Terms of Service

2. The contract

Each project begins with a written quotation setting out the work, price and other project-specific details.

A contract is formed when:

1. you accept the quotation
2. any required deposit has been paid
3. you have provided the information and materials reasonably needed for us to begin.

These Terms form part of that contract.

Where a project quotation clearly sets out a different arrangement from these standard Terms, the project quotation will take precedence for that project.

3. Our services

Depending on the project, Ridley North may provide:

• website design
• website rebuilds
• website development
• content migration
• responsive design and testing
• basic SEO foundations
• domain and hosting setup
• website launch
• ongoing hosting, maintenance and support.

The exact services included in your project will be set out in your quotation.

We are not responsible for work or functionality that is outside the agreed scope.

4. Project scope

Our standard website packages may include up to five website pages.

The number, type and purpose of pages included in a project will be confirmed in the quotation.

A project may include pages such as:

• Home
• About
• Services
• Contact
• agreed legal or supporting pages.

Additional pages, bespoke functionality, e-commerce, third-party integrations, substantial copywriting and other work outside the agreed scope may require an additional quotation.

We will discuss significant changes with you before carrying out the additional work.

5. Website rebuilds

A website rebuild may include:

• reviewing the existing website
• redesigning the site
• rebuilding the site on modern foundations
• migrating agreed existing content
• responsive design
• basic SEO foundations
• testing
• launch.

We will take reasonable steps to preserve useful existing content and page structure where appropriate.

We do not guarantee that a website rebuild will preserve a particular search-engine ranking, traffic level or number of enquiries.

6. Client content and materials

You are responsible for providing the information and materials needed for your project.

This may include:

• logos
• photographs
• brand colours
• service information
• prices
• business information
• contact details
• other content required for the agreed website.

You are responsible for ensuring that information you provide is accurate and that you have the right to use any material you provide to us.

We may make reasonable recommendations or minor edits to improve presentation and clarity. Unless copywriting is specifically included in the quotation, the client remains responsible for supplying the substantive content.

7. Images and third-party materials

You are responsible for providing appropriate rights or licences for images, logos, fonts, text and other materials you supply.

Where you request paid stock images, fonts, software or other third-party materials, the applicable costs will either be included in your quotation or paid separately by you.

Third-party materials remain subject to their own licences and terms. We do not transfer ownership of materials that we do not own.

8. Project start

Work will normally begin once:

• the quotation has been accepted
• the 25% deposit has been received
• we have received the information and materials reasonably required to begin.

Until these conditions are met, any proposed project date is provisional.

9. Payment

Unless your quotation states otherwise, our standard payment structure is:

25% deposit to confirm the project.

75% balance before the website is launched or transferred to you.

The final balance must be paid before launch or transfer.

The quotation will confirm the exact payment schedule for your project.

10. Revisions

Standard website projects include two rounds of revisions, unless your quotation states otherwise.

A revision round covers reasonable changes to the agreed design, layout and content.

For example, changing a heading, image, colour or section layout may form part of a revision.

A substantial change to the project scope or direction is not a revision.

For example, changing an agreed five-page business website into an e-commerce website would require additional work and may require a revised quotation.

11. Client delays

Projects depend on timely client feedback, approvals, content and other information.

Where we are waiting for information or approval from you, the project timeline may pause.

If a project becomes inactive for an extended period, we may contact you to agree a revised timetable.

We are not responsible for delays caused by information, materials or approvals that you have not provided.

12. Project timescales

We will give you an estimated or agreed delivery date for the project.

A standard five-page rebuild will typically take around one to two weeks once the project has started and the required information has been received.

Timescales may change where:

• you delay providing information or approvals
• the project scope changes
• a third-party service causes a delay
• technical issues arise outside our reasonable control
• circumstances outside our reasonable control affect the project.

We will let you know if a significant change to the expected timetable arises.

13. Review and approval

Before launch, you will have an opportunity to review the completed website.

You are responsible for checking that:

• your business information is correct
• prices and contact details are correct
• supplied content is accurate
• required legal information is correct
• the website reflects the agreed project.

Once the website has been approved and the remaining balance has been paid, we will proceed with launch or handover.

14. Website ownership

Once all agreed project fees have been paid, you will own the finished website and bespoke content created specifically for your project, subject to the provisions below.

You will not automatically own:

• third-party software
• fonts
• stock photography
• plugins
• third-party integrations
• hosting platforms
• Webflow or other platform licences
• Ridley North's pre-existing tools, templates, systems and reusable components.

Ridley North retains ownership of its general knowledge, techniques, systems and reusable components.

15. Portfolio use

Unless you agree otherwise with us in writing, Ridley North may display completed project work in its portfolio, website, social media and other marketing materials.

We will not knowingly publish confidential business information as part of this portfolio use.

16. Domains and hosting

Where we register or manage a domain for you, we will aim to ensure that the domain remains under your control.

Where practical, domain and hosting accounts will be held in the client's name or transferred to the client.

The quotation will set out the hosting arrangement for the project.

Where Ridley North provides ongoing hosting or maintenance, the Ongoing Care terms will apply.

17. Ongoing Care

Ongoing Care may include:

• website hosting
• security and software updates
• small content edits
• uptime monitoring
• broken-link monitoring
• other reasonable minor maintenance within the agreed scope.

Small content edits are minor changes to existing content.

New pages, new functionality, redesigns and substantial changes are outside the normal scope of Ongoing Care unless agreed separately.

The exact services and monthly price will be set out in your Ongoing Care agreement.

18. Ending Ongoing Care

You may cancel Ongoing Care by giving 14 days' notice.

At the end of the notice period, Ridley North will stop providing the ongoing hosting and maintenance services covered by the agreement.

We will provide the website files reasonably available for transfer.

We will not charge a separate transfer fee solely because you are leaving the service.

You will be responsible for arranging alternative hosting where necessary.

19. Post-launch defects

Standard projects include a 14-day post-launch defect period.

During this period, we will correct genuine defects in agreed functionality where:

• the functionality was included in the project scope; and
• it worked as intended during approval but subsequently does not work as intended.

The defect period does not cover:

• new features
• new content
• design changes
• changes made by you or another third party
• problems caused by third-party services
• work outside the agreed project.

20. Third-party services

Your website may use third-party services, platforms, software or integrations.

These services may include website hosting, payment providers, booking systems, analytics, fonts, plugins and other external services.

We will take reasonable care when setting up agreed third-party services, but we cannot control their availability, pricing, security, functionality or future changes.

Where a third-party service changes or stops working, additional work may be required.

21. SEO

Where SEO foundations are included in your project, we may provide basic setup such as:

• page titles
• meta descriptions
• heading structure
• image alt text
• sitemap setup
• other basic on-page SEO work.

We do not guarantee:

• a particular Google ranking
• a particular position in search results
• a particular number of visitors
• a particular number of enquiries or sales.

Search-engine algorithms and rankings are outside our control.

22. Performance and compatibility

We build websites with responsive behaviour, usability and performance in mind.

We test websites using appropriate modern desktop and mobile browsers.

We cannot guarantee identical behaviour on every device, browser, operating system, network or third-party environment.

23. Client responsibilities

You must provide accurate information and materials and have the necessary rights to use anything you provide.

You must not knowingly provide or request content that is unlawful, fraudulent, defamatory, misleading or infringing.

We may refuse to publish material where we reasonably believe doing so could create serious legal or practical risk.

24. Cancellation by the client

You may ask to cancel a project before it is complete.

If you cancel, Ridley North may be entitled to payment for work properly completed and reasonable costs already incurred in connection with the project.

Any deposit or other advance payment retained will be considered in light of the work completed, costs incurred and circumstances of the cancellation.

We will not automatically retain the full deposit in every circumstance.

25. Cancellation by Ridley North

We may cancel a project where there is a serious reason that makes completion impractical or unlawful.

This may include:

• a serious breach of these Terms
• prolonged failure to provide required information
• unlawful or inappropriate project requirements
• circumstances outside our reasonable control.

If Ridley North cancels a project for reasons that are not your fault, we will refund payments relating to work that has not been provided, taking account of the circumstances and work already completed.

26. Intellectual property

You retain ownership of materials you provide to us.

You give Ridley North permission to use those materials as reasonably necessary to provide the agreed services.

Ridley North retains ownership of its pre-existing designs, systems, processes, templates, reusable components, tools and know-how.

Third-party materials remain subject to their own licence conditions.

27. Liability

Ridley North will provide its services with reasonable care and skill.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

Subject to applicable law, Ridley North will not be responsible for losses caused by:

• information or materials supplied by you
• instructions given by you
• changes made by you or another third party
• failures of third-party services outside our control
• circumstances outside our reasonable control.

For business customers, and subject to applicable law, Ridley North's total liability arising from a project will normally be limited to the total amount paid or payable to Ridley North for that project.

This limitation does not apply where the law does not allow that liability to be limited.

28. Changes to these Terms

We may update these standard Terms from time to time.

Updated Terms will normally apply to new projects agreed after the updated Terms take effect.

They will not automatically change the contractual terms of an existing project.

29. Project-specific terms

Your project quotation forms part of the contract between you and Ridley North.

Where the quotation clearly states a different arrangement from these standard Terms, the quotation will take precedence for that project.

30. Complaints and disputes

If you are unhappy with our service, please contact us at hello@ridleynorth.co.uk.

We will review the issue and aim to resolve it reasonably and promptly.

We encourage both parties to try to resolve disputes informally before taking further action.

This does not prevent either party from exercising any legal rights or remedies available to them.

31. Governing law

These Terms and any contract between you and Ridley North are governed by the law of England and Wales.

The courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction, subject to any applicable legal requirements.

32. Entire agreement

The project quotation, these Terms and any other documents expressly incorporated into the quotation form the agreement between Ridley North and the client for the relevant project.

The agreement records the arrangements agreed between the parties for that project.

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