Terms & Conditions
Updated August 19, 2019
Our Relationship
Here at Groundwork, we know that a good working relationship thrives when both parties have a shared understanding of what’s expected. These are the policies, guidelines and legal terms for your use of our platform and services.
We’ve laid out everything from how our process works for custom design to what happens if a payment fails to how long our service agreements are for, and more.
If you have any questions about our legal terms, our guidelines or policies, get in touch.
Terms of Service
OVERVIEW
This website is operated by Transforme Communications Inc. (dba Groundwork). Throughout the site, the terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Transforme Communications Inc. (dba Groundwork). Transforme Communications Inc. (dba Groundwork) offers this website, our platform including all information, tools and services available from this site to you, the user, conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated here.
By visiting our site and/ or purchasing something from us, you engage in our “Service” and agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions (“Terms of Service”, “Terms”), including those additional terms and conditions and policies referenced herein, and/or available by hyperlink. These Terms of Service apply to all users of the site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/ or contributors of content.
Please read these Terms of Service carefully before accessing or using our website. By accessing or using any part of the site, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the website or use any services. If these Terms of Service are considered an offer, acceptance is expressly limited to these Terms of Service.
Any new features or tools which are added to the current website shall also be subject to the Terms of Service. You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time on this page. We reserve the right to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and/or changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the website following the posting of any changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.
SECTION 1 – WEBSITE TERMS
By agreeing to these Terms of Service, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence, or that you are the age of majority in your state or province of residence and you have given us your consent to allow any of your minor dependents to use this site.
You may not use our products for any illegal or unauthorized purpose nor may you, in the use of the Service, violate any laws in your jurisdiction (including but not limited to copyright laws).
You must not transmit any worms or viruses or any code of a destructive nature.
A breach or violation of any of the Terms will result in an immediate termination of your Services.
SECTION 2 – GENERAL CONDITIONS
We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time.
You understand that your content (not including credit card information), may be transferred unencrypted and involve (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to technical requirements of connecting networks or devices. Credit card information is always encrypted during transfer over networks.
You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any portion of the Service, use of the Service, or access to the Service or any contact on the website through which the service is provided, without express written permission by us.
The headings used in this agreement are included for convenience only and will not limit or otherwise affect these Terms.
SECTION 3 – ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS AND TIMELINESS OF INFORMATION
We are not responsible if information made available on this site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on this site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on this site is at your own risk.
This site may contain certain historical information. Historical information, necessarily, is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of this site at any time, but we have no obligation to update any information on our site. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to our site.
SECTION 4 – MODIFICATIONS TO THE SERVICE AND PRICES
Prices for our products and services are subject to change without notice.
We reserve the right at any time to modify or discontinue the Service (or any part or content thereof) without notice at any time.
We shall not be liable to you or to any third-party for any modification, price change, suspension or discontinuance of the Service.
SECTION 5 – PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
We have made every effort to display as accurately as possible the colors and images of our products and services that appear on the website. We cannot guarantee that your computer monitor’s display of any color will be accurate.
We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to limit the sales of our products or services to any person, geographic region or jurisdiction. We may exercise this right on a case-by-case basis. We reserve the right to limit the quantities of any products or services that we offer. All descriptions of products, services or product and service pricing are subject to change at any time without notice, at the sole discretion of us. We reserve the right to discontinue any product or service at any time. Any offer for any product or service made on this site is void where prohibited.
We do not warrant that the quality of any products, services, information, or other material purchased or obtained by you will meet your expectations, or that any errors in the Service will be corrected.
SECTION 6 – ACCURACY OF BILLING AND ACCOUNT INFORMATION
We reserve the right to refuse any order you place with us. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per organization or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same credit card, and/or orders that use the same billing and/or shipping address. In the event that we make a change to or cancel an order, we may attempt to notify you by contacting the e-mail and/or billing address/phone number provided at the time the order was made. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors.
You agree to provide current, complete and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made through our platform. You agree to promptly update your account and other information, including your email address and credit card numbers and expiration dates, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed.
SECTION 7 – OPTIONAL TOOLS
We may provide you with access to third-party tools over which we neither monitor nor have any control nor input.
You acknowledge and agree that we provide access to such tools ”as is” and “as available” without any warranties, representations or conditions of any kind and without any endorsement. We shall have no liability whatsoever arising from or relating to your use of optional third-party tools.
Any use by you of optional tools offered through the platform is entirely at your own risk and discretion and you should ensure that you are familiar with and approve of the terms on which tools are provided by the relevant third-party provider(s).
We may also, in the future, offer new services and/or features through the platform (including, the release of new tools and resources). Such new features and/or services shall also be subject to these Terms of Service.
SECTION 8 – THIRD-PARTY LINKS
Certain content, products and services available via our Service may include materials from third-parties.
Third-party links on this site and the platform may direct you to third-party websites that are not affiliated with us. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating the content or accuracy and we do not warrant and will not have any liability or responsibility for any third-party materials or websites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third-parties.
We are not liable for any harm or damages related to the purchase or use of goods, services, resources, content, or any other transactions made in connection with any third-party websites. Please review carefully the third-party’s policies and practices and make sure you understand them before you engage in any transaction. Complaints, claims, concerns, or questions regarding third-party products should be directed to the third-party.
SECTION 9 – USER COMMENTS, FEEDBACK AND OTHER SUBMISSIONS
If, at our request, you send certain specific submissions (for example contest entries) or without a request from us you send creative ideas, suggestions, proposals, plans, or other materials, whether online, by email, by postal mail, or otherwise (collectively, ‘comments’), you agree that we may, at any time, without restriction, edit, copy, publish, distribute, translate and otherwise use in any medium any comments that you forward to us. We are and shall be under no obligation (1) to maintain any comments in confidence; (2) to pay compensation for any comments; or (3) to respond to any comments.
We may, but have no obligation to, monitor, edit or remove content that we determine in our sole discretion are unlawful, offensive, threatening, libelous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene or otherwise objectionable or violates any party’s intellectual property or these Terms of Service.
You agree that your comments will not violate any right of any third-party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, personality or other personal or proprietary right. You further agree that your comments will not contain libelous or otherwise unlawful, abusive or obscene material, or contain any computer virus or other malware that could in any way affect the operation of the Service or any related website. You may not use a false e-mail address, pretend to be someone other than yourself, or otherwise mislead us or third-parties as to the origin of any comments. You are solely responsible for any comments you make and their accuracy. We take no responsibility and assume no liability for any comments posted by you or any third-party.
SECTION 10 – PERSONAL INFORMATION
Your submission of personal information through the website and our platform is governed by our Privacy Policy. Click here to view our Privacy Policy.
SECTION 11 – ERRORS, INACCURACIES AND OMISSIONS
Occasionally there may be information on our site or in the Service that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may relate to product descriptions, pricing, promotions, offers, product shipping charges, transit times and availability. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, and to change or update information or cancel orders if any information in the Service or on any related website is inaccurate at any time without prior notice (including after you have submitted your order).
We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify information in the Service or on any related website, including without limitation, pricing information, except as required by law. No specified update or refresh date applied in the Service or on any related website, should be taken to indicate that all information in the Service or on any related website has been modified or updated.
SECTION 12 – PROHIBITED USES
In addition to other prohibitions as set forth in the Terms of Service, you are prohibited from using the site, the platform or its content: (a) for any unlawful purpose; (b) to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; (c) to violate any international, federal, provincial or state regulations, rules, laws, or local ordinances; (d) to infringe upon or violate our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; (e) to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, disparage, intimidate, or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; (f) to submit false or misleading information; (g) to upload or transmit viruses or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the Service or of any related website, other websites, or the Internet; (h) to collect or track the personal information of others; (i) to spam, phish, pharm, pretext, spider, crawl, or scrape; (j) for any obscene or immoral purpose; or (k) to interfere with or circumvent the security features of the Service or any related website, other websites, or the Internet. We reserve the right to terminate your use of the Service or any related website for violating any of the prohibited uses.
SECTION 13 – DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
We do not guarantee, represent or warrant that your use of our service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free.
We do not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the service will be accurate or reliable.
You agree that from time to time we may remove the service for indefinite periods of time or cancel the service at any time, without notice to you.
You expressly agree that your use of, or inability to use, the service is at your sole risk. The service and all products and services delivered to you through the Service are (except as expressly stated by us) provided ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ for your use, without any representation, warranties or conditions of any kind, either express or implied, including all implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose, durability, title, and non-infringement.
In no case shall Transforme Communications Inc. (dba Groundwork), our directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, service providers or licensors be liable for any injury, loss, claim, or any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, special, or consequential damages of any kind, including, without limitation lost profits, lost revenue, lost savings, loss of data, replacement costs, or any similar damages, whether based in contract, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising from your use of any of the Service or any products procured using the Service, or for any other claim related in any way to your use of the Service or any product, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the Service or any content (or product) posted, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the Service, even if advised of their possibility. Because some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or the limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such states or jurisdictions, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.
SECTION 14 – INDEMNIFICATION
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Transforme Communications Inc. (dba Groundwork) and our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, interns and employees, harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third-party due to or arising out of your breach of these Terms of Service or the documents they incorporate by reference, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party.
SECTION 15 – SEVERABILITY
In the event that any provision of these Terms of Service is determined to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, such provision shall nonetheless be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and the unenforceable portion shall be deemed to be severed from these Terms of Service, such determination shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any other remaining provisions.
SECTION 16 – TERMINATION
The obligations and liabilities of the parties incurred prior to the termination date shall survive the termination of this agreement for all purposes.
These Terms of Service are effective unless and until terminated by either you or us. You may terminate these Terms of Service at any time by notifying us that you no longer wish to use our Services, or when you cease using our site and platform.
If in our sole judgment you fail, or we suspect that you have failed, to comply with any term or provision of these Terms of Service, we also may terminate this agreement at any time without notice and you will remain liable for all amounts due up to and including the date of termination; and/or accordingly may deny you access to our Services (or any part thereof).
SECTION 17 – ENTIRE AGREEMENT
The failure of us to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms of Service shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
These Terms of Service and any policies or operating rules posted by us on this site or in respect to the Service constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between you and us and govern your use of the Service, superseding any prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications and proposals, whether oral or written, between you and us (including, but not limited to, any prior versions of the Terms of Service).
Any ambiguities in the interpretation of these Terms of Service shall not be construed against the drafting party.
SECTION 18 – GOVERNING LAW
These Terms of Service and any separate agreements whereby we provide you Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ontario, Canada.
SECTION 19 – CHANGES TO TERMS OF SERVICE
You can review the most current version of the Terms of Service at any time at this page.
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to update, change or replace any part of these Terms of Service by posting updates and changes to our website. It is your responsibility to check our website periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to our website or the Service following the posting of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes.
SECTION 20 – CONTACT INFORMATION
Questions about the Terms of Service should be sent to us via our contact form.
Custom Website Process
Our custom design process helps by:
- Clearly outlining the way we work and the specific interaction touch points you can expect
- Clearly communicating our expectations and setting your expectations appropriately
- Creating a common script we’re all working from
Groundwork has been designing and developing for offline and online mediums since 2004. That experience has helped to shape how we work with you, what our expectations are and what our process looks like.
We have a multi-phase approach that allows for a great amount of input from you and your team while giving our team the freedom to leverage their skills and experience to give you the best possible outcome.
We recognize that every project is unique and that not every project will require all the steps outlined here but it will provide you with insights into how we like to work, what you can expect from us and what we expect from you.
Phase 1: Discovery
In this phase of the process, the team at Groundwork will work to learn as much as they can about the project. This may include phone calls, emails, interviews, research and beyond.
It is during this phase that problems are defined, functionality is determined and end goals of the project are set. These become the key objectives for the project and all project work from here on out is evaluated against those objectives.
You will be tasked with creating any content not currently completed. If this proves to be a challenge, we will work with you to create a ‘mission critical’ list of content pieces to prioritize for a great launch.
This is a mandatory phase and no other work will begin until this phase is completed. The primary reasons for this are to uncover hidden expectations, create a shared roadmap and avoid project creep.
At the end of the discovery phase Groundwork will provide you with a summary of the process. This may include required content, design direction, functionality requirements and overall project goals.
You will be asked to sign off on the project summary before proceeding. This may be through a formal document with eSignature or a written confirmation by email to proceed.
Phase 2: Design
In this phase, based on the research conducted in the Discovery Phase, We’ll begin to work on the relevant design elements for your review.
Style Guide
A style guide is a simplified document that includes the core brand colors (usually supplied in discovery either as a logo or through research into an existing digital presence) and fonts. It may also include a few conceptual elements to showcase a design direction, if applicable.
This is an opportunity for us to get some creative input from you. Please note the intention of the style guide is a high-level overview of the project’s creative direction and will be very light on detail and is very often subject to change as the project unfolds.
Mockups
If required, some mockups will be created for the project to further align our teams around what we’re working toward visually. These may be low-fi or high-fi, depending on the constraints and conditions.
The style guide and mockups (if required) will be presented to you for review and comment. Once approval of the design direction is given, we will proceed to the Development Phase of the project.
The Design Phase is all about making the lion’s share of design and functionality decisions. At the end of the Design Phase, you should have a very clear idea of what your project will look like once the process is completed.
Phase 3: Development
In the Development Phase, the work done in the Design Phase is converted from pixels into lines of code (if required). Generally this phase is the longest phase.
There may be some decision-making around aspects that were unforeseen during the design phase or that prove challenging or not as user-friendly as originally anticipated. Your input may be sought before completion of the Development Phase but most likely they will become part of the next phase, review.
Phase 4: Review
In this phase, the site is in a stage where we feel it is ready for a review by you. This review will be a walkthrough of every aspect to make sure it meets your needs while also being in line with the project objectives.
If there are any revisions requested, these are completed during the Review Phase before moving onto the Staging & Production Phase. As a result of the process to-date, there should be very few major revisions at this point. If there are any major changes or revisions requested, this may result in additional fees.
Phase 5: Staging & Production
In the Staging & Production Phase, we’ll prepare to take the project live by adding in production functionality. For a website, this might include SEO tools, marketing tools, and analytics tools that aren’t typically required during development.
The project will be tested and prepared for launch. Once ready to go and you have approved the final product, we’ll switch it on and take it live.
From there, we’ll work with you to implement changes based on early feedback.
Phase 6: Management
Once the project is live, we’ll place it into what we call ‘Active Management’ for 30 days. During this period no ticket limits are imposed and any changes required, are made.
After 30 days, the project moves into ‘Passive Management’ where you are managing most things day-to-day and getting us involved as needed.
Once in passive management, ticket limits are put in place and anything beyond the scope of those tickets will be considered new work.
The project will remain in passive management until you request a redesign at which time a new project is started and we return to the discovery phase.
Custom Website Platform Inclusions
Groundwork’s digital platform is designed to take care of the most important aspects of web design, development, hosting and maintenance. As part of our service plans, you will receive:
- Custom Website Design – All our website designs are responsive, mobile friendly and accessible.
- WordPress CMS – Groundwork uses the world’s most popular content management system as the engine that powers your website.
- Ongoing Security Scanning – Our digital experts monitor your site for malware and security vulnerabilities, patching on the fly and updating as required.
- Managed Software Updates – As WordPress and the variety of third-party plugins used on the site update their software, our team will manage the update process to ensure that everything works with your website, doesn’t cause code conflicts, and minimizes any website downtime.
- Content Support Tickets (Design Requests) – Each month you will have access to a number of content support tickets you can use with our team to make changes to the design/layout of pages.
- Technical Support – Groundwork will try to fix things that break.
Custom Website Process Timelines
Our goal is to get a new website up as quickly as possible. We believe that there is no such thing as a ‘finished website’. They are a living collection of content that is constantly being updated and tweaked as new information is provided and new technology is integrated. It is very easy to get delayed because something isn’t quite ready or finished.
In order to get a website up as quickly as possible, we take a modular approach to design, development and launch. We identify the ‘mission-critical’ pages (like a home page, product or service page, and contact page) and relegate all other pages to ‘if it can be ready by launch’ (like an about page, blog page or targeted landing page).
The most complicated and time-consuming aspect of any web project is the creation and curation of content (text, images, and video). It is the one aspect of the entire process that is most often not directly under our control and the most likely to cause project delays.
We’re counting on you to be proactive in creating content either before or during the design process so we have the best shot at launching within our timeline.
The way we implement this model is to set a launch date approximately eight to twelve weeks from project commencement (defined as when you make your first payment and agree to our Terms of Service) as the launch date for the new website. We will work with your team to identify the mission-critical pages in the discovery phase and set our focus as a result.
Pricing & Payment Policies
By laying out our pricing and payment policies here, we’re attempting to ‘lift the veil’ a bit and create a higher level of transparency between us. If you have any specific questions about these policies, get in touch and we’ll be happy to clarify things for you.
Duration of Agreement
The duration of our service agreement is for one (1) year from the date of acceptance and first payment. You have the option of paying the amount in full up-front or in twelve monthly installments.
The agreement will automatically renew for the following year unless thirty (30) days notice is received in writing prior to renewal.
Pricing Changes
We work really hard to set prices upfront in a way that ensures our sustainability and provides good value for money.
From time-to-time, we will audit our pricing and make changes that apply to new customers and existing customers.
Any price changes will apply from your service renewal date. For example, if your service agreement starts on January 1 and we update our pricing on September 30, the new pricing will not be active for you until the following January 1.
Website Refresh Fees
Groundwork offers a website refresh option that scales down in price the longer you have an active account.
You are welcome to request a website refresh at any time during your tenure with the following prices set in place.
- If a website refresh is requested before the second year renewal date there is a one-time fee of $3000.
- If a website refresh is requested after the second year renewal date, there is a one-time fee of $1500.
- If a website refresh is requested after the third year renewal date, there is no fee.
Once a refresh is requested, the clock will reset and you will be able to receive a refreshed website according to this policy.
Payment
All invoices are due on receipt. A 5% service charge will be applied if payment isn’t received in thirty (30) days and compounds every 30 days.
If payment is not received within 60 days of receipt, a one-time fee of $100 will be applied to the outstanding invoice. Services may also be temporarily suspended or shut down completely.
You assume responsibility for any legal fees incurred by Groundwork which are necessitated by default in payment.
Additional Expenses
Some expenses and fees may fall outside the scope of service described here. Examples of these types of expenses include specific plugin or software purchases not already included, photography or custom graphics work. No expense will be incurred without prior written consent from you.
You are also responsible to reimburse Groundwork for all expenses agreed to in writing, including the payment of any sales taxes due.
Plugins & Third-Party Software
Your website may include third-party premium plugins to meet your website’s functionality requirements.
For example, if you are running any kind of payment processing through the website, security certificates, eCommerce specific reports, receipting/invoicing and many other elements are required to ensure a secure and professional experience for users.
All of these extensions and software require ongoing care, continual upgrades, and regular renewals. Licensing and most other costs incurred by Groundwork are built into the monthly fee that also includes Groundwork’s initial design and development fees and ongoing management fees.
Exit Fees
You are free to shut down a site at any time during your service agreement term, however, you will still be charged for the remainder of the payment period. For example, if your service agreement renews on January 1 and you cancel on September 30, you will still be required to pay the fees for October through December.
The reason for this requirement is that our services are often front-loaded at the beginning of the term while our fees are not. An annual commitment ensures the platform remains sustainable for the long term.
After the fees for the entire service agreement are paid in full, you will no longer be charged. You can continue to keep your website live until the end of the term or request that it be taken offline. We will delete your site from our servers within thirty days of receiving a written confirmation to shut down service (regardless of remaining time in payment period).
You will be able to take your content to another WordPress-based platform but the layouts and theme design will not be available for that migration.
If you would like to take the layouts and theme design to a new host, there is a one-time fee of $2000. All plugins, the theme and page layouts will be transferred to a host of your choosing but you will be responsible to purchase software license keys for any third-party functionality you would like to continue receiving updates for.
Support Policies & Guidelines
Support ‘tickets’ are Groundwork’s language for receiving design or work requests from you. Our team is happy to converse by phone or email with regards to clarifying the requirements for a task. However, we will only take action once a work order has been submitted in writing. We facilitate this through our project management app and email. There are three categories of support ticket each with their own scope.
Technical Support Tickets
A technical support ticket is something that is specific to the operations of a website. There are no limits placed on the number of technical support tickets that may be submitted during a calendar month. Examples of support tickets are:
- “My site is broken”
- A page isn’t showing up properly
- The contact form isn’t working
- I’m not receiving email notifications from the website
- The site seems to be loading slowly
- I can’t upload anything to the site
- The changes made aren’t showing up
Content Support Tickets (aka Design Requests)
A content support ticket is specific to the design of a website. The number of content support tickets for your service plan is available on the pricing page.
There are some limitations to how content support tickets can be used:
- These tickets cannot be rolled over into the next calendar month.
- One ticket should be submitted per request. Multiple requests in one ticket will be considered multiple tickets.
Examples of content support tickets are:
- Adding a new page within an existing template (i.e. “use the about us template”)
- Adding images / other media (including resizing and optimizing original artwork)
- Adding a new blog post with images provided
- Making text edits
Generally, content support tickets will be up to one hour of total work but average around 20-30 minutes. Additional content support tickets may be purchased for $50 each.
Project Tickets
Project tickets are more involved than a content support ticket, requiring more time, resources and effort. A project has different requirements and limitations than a content support ticket.
- It will require a discovery conversation to establish the scope of the project. Typically these conversations will be no more than an hour.
- After the discovery process, Groundwork will provide a written proposal including details on the scope of the project, total time required, and cost estimate requiring written approval to proceed.
- Project tickets are billed at $100 per hour (discovery is not billable).
Hosting & Site Management Guidelines
Hosting
Groundwork hosts all websites built using their designs and are responsible for the day-to-day management (and cost) of the server infrastructure. This management includes:
- Server hardening (routine audits and upgrades to ensure server security)
- Regular malware scanning
- Server software updates
- Feature development and deployment
Website Management
Groundwork builds websites on the open-source WordPress platform. This platform’s functionality is increased and improved through the use of extensions called ‘plugins’. Developers who build the WordPress platform, as well as these extensions, routinely release updates designed to improve functionality, add new features or patch security vulnerabilities. Groundwork manages these new code releases as follows:
- Each month, Groundwork updates plugins, themes, and the core platform, if updates are available.
- Each month Groundwork reviews code for known vulnerabilities using industry-standard tools.
Groundwork’s process is to test out changes on staging sites first and then roll out the changes across all sites.
Accessibility Policy & Guidelines
Every site that Groundwork develops is built with accessibility in mind. During the initial design phase, right through to hand off, best practices are implemented. When requested, Groundwork uses the testing services of Tenon.io to evaluate each page, identify errors and provide a page score.
Groundwork aims to have all pages achieve a score of 95% or above in Tenon’s testing algorithm. Other tools may be used to compliment the Tenon tests but the scoring is based solely on the results from Tenon.io.
Groundwork will run new tests on each site, twice a year, with issues reported to you. If you as the content creator on the site are solely responsible for any errors, a quote for fixing issues can be provided as well.
SEO Policy
Search engine optimization is about targeting web pages to specific keywords, improving discoverability and increasing page rank in search engine results. This is not a one-time process and often involves months of work to show results. Due to the nature of SEO, most techniques and strategies fall outside the scope of standard fees. What Groundwork will do is prepare the site for deeper SEO work through the integration of plugins and best practices.
Here’s what Groundwork WILL do:
- Use the page title as the ‘meta title’ for SEO purposes
- Create a general meta description applied to each page
- Use alt tags for all images and links
- Add Google Analytics tracking code to every page
- Create an XML site map
- Use a proper permalink structure
- Set up internal linking through breadcrumbs
- Create a robots.txt file
- Optimize for speed and security (https)
- Submit to Google Local (if not already done)
- Install the industry-leading Yoast SEO tool
Here’s what Groundwork WILL NOT do:
- Identify keywords for use on the site
- Optimize content for keywords
- Develop customer personas
- Perform link-building tasks (reaching out to others to share links, etc.)
- Develop new and relevant content for targeted keywords
- Reach out to relevant industry influencers for cross-promotion
- Monitor page rank and make adjustments
- Regularly crawl the website to identify broken links, duplicate content, errors, etc.
- Optimize and publish content for social media
Additional Terms & Conditions
Ownership & Usage Rights
Groundwork retains ownership of all original artwork, whether preliminary or final and you will return such artwork within 30 days of use unless indicated otherwise in writing by Groundwork.
Groundwork does not own, nor will it retain specific customer data except as is required to perform the services described in this agreement.
Accreditation & Promotions
All displays or publications of the deliverables shall bear accreditation and/or copyright notice in Groundwork’s name in the form, size, and location as incorporated by Groundwork in the deliverables, or as otherwise directed by Groundwork. These accreditations will be integrated with consultation from you and in a manner that best supports continued growth for both parties.
Groundwork retains the right to reproduce, publish and display the deliverables in portfolios and websites, and in galleries, periodicals and other media or exhibits for the purposes of recognition of excellence or professional advancement, and to be credited with authorship of the deliverables in connection with such uses.
Additional Services
Any service requested by you which falls outside the described services in our pricing plans are not covered by the conditions of this agreement and subject to separate, additional fees, terms, and conditions.
Errors
You are responsible for proofreading, reviewing and approving all work produced by Groundwork before public launch. As such, you are fully responsible for any errors in spelling, typography, illustrative layout, photography or other errors discovered after launch.
Releases
You shall indemnify Groundwork against all claims and expenses, including reasonable attorneys fees, due to uses for which no release was requested in writing or for uses that exceed authority granted by a release.
Cancellation
In the event you cancel your service plan prior to completion, within thirty (30) days you shall pay Groundwork for all outside expenses and commitments that have been incurred and cannot be canceled and the remaining balance for your term.
Dispute Resolution
Any disputes in excess of $5,000 arising out of this Agreement shall be submitted to binding arbitration before a mutually agreed-upon arbitrator pursuant to the rules of the Canadian Arbitration Association. The Arbitrator’s award shall be final, and judgment may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. You shall pay all arbitration and court costs, reasonable attorney’s fees, and legal interest on any award of judgment in the favor of Groundwork.