Web Design Project Expectations & Important Information You Should Know

Please note: This is the web version and cannot be signed directly. Email us at info@avonmarketing.ca and we’ll send a PDF or Word copy for signing.

Please note: This web version of the “Web Design Project Expectations & Important Information You Should Know” cannot be signed off directly, please feel free to let us know so we can send you a PDF or doc version so that you can sign and sen di back to us.

Client: ______________________________

Project / Website: ______________________________

Primary Domain: ______________________________

Hosting / Platform: ______________________________

Email Provider (write here): ______________________________

Key Contact: ______________________________

This document sets clear expectations for how website design/rebuild projects typically work, what can go wrong, and what we do to reduce risk. Web projects involve multiple moving parts (hosting, DNS, email, plugins, security, caching, and third-party services). Some disruption is possible during build and launch.

Key point: We will take reasonable precautions, but we cannot guarantee zero downtime, zero email disruption, or zero third-party issues during transitions.

Project Notes & Meeting Accuracy

For accuracy, anything the client communicates in meetings may be captured and summarized using AI note-taking/recording tools for internal reference only (for example: what the client is looking for, preferences, and approvals). These notes are not shared with anyone else.

Hosting Switch Agreement (Yes / No)

Please confirm whether you agree to a hosting/server switch as part of this project:

I agree to a hosting/server switch (if required): YES / NO

Special Notes or Instruction You Would Like For Us to Know:

______________________________________________________________

1. Scope, Deliverables, and What “Done” Means

Before work starts, we agree on the scope. Anything outside the agreed scope is a change request and may affect timeline and cost. Any expenses related to the website (licenses, hosting, domain renewals, third-party tools, paid plugins/themes, etc.) are the client’s responsibility unless explicitly included in writing.

In scope (typical): page design/build, mobile responsiveness, basic on-page SEO (titles, meta, headings).

Out of scope unless listed: custom app development, complex integrations, advanced e-commerce automation, copywriting for every page, photography/video production, legal compliance review, full SEO optimizations of the site.

Acceptance: The project is considered complete when the agreed pages/features are reviewed, final payments are all received, and admin access is given to the client. Once admin access is given to the client, we are no longer responsible for the website unless we are paid monthly for website management (for future reference) or the client pays per task for support items (for example: if the website goes down, plugins need updates, or plugins are faulty), and approved in writing (email/text is fine).

Estimated timelines are provided as a best-effort estimate. In most cases, timelines change because the client requests changes during the process, which can delay the original estimated completion date.

2. Website Redesign Projects: Old Site vs New Site

For website redesign projects, it’s important to understand we are customizing the new website design. We are not editing the old website initially unless we have clearly agreed to do so. If a staging/subdomain route is chosen, the old site may remain unchanged while we build the new design separately, unless otherwise agreed.

3. Design Previews and Theme Approval

We do not provide a page-by-page graphic design preview for each webpage, as that requires a dedicated professional graphic designer workflow. Instead, the client approves the chosen theme/layout direction verbally (for example, in a Google Meet) or in writing (text/email is fine), and we then customize the theme based on the approved direction (especially when using a WordPress theme).

4. Build Approach: Staging (Recommended) vs Live Editing

Many agencies build on a staging URL/subdomain (e.g., staging.yourdomain.com) and then push to the live domain. That approach reduces public disruption, but it is not always possible depending on hosting limits, access restrictions, timelines, or client preferences.

Live editing and/or maintenance mode is not guaranteed and is handled on a case-by-case basis depending on the project; however, we try our best to accommodate needs and preferences.

Staging build (recommended): safer for visitors, easier QA, fewer public-facing changes. Requires hosting support and proper setup.
Live build: sometimes necessary, but visitors may see changes in progress.
Maintenance mode: we may temporarily enable maintenance mode for short periods to prevent visitors from seeing broken layouts during critical changes.

5. Maintenance Mode, Downtime, and Visual Changes

During website updates, short disruptions can occur. These are usually temporary and are part of normal web development.

Pages may briefly show incomplete sections, layout shifts, or placeholders while edits are being applied.
Caching/CDN can cause different people to see different versions of the site for a period of time.
Maintenance mode may be enabled during critical updates (theme changes, major plugin updates, migrations).
During DNS propagation periods, we may also use maintenance mode at times to reduce confusion for visitors.
Only upon request do we upload a custom maintenance page with your custom public information.

6. DNS Changes and Email Risk (Important)

DNS controls where your domain points for website and email. Changes to name servers, A records, CNAMEs, MX records, SPF/DKIM/DMARC, or provider settings can impact email delivery.

MX Records: We do not touch or change MX records unless the client has verbally communicated and approved that change.

Possible symptoms during DNS propagation: delayed inbound emails, outbound emails flagged as spam, or intermittent delivery. Propagation time varies and can take up to 24–48 hours in some cases.

We will: document current DNS/email settings when possible, avoid changing MX records unless required and approved, and test inbound/outbound email after changes when access is provided.

You should: confirm where email is hosted (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.), and provide admin access if you want us to validate settings.

Limitations: We cannot control third-party provider delays, spam filters, or cached DNS behavior on external networks.

Email Hosting / Provider Confirmation

Email is hosted with (provider): ______________________________________________________________

Admin access provided? (optional): YES / NO Notes: _________________________________

Client Responsibilities (To Prevent Delays)

Most delays happen because access or approvals are missing. Delays also happen due to unclear communication or misunderstandings between the client and the service provider about web design services and what is included.

Provide correct logins for domain registrar, hosting panel, and CMS (WordPress).
Provide final copy, images, brand assets, and any legal text you require (privacy policy, terms) or confirm you will supply them later.
Review deliverables within agreed time (typical: 24–72 hours). Delayed feedback can shift the timeline.
Confirm who has authority to approve changes and request revisions.

Revisions, Change Requests, and Scope Creep

We include reasonable revisions to match the agreed direction. Large pivots or new features after approval are considered change requests.

Some edits and customization can be limited when a WordPress theme is installed. In general, we avoid unnecessary code-level changes to reduce the risk of website conflicts. In rare cases where heavy theme customization is requested, customization may be limited by theme structure and compatibility.

Included revisions (typical): Included revisions consist of layout tweaks, text edits, and minor design adjustments. After the initial approval meeting, we move into a 1-week revision and feedback period. Once all revisions are completed, and all balances have been paid in full, we will finalize and deliver the website with the finalized mobile optimized version, and provide you with your admin access for the website.

Change request examples: Additional new page types, new integrations, redesigning approved sections, additional languages, and major content rewrites are examples of change requests. These should typically be clarified at the beginning of the project, but if any of these are requested by the client after the 1-week revision period, they will be considered a change request.

Change requests may require a revised quote and/or timeline extension.

Finalization window: minor revisions (content/images and minor layout where the WordPress theme allows) can be requested for up to 1.5 weeks after the project is delivered at no extra charge.

Please note that upon delivery and transfer of admin access, ownership and responsibility of the website will be fully transitioned to the client. At that point, we will no longer be available to perform edits, manage the website, or fulfill any additional requests unless a monthly website management plan is in place. Any future support or changes requested outside of an active management plan will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and may be subject to additional charges depending on the nature and complexity of the work required.

To inquire about our monthly website management plans, please email us at info@avonmarketing.ca to get started.

Third-Party Plugins, Themes, and Services

Websites rely on third-party components. Updates or conflicts can cause unexpected errors.

Theme/builders (Elementor, WPBakery, etc.) may require licenses for updates or certain features.
Plugins can conflict after updates; resolving conflicts can add time.
Payment gateways, booking tools, CRM forms, and email marketing tools are external systems with their own limits and outages.

After the web design project is delivered, any site issues such as the website going down, glitches, plugin-related errors, or other website issues not directly associated with the web design delivery are out of scope and can only be handled at extra cost per request. Once we give admin access to the website, we are no longer the owner of the website; we typically keep only editorial access unless you keep us on a monthly website management plan (which includes these fixes) or pay per request (for example: faulty plugins, plugin updates, and other per-task support).

Backups, Rollback, and Disaster Recovery

We do not maintain backups as you have a dedicated hosting/service provider that provides backups inside your hosting panel. In most cases, you should contact your hosting/server provider directly for backups (or a web developer), rather than a web designer. We only extract and provide backups if we are your monthly website manager or if you pay us per request to extract backups from your cPanel/hosting panel.

When access allows, we can take a backup before major changes if requested and paid as an add-on, unless included in a website management plan.

If a critical issue occurs, it may not be due to the web design itself and could be related to hosting/server behavior, plugin conflicts, updates, security rules, caching/CDN, DNS propagation, or other third-party factors. We are not responsible for these recoveries unless we are assigned as your monthly website managers or paid per task to recover the site, as this typically requires a developer-level fix.

Launch Checklist (What Happens at Go-Live)

Launch is a process, not a single click. The steps below may occur over several hours depending on complexity.

Final QA: mobile/desktop checks, link checks, and reviewing foundational content.
DNS/web routing: update records if needed (may propagate).
Cache/CDN purge so the latest site is visible.
Post-launch monitoring: for up to 48 hours after final payment is received.

Communication, Response Times, and Support

We communicate via all channels started by the client: email, phone, text, and Google meetings.
Standard response window: within 24 hours (typical average response time is within 1–2 hours; often sooner).
Urgent issues (site down / email down) will be prioritized when reported with details/screenshots.

Acknowledgement

By proceeding with the project, the client acknowledges they have read and understood these expectations, including the possibility of temporary maintenance mode, DNS propagation effects, and third-party service limitations.

Client Name / Signature: ______________________________ Date: ________________

Service Provider Name / Signature: Avon Marketing & Media Inc.

Date: ________________

Avon Marketing & Media Inc.
(647) 916-8670 | info@avonmarketing.ca
1100 King Street West, Toronto, ON, M6K 0C6
avonmarketing.ca