Policies

Our primary goal at Website Design Austin Texas (JD) is to provide excellent customer service and to educate our clients so their digital marketing strategy will give them they want  – more traffic and an increase in revenue.

One way we accomplish this is by providing optimal communication so our clients know what to expect in all aspects of our digital marketing services. Below are our company policies covering all the services we offer.

These policies are meant to protect our clients and ourselves.

Website Development

We specialize in custom website development. Because of this, we have a multi-stage website design process we follow. First, we learn about your business, what the goal(s) of the website is, any existing and/or future marketing plans, your target audience, and any other information that will help us determine the best website design and platform. Then we find out your preferences for design and style as well as other the features you may want; shopping cart, image slider, portals, sidebar, blogs, social networking feeds, etc……

Second, we provide you with the project scope, a service agreement and responsive templates to choose from that have the design, look and features we discussed in our initial meeting. All of our services require a down payment and a signed service agreement. JD does not require clients to sign a binding contract. We simply provide a documented agreement that outlines the project scope (what services we will be providing you), the cost for our services and when payment is due. This is to protect both you and us and to make sure we are all on the same page and have the same expectations.

We provide an estimated timeline for any project we work on. The timeline is a reasonable expectation for each project, and we are extremely diligent in staying very close to our timelines and exceeding the expectations of our clients. However, because of the technical aspect of our industry, delays are sometimes unavoidable and are “the nature of the beast,” so to speak.

Occasionally the completion date may be delayed for reasons such as slow response time from the client in submitting approvals and/or sending content, or if we have some additional troubleshooting with development, programming features, technical issues, etc…

Once you approve a template our team of developers, graphic designers, SEO experts, and programmers move forward with the customized build out of your website. Our website design and development are in line with the most current versions of the most popular internet browsers; i.e., Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer. If the end user is using a browser that is not very common or is using a popular, but an outdated or older version of the browser, we are not responsible for site not loading correctly on their system.

If requests for design changes and/or new programming features are made after the original scope is signed that affect the structure or programming of the site, you may incur additional costs. Before we will start on the additional work that is requested, we will let you know if your request will exceed the cost of the original project scope, and you must approve, in writing, the cost for the additional work.

Design changes in this phase are similar to picking your new home’s floor plan with a custom builder, and after he builds a large amount of the structure you tell him you want to make some structural changes. You’re not asking him to change the color of the curtains; you’re asking him to alter the framework of the house. The builder would charge you for these changes since they were not what you approved in the final plan.

Final payment for website development is due when the website’s structure and the shell of the design are complete. If you have not provided us with the images and content you want to use on your website, the final balance for the project is still due since this delay is not on the part of JD.  We will add content to empty pages, at no additional cost, as long as it is received within three months of completion of the website’s structure and shell. If you send us content for these pages after the three month period, it will be considered website maintenance and you will incur additional costs if you haven’t paid for a maintenance package.

We work closely with our clients to make sure we provide them with a website that they want and that fits their needs. However, our work is not refundable.

There are many different plugins and modules for websites. These modules are created by developers all over the world. After vetting, we will install and configure the plugin or module that we feel meets your specific needs. However, any technical issues with the plugins or modules after your website has launched may need technical support from those third-party developers, not JD. We would be happy to work with those developers on your behalf for our standard hourly maintenance rates. Also, please note that the more plugins and modules you have on your website, the more complicated the programming can be. Installing unknown third-party plugins and modules and not performing security updates can increase the risk of someone hacking your website. JD is not liable for any installations of this type.

Client owns all rights, titles, and interests in, or otherwise has full right and authority to permit use of the content which Client delivers to JD; (a) to the best of Clients’ knowledge, the content which Client delivers to JD does not infringe on the rights of any third party, and use of the content, as well as any Trademarks in connection therewith, does not and will not violate the rights of any third parties; (b) Client shall comply with the terms and conditions of any licensing Contracts which govern the use of any third party materials; and (c) Client shall comply with all laws and regulations related to Client’s Project. Client hereby warrants and guarantees that any and all Client Content provided to JD is accurate, true, and not in violation of any laws or Contracts, third party or otherwise. Client agrees to indemnify and hold harmless JD against any claims arising out of JD’s use of Client Content in the construction, completion or launch of the Project. Client acknowledges that any violation of this section may delay completion of the Project and agrees that such a delay shall not constitute a breach of JD’s obligations under this Contract. Furthermore, Client agrees to indemnify and hold JD harmless against any claims or fees incurred by JD if, following completion of the Project, Client places information or requests that JD place information into the Project that is in violation of this section.

Training

All of our new web development is built in content management systems. We provide free training for clients that want to edit their websites themselves. Once the site is live we provide one month of free technical support via email, phone and/or video tutorials; we do not provide on-site training. After the first month of free technical support/training, clients can opt for paid ongoing support.

Website Hosting

We provide our clients with website hosting on dedicated Apache servers using a Linux operating system. ONLY our clients are on this server and we do not overload it with excess data and/or too many sites like many other web hosting companies do that use shared servers. When a shared server gets overloaded with excess data, the performance of your website suffers, everything moves slower. In the worst case, the server will crash and your website and email go down. An example would be a PC running so many programs that it freezes. As only JD clients are housed on JD servers, it allows us to provide enhanced security services such as resource monitoring and daily backups.

Because our servers are running a Linux operating system it is not compatible with a Windows server. If your website was built with ASP programming we cannot host your website.

Our dedicated secure servers reside in a locked data center with restricted tech only access to both the physical server as well as the website, database and email. The datacenter is provisioned with redundant power and redundant internet connections. There is onsite tech support staff 24x7x365 at the data center. Backups are run daily and validated with test/restores on a regular schedule at the data center. In the event of a disaster or server hardware failure, all websites housed there can be restored from backups to another server. Additionally, JD is a part of a DIN (Distributed Information Network), as long as your website and all plug in’s and features are compatible, your site will be added to this network when hosting with JD. Benefits are that your static information is stored on servers globally and can be served even in the event of a server or data center failure under most circumstances. Additionally, because the data can be served from the closest available server in the network it can be served up to 40% faster than data residing only on a single server.

Website hosting consists of storing files on a server for a website to show online. The annual website hosting fee is for space on a server. Website hosting is just that, hosting. Unless additional services are purchased, the host has/takes no responsibility for website functionality, updates, hacks, or other issues. If the host server on which a website resides is up and functioning, and can be reached to the internet, then the host is fulfilling its duties. No website maintenance, security protection, web content or any other services are included as part of hosting. They are additional services, available at an additional cost.

Our dedicated host and mail servers have a 99% uptime. If there is a situation where there is a software or hardware failure, spam attack on the web server or any other unforeseen issues that could cause the server to go down temporarily, we are not responsible for any loss of revenue for any client because their website and/or email is not accessible. These issues are rare, but because of the technical industry we are in, they are sometimes unavoidable. Whenever technical issues do arise, our team of technicians immediately takes action to solve the problem as quickly as possible. Our number one priority is always to get everything in working order ASAP!

If a website on our server has been hacked and the client does not want to pay to fix it, the site will be taken offline so our server is not compromised.

Website hosting is paid in full for an entire year and is non-refundable. We do not accept monthly payments for hosting. The annual payment is due prior to your renewal date. Late payment for web hosting will cause the site to be suspended until we receive payment for the service.

If a hosting client chooses to leave JD hosting, upon request JD will provide the client with the login access they need to copy the hosting files. If the client request, we can provide a backup of the clients hosting account. If the client needs JD to migrate the hosting account, JD will provide a quote to do so. JD doesn’t migrate email data.

Domain Registration

Our clients are responsible for purchasing and renewing their own domains. If it is a new domain you want to purchase and need help, we will be glad to take your info, i.e., name, credit card info, billing address and email, to associate with the registrar account and purchase the domain for you. After that, you are responsible for renewing your domain.

Reputable Domain Registrars will send notifications about upcoming domain renewals and when they are due (less reputable, or “cheap,” companies do not do this) to the email addresses associated with their customers’ accounts. It is extremely important that this is a live email address that someone is checking. If not, your domain may expire and when that happens your website immediately goes offline, and any emails associated with that domain will stop working until the domain is renewed again, that is if someone else hasn’t already purchased it.

NOTE: When choosing a Domain Registrar don’t go super cheap – you get what you pay for. We know clients that have done this and regretted it every time. We suggest you choose a well-known company to work with.

Secure Socket Layer – SSL

SSL’s are needed for sites that want a heightened security factor for features such as online logins or online payment. IF you are using a 3rd party merchant such as PayPal, you will use their SSL and you don’t need one of your own. However, if you have your own merchant and gateway accounts, you do need an SSL so visitors know you are legitimate and safe.

Like domain registration, our clients are responsible for purchasing and renewing their SSL’s. If you need help, we will provide you with links to reputable companies so you can make this purchase. There are different levels of SSL’s, most people fit into the $50-$60 annual cost. The SSL script needs to be installed on the host server so it is more complicated than just renewing a domain. We charge $75 for each install, so we suggest purchasing an SSL for multiple years so you don’t have to pay $75 each year for this service. It is extremely important to make sure your SSL does not expire; otherwise, you put your customer’s and your information at risk of being stolen.

NOTE: Just like with purchasing domains, when choosing a provider to purchase an SSL, don’t go super cheap – you get what you pay for. We know clients that have done this and regretted it every time. We suggest you choose a well-known company to work with.

Email

We are not an IT company. We provide hosting and email services and will provide clients with the settings they need to manually enter into their 3rd party email software, i.e., Outlook, Mac Mail, Thunderbird, etc., and mobile devices. We are happy to try and help with info we have and by providing tutorials. However, we are not experts on the many different versions of 3rd party email client software and/or the settings for the large variety of mobile devices. We do offer remote PC Cleanup Services and limited mail support if your device and mail client are ones we have familiarity with. This service is available at an additional hourly cost.

If there is a situation where a client can log in to our mail server and send and receive email through an internet browser, and they have all the correct settings on their system but are still having an issue with their 3rd party email client working, typically it is a local issue (pc, network, router settings) on their end and they may need an IT professional to come to their location and help them. Likewise, occasionally a client may need to talk with their mobile phone service’s IT support to find out where to go to configure settings on their phone.

It is VERY important that email accounts have secure passwords to make it harder for hackers to get in. Email passwords should include upper and lower case letters, numbers and have NO readable words in them. The software hackers are using is very sophisticated. If someone hacks into your email and uses it to send spam, you could have your entire domain blacklisted by other mail servers and you will not be able to send emails to anyone. This can cripple your business.

Creating a Secure Password That’s Easy to Remember

NOTE: JD reserves the right to require that hosted clients update passwords to a higher security level as needed. This is the for the protection of the client themselves as well as all other clients residing on that server.

NOTE: No password and/or security is foolproof. You do the best you can to protect yourself. JD is not responsible for any emails that get hacked into. * See more info below about email security.

Clients are responsible for proper and safe email behavior. Don’t use PDF attachments to email over 20 people at a time. This will target you as a spammer on many mail servers and can result in your domain being blacklisted, preventing ANYONE from receiving emails from your company. If you attempt to send an attachment to 15 people multiple times in a row, your domain may be red flagged as a spammer as well. If you have a newsletter you want to send out in a mass email, it is best to use an e-newsletter application like Constant Contact, Vertical Response, Mail Chimp, etc… these applications fly “under the radar” of spamming filters on most mail servers. However, when working with any e-newsletter application it is very important to purge email databases to removed inactive/bounce back emails, as too many of these can create the image of being a spammer and get you blacklisted just as quickly.

We do not provide backups for emails; there is just too much data for this to be a viable option. If you choose to only use webmail (email from the mail server), we do not guarantee the ability to retrieve any files that are lost or have been deleted. For this reason, we recommend clients check their email using email client software such as Outlook, Thunderbird, or software on their mobile device. That way they get local copies of their email on their computer or mobile device.

JD uses Apache servers with the Linux operating system. If you want to use Microsoft Exchange for emails we are not able to provide email service to you. If your company requires a Microsoft Exchange Email Database, you can continue hosting your email where it currently sits. We can still host your website on our dedicated servers without hosting your email addresses.

If a hosting client who has a third party email or email though JD, chooses to leave JD hosting, the client is responsible for setting up email with the new hosting company.

Security Protection Plan

It is imperative that all websites have the most current, updated versions and security patches to help keep them from being vulnerable to attacks by hackers, making it harder for them to break in. Nothing is 100% foolproof, even the White House, IBM, Facebook, Home Depot, Gmail, Target, The New York Times and large banks have all been hacked into. Having the security protection plan is the equivalent of installing a security system on your property. It does not prevent someone determined to get in, however, it does discourage most hackers who are looking for access vulnerabilities that you don’t have.

Any and all sites are vulnerable to hackers, whether they are large or small. Sometimes it is obvious that your site has been hacked; text on the site is different, random links to other sites appear, features don’t work and/or the site crashes. When these hackers make changes to your site, it is bad for aesthetic reasons but also, more importantly, search engines will blacklist your site. Visitors will see various forms of warnings that your site is unsafe. Those warnings can range from subtle icons on the search engine page to large splash pages saying “stay away!” Visitor’s anti-virus programs can also block unsafe websites through an installed toolbar on the browser in many cases.

Updating websites built in Word Press can be a pretty straight forward process; however, you should always backup your site before you run any update. This is similar to a Windows update on your PC, most of the time there’s no problem, but occasionally the update will cause an issue with something on your PC or cause your browser to not work properly. When this happens, sometimes you have to get your IT person to fix the issues. Additionally, sometimes after an update features of your site that use widgets, plugins and/or modules may not work correctly with the new updated version. When this happens a web developer is required to replace these with the appropriate ones that will integrate well with the new update.

For those clients that pay for our security protection plan, we provide security patches and updates to websites regularly. Should a SPP client’s website be hacked, causing some of the site’s features to not function properly, our team will fix the problem(s) and get you back in business promptly with no additional costs. This service is not included with website hosting, they are two separate services. The security protection plan is available only to clients hosted on JD servers and is provided at an additional cost.

If you do not pay for a security plan, your host account password is not secure, and/or you have not kept up with the latest security and version updates for your website, and it gets hacked, JD is not responsible for damages or loss of revenue caused by these issues. The JD team is very reliable, responsive and effective, and will get you up and running again quickly, but these services will incur additional costs for the client.

If a client continues to disregard JD recommendations for version and/or security updates required to correct known vulnerabilities, JD reserves the right to pull the site from the JD server with no refunds given for website hosting. This is for the protection and security of all clients residing on the JD servers. If a website has been hacked and the client does not want to pay to fix it (they don’t have the security protection plan), the site will be taken offline so our server is not compromised.

Website Maintenance

Website maintenance is considered updating content and images on the clients’ website. If a client has a website maintenance agreement with JD and wants a new design and/or interactive features, these items may require additional programming and will be considered outside the cost of the quarterly maintenance agreement and will be quoted on a case by case basis. Quarterly web maintenance is paid in full for each quarter and is non-refundable.

We provide website updates for many of our clients. Most updates will be online within 24-72 business hours – Mon-Fri 9am-6pm CST. If we receive a very large update request, it may take longer. If you have a web maintenance agreement with us, you will always get priority over clients that need updates that do not have a quarterly agreement with us.

If a new client has a problem and requests help on a website that we did not develop and have not worked on, there will be a service call fee for us to look at the site and diagnose the problem. The time this takes varies depending on the complexity of the site (multiple databases and features) or if they have been hacked with a virus that has corrupted any files. Diagnosing the problem and fixing it are two different costs. Once we figure out what the problem is, we tell the client the cost of the time already spent and give a quote on fixing the issue. It is similar to asking a plumber to come to your house when you have something wrong with your plumbing. He charges you to come out to your house to diagnose the problem and then charges you for the repairs.

We often develop websites where the client wants to take care of their own content updating. If a client makes changes on the website and it causes issues with the features on the site or conflicts with the original design and they cannot fix it on their own, our team can work on the issues. However, our programmers will need to diagnose and correct any errors to restore total functionality to the site and the client will incur additional costs for this work.

Pay Per Click

We provide clients with Pay Per Click to help improve their Return On Investment for specific products and services through competitive AdWords campaigns.  Conversion rates are always the desired results of PPC and digital marketing strategies.  The most effective campaigns are those where the keywords, ad copy, and landing pages are congruent.

All of the PPC campaigns we create include optimal digital marketing optimization, using keyword research, ad copy creation, and other relevant optimizations. The keyword research used in campaigns will result from the website and after speaking with our clients about what they desire to advertise.

Our clients achieve exceptional results with their AdWords campaigns.  Our team keeps very current and up to date on all updates and changes Google makes, and we regularly develop procedures that work with all the latest changes that are within Google’s guidelines.

However, search engines, Google in particular, are constantly updating. Sometimes a PPC strategy or website development structure that was within Google’s webmaster guidelines and totally acceptable, may not work well after one of their updates. As a result, placement sometimes slip and adjustments need to be made and we are diligent in doing so. JD cannot control Google’s and other search engines’ changes and is not responsible for the results of these changes.

If you have worked with a PPC prior to hiring JD, and that company provided traffic to the site that was not within Google’s guidelines, it is possible that your campaigns will drop significantly if Google sees improper behavior.

NOTE: Pay Per Click accounts gives you the necessary foundation to begin an optimal PPC strategy for your website. We do not guarantee any results. This is only a foundation to help your website advertise on Search Engine Result Pages.  Without sufficient relevant content on your website that includes appropriate keywords, it will be difficult to achieve a high conversion rate.  When providing these services, we will make suggestions and/or implement changes to the AdWords campaigns that we deem appropriate.  If the client makes changes to their own campaigns they need to notify JD immediately.  Any changes made to the content of the website may affect sensitive keywords within the PPC campaigns.  If the client makes changes to the content of the website without informing JD and it negatively affects the website’s ranking, the client will incur additional costs in order for our team to work to improve the PPC campaigns.

Additional costs will also incur if a client has another company work on the client’s site, creating negative implications that we don’t know about and/or if there are any duplicated websites with the same content we do not know about.

Both instances described above have a high chance of causing the PPC account to drop. It is VERY important NOT to have too many cooks in the kitchen. Having multiple PPC companies working on your website is a recipe for disaster in your search engine ranking.

Our team is diligent in keeping current on any new updates and changes in Google’s algorithm, and in our monitoring and reporting in all of our PPC campaigns.  We adjust strategy when necessary and make all the necessary adjustments to achieve the desired result – high ranking websites.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – On Site & Off Site – Backlinking Campaigns

We provide clients with SEO services to help improve their ranking and placement in search engine results. High ranking websites are, of course, the desired result of any search engine optimization and digital marketing strategy. The most effective campaigns are when the on-site SEO is strong and is structured to work well with an effective backlinking campaign.

All of the web development projects we create include optimal search engine optimization (SEO), using keywords in the metadata, in alt tags on graphics and images and keywords on title bars when appropriate. The website’s structure will be developed with keyword terms in the URLs, whenever possible, and throughout the entire website to help improve search ranking in search engine results. This is called on-site SEO. The keyword terms used for on-site SEO strategy are determined after speaking with our client about what they want to rank for.

NOTE: On-site SEO gives you the necessary foundation to begin an optimal SEO strategy for your website. We do not guarantee any ranking in search engine results. This is only a foundation to help your website rank in search results for your specific terms. Without sufficient content on your website that includes these keyword terms (not just a bulleted list),  as well as backlinking, it will be very difficult for your website to rank high in search results.

When providing these services we will make suggestions and/or implement keyword terms for the website content that will coincide with the backlinking campaign. If the client makes changes to the text and/or metadata on the site, they need to notify JD immediately. Any changes made to the content of the website may affect the sensitive keyword ratio that is designed to work with the backlinking campaign. If a client makes changes to the content of the website without informing us and it negatively affects the website’s ranking, the client will incur additional costs in order for our team to work to bring the website back up in ranking.

Additional costs will also incur if a client has another company work on the client’s site, creating backlinks that we don’t know about and/or if there are any duplicated websites with the same content we do not know about.

Both instances described above have a high chance in causing the website to drop in ranking, falling under Google’s Panda or Penguin penalties. It is VERY important NOT to have too many cooks in the kitchen. Having multiple SEO/SEM companies working on your website is a recipe for disaster in your search engine ranking.

Our clients achieve exceptional results in their search engine ranking as a result of our services. Our team keeps very current and up to date on all updates and changes Google makes to their algorithms, and we regularly develop procedures that work with all the latest changes that are within Google’s guidelines.

However, search engines, Google in particular, are constantly changing their algorithms (the system that determines what website ranks higher than others in the results) with updates and tweaks. Sometimes an SEO strategy or website development structure that was within Google’s webmaster guidelines and totally acceptable, may not work well after one of their updates. As a result, rankings sometimes slip and adjustments need to be made and we are diligent in doing so. JD cannot control Google’s and other search engines’ changes and is not responsible for the results of these changes.

If you have worked with an SEO company for a backlinking campaign, prior to hiring JD, and that company provided backlinks to your site that were not within Google’s guidelines, it is possible that your website’s rank will drop significantly if Google sees the improper backlinking practices from the previous company. In a case like this, we track down the backlinks in question, attempt to have them removed, ask Google to disavow them, and then wait to see if the site will rebound in rankings. This is not an overnight matter so time and patience are necessary. Sometimes the penalty is so bad that the domain cannot recover. When this happens it is suggested that you switch domains.

Our team is diligent in keeping current on any new updates and changes in Google’s algorithms, and in our monitoring and reporting in all of our backlinking campaigns. We adjust strategy when necessary and make all the necessary adjustments to achieve the desired result – high ranking websites.

Failure to rank to specific key terms or increase traffic to your website does not constitute a material breach under the Service Agreement.

Google, Bing, Yahoo are very sensitive to any changes made on your website that can make your site drop in ranking for search queries very quickly. If you make changes without telling us, it CAN and WILL affect your site negatively. Your site will drop in search queries and you will lose traffic and sometimes very hard to impossible to recover, depending on what changes were made. Yes, it is that serious. We are your partner in helping new customers find you with specific terms for your products and or services. It is absolutely necessary you communicate with us about any changes you want to make on your site. Also, working with two different SEO companies is like too many cooks in the kitchen and is a recipe for disaster. Pick one.

Custom Graphic Design

When we create custom graphic logos, we find out what style you are interested in; modern, traditional, with or without a graphic image, color scheme, etc… From this conversation, we design and provide multiple versions for you to view and choose from.

You will be sent various versions of the logo and are allowed three rounds of edits. If more than three edits are requested, additional charges will be added to the total cost. We do our very best to provide authentic custom design, but this service does not include brand recognition, which requires many hours of research to make sure no one in the world is using the same font/format style, etc.. If you choose a format style from one of the versions that you were sent, there is no guarantee that another company is not using a similar style for their logo.

Payment and Billing

A payment (payment defined in Service Agreement) and a signed copy of the Service Agreement is required from the client to begin work on all projects and services.

Service Agreements are valid for 30 days from the date of delivery. If Service Agreement is not signed and down-payment is not made within 30 days from the date of delivery, JD reserves the right to adjust the cost of services quoted herein.

To make payment online, please visit https://websitedesignaustintexas.com/payments-portal/. If you wish to pay by check, our mailing address is 111 Belaire Drive, Kyle, Texas 78640

All payments for services rendered are non-refundable.

Any additional services requested after signing the Service Agreement may be an additional cost.

If any agreed payment according to the service agreement is overdue by 30 days, Website Design Austin Texas will not provide any website services until the account is current.

Invoices for services due are sent via email from Quickbooks. We send these invoices to a client-defined point of contact. The client is responsible to notify Website Design Austin Texas when this point of contact changes as failure to receive an invoice in no way changes the due date of the payment.

Payments for monthly services (SEM, Social Networking, etc) are due on the 1st of the month. Invoices are sent two weeks prior to the payment due. If the client decides to cancel service after work has begun for the month, payment is still due for that month.

When working in website development, the final balance will be invoiced when the web development portion of the site is complete, or the project is on hold for more than 15 days because JD is waiting for client supplied content. If you have not provided us with the final images and content you want to use on your website, the final balance for the project is still due since this delay is not on the part of JD. We will add content to the pages, at no additional cost, as long as it is received within three months of completion of the development portion of the website. If you send us content for these pages after the three month period, it will be considered website maintenance and you will incur additional costs if you haven’t paid for a maintenance package with us.

Any additional services requested that go beyond the written scope of the service agreement may incur additional costs. These costs must be approved by the client prior to the work being performed and will be added to the final balance due at the completion of this project or on the next cycles invoice.

JD reserves the right to suspend your website, email accounts, PPC/SEM campaigns and/or any other services you currently have with us in the event that your account goes past due.

Website Design Austin Texas reserves the right to use your website, multi-media presentation, and/or images for promotional use for the said company. You will not attempt to obtain any fee in the future for this use. Website Design Austin Texas also reserves the right to put their company name and link on all websites they design and/or maintain.

The Services and Work Product of Website Design Austin Texas are sold “AS IS.” There are no warranties associated with the services or work product of JD. The maximum liability of JD, its officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, and affiliates to Client, for damages for any and all causes of action and Client’s maximum remedy regardless of the form of action, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be limited to the contract price. In no event shall JD be liable for any lost data or content, lost profits, business interruption or for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages arising out of or relating to the services provided and work product produced by JD. Client agrees that it shall not hold JD or its agents or employees liable for any incidental or consequential damages which arise from JD’s failure to perform any aspect of the Project in a timely manner, regardless of whether such failure was caused by intentional or negligent acts or omissions of JD or a third party. Furthermore, JD disclaims all implied warranties, including the warranty of merchantability and fitness for a particular use.

How does a hacked website or email impact my business?

Once an email or a website is hacked, the hacker can start sending out spam emails by the thousands. Sooner after your emails will all start bouncing back and you won’t be able to communicate with your customers. If this is not shut down soon, your domain will be put on a blacklist and Google will label your site as “This site may have been hacked” right next to your company link on search results! If this isn’t changed quickly, not only will you lose new customers, you ranking will start to move down and you lose even more. You’ll continue to have issues with your email until you get off the blacklist.

  • Our host server becomes overloaded because of too many messages in the mail queue
  • Our mail server can become blacklisted on other sites because there are servers flagging the domain and/or email as spam
  • The entire dedicated server may be affected because it has one IP address and that IP address had become blacklisted
  • Other clients that are using the same mail server start seeing their emails rejected as spam
  • We have to manually request removal from many different blacklists
  • After many hours of work, it can take weeks to finally get back to normal because you have to wait to be removed from the blacklists and “gain back their trust” in our mail server’s IP address.

Not updating your website with the necessary security measures is similar to living in a subdivision and not being respectful to your neighbors. You are not only pulling the value of the neighborhood down by not mowing your lawn but worse yet, it is like you are burning your house down and bringing the entire neighborhood with you.

We cannot afford to take the risk of hosting websites that will not upgrade to the current version of their platform or hosting clients email accounts that don’t take proper precautions with their email usage. It’s not fair to our clients for us to take that kind of risk.

If a client uses improper email behavior and/or does not meet security requirements with the current version and security updates for a CMS site, we reserve the right to pull the website from the server with no refunds given for website hosting.

Blacklisted

If you recently found out that your IP address or domain name is on a blacklist, you will need to request to have it removed. If you don’t, it can create serious problems by keeping your emails from reaching important people and search engines telling visitors that your site is unsafe, which can result in loss of revenue. You have to ask yourself, is spending 1, 5 or 10 minutes of your time worth keeping thousands of dollars in revenue?

There are various ways your IP address can be placed on one or multiple blacklists. One way is when a hacker edits your website by placing spammy links within the content. This causes search engines or anti-virus programs to flag your site as unsafe to visit and warns people visiting your site to “stay away”.

Another way you can be blacklisted is through poor email behavior. Certain behaviors, such as sending an email with a PDF attachment to more than 20 email addresses, or sending emails out to more than 50 email addresses several times a week, can trigger your IP address to be flagged as potential spam. When this happens your emails will no longer be delivered to the intended recipients, and you will stop receiving emails.