PIPELINEGuide
Website creation services: Contract, ownership, and exit
Who owns the data, access credentials, and outputs in the end? The answer to this question says more about a provider than any reference list — and belongs before the signature, not after.
Before commissioning website creation services, the following should be clarified in writing: data and access belong to the client, in what format and within what timeframe they will be handed over upon termination, what future changes will cost, and that documentation is a line item in the quote, not a verbal promise.
01 — Contract
What needs to be clarified in writing
- Ownership of data and access. They belong to the client. If a provider won't clearly confirm this, that's the most important information from the conversation.
- Handover upon termination. In what format, within what timeframe, at what cost.
- No minimum term without consideration. Lock-in is justifiable if something is delivered in return — otherwise not.
- What a later change costs. The total cost isn't determined by the project price, but by the hourly rate in year three.
- Documentation as a deliverable. Not as a promise, but as a line item in the proposal.
02 — Questions
Questions you should ask
- What happens if the project becomes more expensive than estimated — who bears that?
- Who owns data, access, and, if developed, the source code?
- What does operation cost in the second and third year?
- What does the documentation we receive at the end look like?
- How would you measure whether the project was successful?
- Is there a case in which you would advise us against this?
03 — Warning signs
When to be skeptical
- Guaranteed results. Anyone promising top Google ranking or a specific revenue increase is selling something they can't deliver.
- No pushback. A provider who thinks every project is a good idea has either not listened or is only selling.
- Time pressure. Limited-time discounts on project prices are a sales tool, not an offer.
- Unclear ownership. Anyone who won't clearly say who owns data and access doesn't have your interests at heart.
- No contact with technical expertise. If only sales sits in the first meeting, that's where misunderstandings arise.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
Are there subsidies?
For digitalization projects in Austria, there are several funding programs, such as KMU.DIGITAL (kmudigital.at) or the aws digitalization subsidy (aws.at). Whether your project currently qualifies, we check individually — the application must be approved before awarding the contract in any case.
Can we manage the site ourselves?
Yes. You maintain texts, images, and simple pages yourself. For structural changes you get in touch — or not, that's not a dependency we build.
What happens to our old site?
The content is carried over as long as it's suitable, and old addresses are redirected to the new ones. Without these redirects, you lose the visibility built up over years — that's the most common mistake in a relaunch.
Does our website have to be accessible?
Since 28 June 2025, the Accessibility Act (Barrierefreiheitsgesetz) applies in Austria. Mainly affected are online shops, bookings, e-ticketing, and banking services in consumer business; micro-enterprises are exempt for services. A pure information site generally doesn't fall under it — we still build to WCAG 2.1 AA because it makes the site better for everyone and the rules tend to get stricter.
WordPress or something else?
Depends on the case. WordPress makes sense when many people manage content and standard features are enough. Where speed, security, or custom functions matter, we build leaner. We don't recommend what we like building most, but what you can still operate in three years.
How long does it take?
Four to eight weeks is realistic if content and images arrive on time. The bottleneck is practically never development, but approval of texts and photos.
What does a website cost in Austria?
There's no serious way to answer that as a flat rate — the market ranges are huge because a one-pager and a multilingual company site with twenty pages are completely different projects technically. What matters most is how much content has to be created from scratch — that's almost always the biggest line item, not the technology. Send us a quick note about what you have in mind, and you'll get a proposal that fits your scope.
05 — Next
Related pages
- Having a website created — Overview
- Having a website created — duration
- Having a website created — Where to start
- Having a website built — economic viability
- Having a Website Built — Alternatives
- Website creation services — Small businesses
- Having a website created — Checklist
- Having a website created — Funding
- Landing page
- SEO
- Website relaunch
- All guides
Having a website created by region
Next step
Let's talk briefly about whether this makes sense for you.
A twenty-minute conversation is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense. If not, we'll say so — that's cheaper for both sides than an offer nobody needs.