A friend came to me last week. He'd paid NT$ 80,000 to a studio for a website. Six months later the site looked fine, but he owned nothing — no source code, no CMS credentials, no domain control, and every banner swap cost him extra.
This isn't a story about a bad studio. It's a story about a vague contract and the wrong questions being asked up front.
I run a studio too, so I'm on the other side of this table. I'm writing this so that thirty minutes before you sign a contract, you skip the six months of pain.
01 · The quote doesn't say what's included and what's not
The most common opening scene: a quote with a single line item — "Website: NT$ 120,000."
You assume this covers: design, development, responsive, SEO, launch, CMS, maintenance. They assume: design + development + launch only. Everything else is a change order.
How to protect yourself: ask for a deliverables list. It should answer precisely:
- How many pages will be designed?
- Are mobile and tablet layouts included?
- Is "SEO" a foundation setup, or a ranking guarantee? (Nobody responsible signs the latter.)
- Is the CMS custom-built or WordPress? Do you get admin credentials?
- After launch, how many revisions are free before billing kicks in?
Not written = not included. That's the unwritten rule of this industry. Always assume the worst case.
02 · They won't give you the source code
This is the deepest trap, and it hits the most people.
Some studios will say: "The source is our intellectual property. We'll handle maintenance."
In plain English: you can't switch vendors, can't modify, can't back up. You're locked in.
What should happen: the contract says in writing — "Complete source code and Git repository (if used) will be delivered at project completion."
Copyright can stay with the author (that's international convention), but you must have the right to use and modify. It's the "you own the keys to the house, but the architect keeps the blueprint copyright" arrangement — reasonable. "You rent the house forever and the architect keeps the keys" is not.
03 · Domain and hosting registered under the agency's account
This one has killed a lot of businesses.
The agency says "we'll handle everything" and buys your domain and hosting under their account. A year later, you want to switch providers — or the agency folds — and the domain is stuck, the hosting credentials are gone.
Simple rule: domain and hosting must be registered under your own account. Your credit card, your login. Let the agency access as a collaborator, not as owner.
If the agency says "it's simpler if we manage everything centrally" — that's "we want to lock you in." Walk away.
04 · IP ownership isn't specified
Here's a question most clients never ask: the logo, design, and copy you paid for — who owns the copyright?
In most jurisdictions, if the contract doesn't say, the contractor owns it by default. You paid, but you don't own the copyright.
This clause favours contractors. So many agency contracts "forget" to write it, or leave it ambiguous.
The contract should state clearly: "All design files, source code, and copy produced under this engagement — copyright transfers to the client upon final payment. The contractor may not use the work for other engagements or display it without prior consent."
If they insist on a portfolio clause, a reasonable compromise: "Contractor may display completed work in portfolio" — but usage and modification rights stay with you.
05 · No late delivery clause
The studio says three months. Six months pass and the site still isn't done. What can you do?
Most contracts don't address this. You wait. If you push too hard, they push the timeline further ("don't rush us or it'll be longer").
Sample clause to include:
"Contractor shall complete delivery within 90 days of signing. For every seven days of delay, 5% is deducted from the final payment. After 60 days of total delay, the client may terminate the contract and all prior payments shall be refunded within 14 days."
Penalties don't need to be harsh, but they need to exist. It keeps the studio focused on scheduling, and gives you peace of mind.
06 · "Acceptance" is too vague
"Final payment upon acceptance" — sounds reasonable. But what counts as accepted?
- Does it look roughly right?
- Does it match the design 100%?
- Do mobile, tablet, and widescreen all need to pass?
- Does SEO need to hit Lighthouse 90?
Acceptance criteria belong in the contract, ideally as a checklist:
□ All pages render correctly in Chrome / Safari / Firefox
□ iPhone and Android mobile browsing works
□ Contact form submits and delivers email
□ All images have alt text
□ Lighthouse Performance ≥ 80
□ CMS credentials handed over
□ Source code handed over
Without a checklist, acceptance is either never complete or trivially signed off. Neither serves you.
07 · They vanish after launch
This is the most insidious trap.
Project accepted, final payment made, studio disappears. Three months later the site is hacked, plugins break, Google Analytics stops working — your messages go unread.
Two defences:
- Warranty clause: contract states "For 30/60/90 days after launch, bugs not caused by client misuse will be fixed at no cost."
- Paid retainer: after the warranty period, sign a monthly retainer if you want ongoing coverage. Fixed hours per month, used as needed.
If they won't even commit to a warranty period — the studio has no confidence in their own work. Don't hire them.
The 5-minute pre-signing checklist
Ask these out loud during your meeting. If the studio stumbles or waves them off, that's a red flag.
- Quote is itemised (design / dev / SEO / launch / CMS / warranty)
- Source code delivered at project completion
- Domain and hosting under my own account
- Copyright transfers to me (designs, code, copy)
- Late delivery penalty written into contract
- Acceptance checklist attached to contract
- Warranty period of at least 30 days
- Exit terms: what happens if I terminate — how is completed work calculated?
One honest closing note
Most of what's in this article — the majority of agency contracts don't cover it. Not because studios are malicious; the industry has just drifted this way. Clients don't know, studios find it convenient, nobody pushes back.
But your website is the digital front of your business — often more important than a physical storefront. If you read the lease for a physical shop, you should read this too.
If you're currently sourcing a studio, or have a proposal you want a second pair of eyes on, book a free 15-minute call. I'll tell you straight — which parts have traps, which parts are fair industry terms, and which parts should send you running.
FAQ
Q: What if the studio flat-out refuses to hand over source code? A: Walk away. Or negotiate a "hosting fee" model — pay them a yearly fee, they host and maintain the code, you can request handover any time to end the arrangement. If they won't even accept that, don't hire them.
Q: Are solo freelancers riskier than studios? A: Depends on the person. Studios aren't necessarily safer (plenty fold); solo freelancers aren't necessarily risky (the long-running ones are often more stable than studios). The quality of the contract matters more than the legal entity.
Q: I already signed and I just realised I'm in one of these traps. Can it be fixed? A: Yes. Negotiate a "contract amendment addendum" — both parties sign a retrospective appendix. A studio willing to sign one is a good studio; one that refuses — now you know who you're working with.
Q: For small projects (under NT$ 50k), do I really need a heavy contract? A: You need something, but it can be a lightweight contract + email confirmation. Put quote, deliverables, copyright, and acceptance criteria in email threads where both parties reply "agreed." That has legal weight.