clients. We also deliver better when clients share their small business challenges, situation, dreams and existing issues with us openly. We do advise clients clearly where the quality of provided info will hamper future marketing, and we take no responsibility for advice not followed.
  7. Please note that we use 3rd party enquiry form software: the high rated, secure, spam-averse and free Tectite Formmail. While suitable for 99% of enquiry form requirements, it is constrained, and unusual requirements (like trying to automate a booking best done through Booking Software) may require Tectite to do additional programming an additional cost in $USD.
  8. If pertinent information should come to light after work has started that affects the size and applicability of our recommended solution, this may increase the quoted total.
  9. If required, we are happy to sign an NDA (Non-disclosure Agreement) although we treat all client information in strictest confidence anyway.

ASK YOURSELF...

• Are you serious about your business?
• May you have a blind spot that can benefit from caring, fresh insights?
• Just another statistic? SA has an SMME "failure rate of 75%, making it one of the world's highest."

PROFESSIONALS WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS

Not investing in your business, always costs more. We help many clients who tried to do digital marketing themselves, but got no results.

No one expects you to know everything about all facets of business! Don't nurture a blind spot: being a topnotch psychologist / guesthouse owner / accountant / artist / pilates instructor never qualified you for setting up affordable Google Ads!

We've worked in dozens of industries; we've helped doctors / sport coaches / hairdressers / health product manufacturers / coaches / SHEQ consultants / landscapers / spiritual coaches / farmers / schools / game lodges with their professional website development and digital marketing!

Let's help YOUR business succeed online.