What a monthly website plan should include

Why there's a monthly fee at all

A website isn't a sign you hang once. It sits on a computer that has to stay on, its software needs updates, and your business details change. A monthly plan pays someone to look after that. Plans differ a lot from company to company, so compare what's in them, not just the price.

What a plan usually covers

• Hosting: the server your site lives on, and the security certificate that gives you https.
• Software updates: for the system the site runs on, plus any themes or plugins.
• Backups: saved copies of the site, kept somewhere other than the site's own server, and a way to restore one.
• Small edits: new hours, a new photo, a changed phone number, a service added or removed.
• Security: watching for problems and cleaning up if something goes wrong. See website security basics.
• Someone to call: a named person or a support line, with a stated response time.

Not every plan has all six. Some leave out edits, some charge for restores. Ask.

Questions to ask before signing

1. What exactly is included each month? Can I have the list in writing?
2. How many edits are included, how do I ask for one, and how long do they take?
3. What counts as a small edit, and what is billed as new work?
4. How often are backups made, and how long are they kept?
5. Who do I contact when the site is down, and when are they available?
6. Is there a contract term, or is it month to month?
7. How do I cancel, and how much notice do you need?
8. Can the price change, and how will I be told?
9. If I cancel, what do I get to take with me?

What should not be locked in

• Your domain name. Know whose account it's registered in and what happens to it if you leave, whatever plan you're on.
• Your business email. You should be able to keep your addresses if you change web companies.
• Your Google Business Profile. You should be the owner; a helper can be a manager.
• Your own text, logo and photos. You supplied them, so keep copies.
• Your phone number. If a tracking or forwarding number is used, ask who owns it and whether you can keep it.

The design and the system the site is built on are a different matter. Some companies let you take them, some don't, and either can be fair if you were told up front. The point is to know. There's more in owning your domain and website.

A plan you never use

If you pay monthly and haven't asked for a change in a long time, send one this week: a new job photo, updated hours, a fresh service list. You'll find out how the plan really works, and your site will be more current.

Our plan, and our own answers

Our websites are $1,000 to build plus $100 a month for hosting and care. We build a free draft first: you pay for the build only after you've seen the draft and want to go ahead. Here are our answers to the questions above, up front:

• Who owns the site: Obsidian Grid owns the website we build: the design, the code and the words we write. You get a license to use your site while you're a client and, if you cancel, to keep it online as it is. Copying or imitating our websites or designs for any other use isn't allowed. Your domain: if you already own it, it stays yours; if you don't have one, we register it and hold it for you. Photos you send us stay yours. The design and code stay ours, so the site itself doesn't move to another company if you leave. If we registered your domain, it's in our account; what happens to it after you cancel (renewing it or moving it to you) isn't in our standard terms yet, so ask us and get the answer in writing before you pay.
• Contract term and cancelling: Website care ($100/month) is month to month with no cancellation fee. Cancel anytime: the monthly charge stops, and the site stays online exactly as it is in the month you cancel. After that there are no more updates, fixes or maintenance. In plain words: after you cancel, the site stays up as it was that month, but nobody changes or fixes it. To cancel, email team@durancalls.com.
• Website refunds: a refund is available only within the first month after you pay for your website. After the first month, refunds aren't available. If you get a refund, your license ends and you must stop using the site and any copies of it. We reserve the right to take legal action to protect our work.
• Ava, our AI receptionist: Ava is a subscription to use Obsidian Grid's system. You don't buy or own Ava; Obsidian Grid owns Ava and the system behind it. Ava is month to month with no cancellation fee. Cancel anytime by emailing team@durancalls.com: Ava stops at the end of the month you've paid for, and no calls are answered or minutes provided after that. No refunds on Ava subscription payments or setup fees once service has started. The $1 trial is separate: cancel during the 14 days and you pay only the $1.
• Ava's $1 trial: $1 for the first 14 days on Starter or Pro, then the plan price. You pay $1 today for the first 14 days. Unless you cancel before day 15, the plan renews automatically on day 15 and every month after at the plan price ($197 Starter, $397 Pro). Pro's $497 setup is billed on day 15 only if you keep the plan: cancel during the 14 days and you pay only the $1. The trial includes the plan's minutes with no overage charges. Cancel anytime by emailing team@durancalls.com; a paid month runs to its end. Premium has no trial. Full written terms before you pay. Starter is $197 a month, Pro $397, and Custom plans start at $167; all Ava prices are on the pricing page.

These are the terms you accept before paying; the full text is in the Paid services section of our terms. Anything else on this page, ask us and get it in writing.