Doyak TechSeven questions to ask before you sign a website or app quote
By Martin Vera Chang, CEO, CTO and Founder.
Before you sign, make sure the quote answers seven things in writing: who owns the code and the data, what it costs after launch, what isn’t included, how changes are billed, where your data is hosted, whether you see the screens before they’re built, and how you’ll know it worked.
Who owns the code, the data and the domain?
Your data and your domain name should be yours from day one. Ask when the code becomes yours, and whether you can see it while it’s being built.
What does it cost after launch?
Hosting, security updates, backups and fixes. If the quote only covers the build, ask for these in writing, per month.
What isn’t included?
Look for writing, photos, connections to your other tools, moving old data, app store fees and payment processing fees. A missing line becomes an extra invoice.
How are changes billed?
Ask how many changes are included, what an extra hour costs, and whether fixing their own mistakes is free. It should be.
Where will my data be hosted?
Especially if you hold client information. In Québec, Law 25 sets rules before personal information leaves the province, so ask which country the servers are in.
Will I see the screens before they’re built?
You should see the screens before anyone writes code, while changes are cheap. Ask when, and how many times.
How will we know it worked?
Agree what success means, like more bookings, fewer calls or less retyping, and how it will be measured. Otherwise “done” only means “delivered”.
How we answer them
- Your data is yours from day one. The code becomes yours after 12 months, or sooner by paying out the remaining months, and you get read access to its repository from day one.
- Hosting, fixes and a set number of hours of changes are in the monthly price. Fixing what we built never counts.
- Your data is hosted in your country or region.
- Every screen is shown to you before it’s built.
- The result is agreed in writing, measured and reported every month.
Have a quote in hand? Our Second Opinion is $350: send it to us and get a written answer within 5 business days, saying what’s fair, what’s missing and what to ask.