Terms & Conditions

These terms apply whenever you engage Robert Whitten, trading as Sites Made Local, to design, build or host a website. They're written to match what's actually described on the Pricing page, if anything here and the current package details ever disagree, get in touch and we'll sort out which is correct before any work starts.

The service

Sites Made Local plans, designs, writes and builds your website. Before any design work begins, we agree what the site needs to cover and what's included in your package. Larger or more technical features not covered by a standard package, e-commerce, custom software, membership systems, complex booking platforms, customer portals, bespoke calculators, advanced integrations, large content migrations, branding or logo design, professional photography, paid advertising, and large ongoing content changes, are quoted and agreed separately before work on them begins.

Paying upfront

You pay the website build cost upfront, then continue on the monthly hosting, security and support plan for as long as you want that service. There is no fixed-term commitment tied to the build itself. Once the build invoice is paid in full, the website belongs to you.

Spreading the cost over 24 months

The website build, hosting, security and support are combined into one monthly payment across a fixed 24-month term. This is a genuine commitment for the full 24 months, not a rolling monthly subscription you can stop at any time. If you cancel before all 24 payments are complete, the remaining balance for the rest of the 24-month term becomes due. This is explained here and on the Pricing page before you agree to a spread-cost package, it is never introduced after the fact. Ownership of the website transfers to you once all 24 payments have been completed.

Domain ownership

Your domain is yours. Where the registrar allows it, it's registered directly in your name or business name. If Sites Made Local purchases and configures a domain on your behalf, you're still given access and control, domains are never deliberately withheld to make leaving difficult.

What ongoing hosting covers

The monthly hosting, security and support plan covers:

• Website hosting
• SSL certificate
• Technical maintenance
• Security checks
• Support when something goes wrong
• Help with domain and DNS connections
• Form-delivery checks
• Agreed ongoing updates, where included in your package
• Search-performance reviews, where included in your package

If ongoing hosting stops, whether by choice once you own the site, or because a spread-cost term has been fully paid, Sites Made Local's hosting, maintenance and support stop with it. Your domain remains yours regardless. Provided the website has been paid for in full, you can request a copy of the website files and move them to another hosting provider, the site will need working hosting somewhere to stay online.

Getting a copy of your website

Once the relevant build cost has been paid in full, a handover can include:

• Website source files
• Website copy written for the project
• Images and assets you supplied
• Exportable website data
• Available configuration information
• Reasonable assistance moving to another provider

Some third-party services, licensed software, stock imagery, fonts, integrations or subscription products may carry their own licensing and transfer rules, these will be explained rather than quietly left out of a handover.

No guaranteed results

Search engine rankings, AI-generated recommendations and enquiry volumes depend on many factors outside any web designer's direct control. Sites Made Local builds the technical and content foundations properly, clear structure, genuine content, working measurement, but does not and cannot guarantee specific rankings, traffic or enquiry numbers.

Business email and IT support

Business email, Microsoft 365 setup and wider IT support are provided separately through Curly IT, Rob's IT support business, and quoted on their own terms, since every business's setup is different.

Changes to these terms

If these terms change, this page will be updated and the date at the top revised. For work already agreed, the terms in place at the time you accepted a quotation continue to apply to that project.

Governing law

Sites Made Local is based in Edinburgh. These terms are governed by the law of Scotland, and any dispute will be handled in the Scottish courts.

Questions

If anything here isn't clear before you agree to a project, ask first, get in touch at robertwhitten@curly-it.co.uk.