Terms Of Services
Effective Date: 22 May 2025
it all starts with a domain
$3.99/yr
$3.99/yr
$3.99/yr
$3.99/yr
$3.99/yr
Introduction
Welcome to The Website Studio! We’re delighted to have you consider us for your online presence. These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, located at www.thewebsitestudio.co.za (the “Website”), as well as any of the digital services we provide (collectively, the “Services”).
By visiting our Website or engaging with our Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, please refrain from accessing or using our Website or Services.
Our goal is to cultivate a transparent, professional relationship with our clients. We reserve the right to modify or update these Terms at any time in order to reflect changes in the law, our Services, or industry best practices. We will notify you of significant changes via email or prominent notice on our Website. Continued use of our Website or Services following such updates indicates your acceptance of the revised Terms.
We encourage you to revisit these Terms periodically to stay informed about your rights and obligations when using The Website Studio.
Services Provided
At The Website Studio, we are dedicated to helping South African small businesses and entrepreneurs establish and maintain an impactful digital presence. We achieve this through a suite of clear, value-driven offerings:
Free Website Design & Setup:
Your initial website build is completely free of charge. We collaborate with you to determine your branding, layout, and functionality requirements, producing a fully responsive site tailored to your needs.
Affordable Monthly Hosting & Maintenance (R200/month):
Our all-inclusive hosting package covers secure, high-performance web hosting, automated backups, software updates, security patches, and continuous optimization. Our experienced support team is available to address technical issues and ensure mission-critical uptime.
Professional Business Email Accounts:
Every client enjoys up to 10 custom-branded email accounts (e.g., info@yourbusiness.co.za) free for the first year. After 12 months, email hosting continues at a competitive rate of R25/month per account, ensuring your communications remain professional and secure.
Website Management & Optimization:
Beyond initial setup, we offer ongoing content updates, speed enhancements, analytics integration, and SEO tweaks. Our monthly health checks include performance audits, uptime monitoring, and mobile responsiveness tests.
Optional Add-Ons:
Need more specialized services? We offer e-commerce integration, advanced SEO campaigns, social media APIs, blog modules, and premium plugins. All add-ons are quoted upfront, with no surprises.
By combining our core Services with optional enhancements, we ensure your website evolves with your business — all managed under one roof.
User Conduct
We strive to create a trustworthy environment for all users. In using our Website or Services, you agree to adhere to a standard of conduct aligned with applicable laws and industry best practices.
Prohibited Activities Include (but are not limited to):
Unauthorized system access or attempts to breach security.
Uploading, distributing, or storing content that infringes copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights.
Transmitting harmful code (viruses, malware, or trojans).
Engaging in spamming, phishing, or unsolicited commercial communications.
Posting defamatory, obscene, or illegal material.
Violation of these rules may lead to immediate suspension or termination of your access, without refund. We reserve the right to investigate suspected breaches and cooperate with law enforcement.
Pricing and Payments
Clear, predictable pricing is fundamental to our client-first philosophy. Our pricing structure is designed to provide maximum value without hidden fees:
Base Package (R200/month):
Free website design and build (up to 5 pages).
Secure web hosting with CDN for speed and reliability.
Monthly maintenance, updates, and minor content changes.
Up to 10 professional email accounts for the first year.
Email-Only Plan (R25/month):
Ideal for businesses that only require custom email services.
Includes up to 10 email mailboxes on your domain.
Optional Add-Ons:
Extra page design (R10/month per page).
E-commerce setup, blog integration, SEO packages, and more — quoted individually.
Billing & Payment Methods:
We invoice monthly in advance.
Payments can be made via EFT, debit order, credit card, or popular local payment gateways.
Non-payment or failed transactions may result in temporary suspension until resolved.
Our aim is to make budgeting straightforward and predictable so you can focus on growing your business.
Subscription Terms
All services operate on a flexible, month-to-month basis. We believe in your freedom to choose, so there are no long-term contracts or cancellation penalties.
Cancellation:
You may cancel at any time by submitting a written notice (email accepted) at least 5 business days before your next scheduled billing date. This ensures your debit order is stopped in time. If notice is provided after the 5-day window, your cancellation will take effect the following month’s cycle.
Migration & Transfer:
Should you decide to move your website to another provider, a one-time migration fee of R2,500 applies. This fee covers the time and resources needed to export your files, reconfigure settings, and ensure a smooth handover.
Reactivation:
Returning clients can reactivate services easily — simply reach out, and we’ll restore your site and billing without additional setup costs.
Client Responsibilities
Your partnership ensures timely and successful project delivery. To collaborate effectively, clients agree to:
Provide complete, accurate information about their business, including branding assets, service descriptions, contact details, and any required legal disclaimers.
Supply or confirm written content, images, videos, and third-party assets, ensuring necessary copyrights or licenses are in place.
Review and approve design drafts, functional prototypes, and final deliverables within a reasonable timeframe (typically 3–5 business days).
Communicate any changes in scope or additional feature requests promptly.
Delays in client feedback or materials submission may extend project timelines. If you require assistance assembling content, we offer content creation and copywriting services at competitive rates.
Term and Termination
These Terms remain in effect throughout your use of the Website and Services. Termination can occur:
By You:
Provide written cancellation notice as outlined in Section 5. Services will cease at the end of your paid period.
By Us:
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate Services for non-payment, breach of Terms, or unlawful usage. We will attempt to notify you in advance when feasible.
Effect of Termination:
Upon termination, your Website and email services will be deactivated. All files and data remain yours, but you must arrange migration within 30 days, or backups will be purged from our servers.
We strive to handle terminations professionally and supportively — ensuring a smooth transition or final wrap-up.
Intellectual Property
Ownership:
The Website Studio retains ownership of all proprietary tools, code libraries, design templates, and backend systems used to create and manage your site.
Usage License:
Clients are granted a non-exclusive, perpetual license to use the delivered website content, design elements, and functionality for their business purposes.
Client Materials:
All content you provide (text, images, videos, logos) remains your intellectual property. You grant The Website Studio a limited license to use, display, and incorporate these materials solely for service delivery.
Requests for full transfer of intellectual property rights or white-labeling should be directed to your account manager and may incur additional fees.
Disclaimer
All Services are provided on an “as-is, as-available” basis. While we utilize industry best practices for security, performance, and reliability, we make no guarantees regarding uninterrupted access, complete absence of software bugs, or compatibility with all possible devices and browsers.
External factors beyond our control — such as DNS issues, third-party hosting disruptions, or force majeure events — may affect your website’s availability. When issues occur, our team commits to prompt investigation and remediation according to our support SLA.
Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent allowed by law, The Website Studio’s liability for any cause of action under these Terms is strictly limited to the amount paid by you for Services in the 30 days preceding the event giving rise to liability
Under no circumstances shall we be liable for:
Indirect or consequential damages (e.g., lost profits, business interruption).
Data loss or unauthorized access stemming from client negligence or third-party breaches.
Any claims arising from intellectual property disputes over client-submitted content.
You acknowledge that your decision to use our Services is at your sole risk.
Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any dispute or claim arising from or relating to these Terms shall be resolved in the competent courts of South Africa.
We encourage open communication to resolve issues amicably before pursuing formal action.
Entire Agreement
These Terms represent the full and complete agreement between you and The Website Studio regarding your use of our Website and Services. They supersede all prior agreements, understandings, or representations, whether written or oral.
No variation or amendment to these Terms will be valid unless recorded in writing and signed by an authorized representative of The Website Studio.
Contact Us
Have questions, feedback, or need further clarification? We’re here to help!
Email: info@thewebsitesutdio.co.za
Website: www.thewebsitestudio.co.za
Thank you for trusting The Website Studio with your digital presence. We look forward to partnering with you and supporting your business success!
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