How we plan, build and look after your website.

Effective: 7 November 2026 · Version 1.0

1. Introduction

This policy sets out the standards, procedures, guidelines and responsibilities that govern how Permalink Business Ltd. designs, develops, tests, deploys and maintains websites. It applies from the first conversation about a project to the support we give long after launch.

A website is often the first place a customer meets your business. This policy exists so every site we deliver is professional, functional, secure, accessible, fast and visually consistent, and so you know exactly what to expect from us at each stage.

It also gives a clear framework for managing expectations around timelines, content, revisions, approvals and post-launch support, so that projects run smoothly and surprises are kept to a minimum. Where a signed quotation, invoice or service agreement says something different, that agreement takes priority for that project.

2. Policy objectives

This policy aims to:

1. Set consistent standards for design and development, so quality does not depend on which team member works on your project.
2. Deliver websites that work: professional, responsive, easy to use and fully functional on the devices your customers use.
3. Protect information, including client data, website data and intellectual property.
4. Define responsibilities clearly for both our team and our clients.
5. Provide clear procedures for starting, building, testing and delivering projects.
6. Promote good SEO and performance so your website can be found and loads quickly.
7. Reduce delays and misunderstandings by agreeing scope, content and approvals early.
8. Support legal compliance, including data protection, copyright and consumer requirements in Kenya.

3. Scope of the policy

This policy applies to every employee, developer, designer, contractor, intern, consultant and anyone else who works on a website project for or on behalf of the company. It covers:

• Corporate and business websites.
• E-commerce websites and online shops.
• Portfolio and personal websites.
• Institutional and organisational websites, including schools, NGOs and associations.
• Landing pages for campaigns and product launches.
• Web application development.
• Website redesign and modernisation.
• WordPress and other content management system (CMS) development.
• Hosting, domain configuration and deployment.
• Website maintenance and technical support.

4. Website design standards

Every website we deliver must meet the following standards.

4.1 Professional design

Websites must look modern, professional and appealing, and must reflect the client's brand and business goals. Good design is not decoration: it guides visitors to the information and actions that matter. We pay attention to:

• Consistent use of brand colours, typography and logos.
• Clean spacing, alignment and a clear visual hierarchy, so the most important content stands out.
• High-quality, relevant images that are properly licensed.
• Clear navigation and a logical page structure.
• Consistent layouts from page to page.
• Icons, animations and interactive elements that support the content rather than distract from it.

4.2 Responsive design

Most visitors in Kenya browse on mobile phones, so we design mobile-first. Every website must work correctly on:

• Desktop computers.
• Laptops.
• Tablets.
• Smartphones, including lower-cost devices and slower connections.

Responsiveness is considered at every stage, from the first layout sketch to final testing, not added at the end.

4.3 User experience and navigation

Visitors should find what they need quickly and without frustration. We ensure:

• Simple, logical navigation with no more steps than necessary.
• Clearly labelled menus and buttons.
• Readable content with comfortable font sizes and line lengths.
• Working contact forms that confirm when a message has been sent.
• Contact details, such as phone, WhatsApp, email and location, that are easy to find.
• Clear calls to action, such as “Request a quote” or “Buy now”.
• As few pop-ups and distractions as possible.

4.4 Website performance

Slow websites lose visitors and rank lower in search results. We take reasonable steps to make every site load efficiently, including:

• Compressing and resizing images, and using modern formats such as WebP.
• Setting up suitable caching.
• Minifying CSS and JavaScript where appropriate.
• Writing efficient database queries.
• Removing unnecessary plugins and scripts.
• Choosing suitable hosting and server settings.

Final speed also depends on hosting, third-party tools and content added after launch, which may be outside our control.

4.5 Browser compatibility

Websites are tested on the current versions of commonly used browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Safari. Outdated or unsupported browsers may not display every feature exactly as designed, but core content should remain usable.

5. Website development procedures

Every project follows an organised process, so you always know what stage your website is at and what comes next.

5.1 Consultation and requirements gathering

Before any development begins, we work with you to understand:

• Your business or organisational goals.
• Your target audience.
• The purpose of the website and the features it needs.
• The pages and sections required.
• Your design preferences and branding.
• Content and media requirements.
• Third-party integrations, such as M-Pesa, WhatsApp or booking tools.
• Hosting and domain needs.
• Your budget and preferred timeline.

The agreed requirements are documented and approved by you before development starts. This shared record is the reference point for scope, revisions and sign-off.

5.2 Project planning

Our team then prepares a project plan that sets out the scope, milestones, who is responsible for each task, expected deliverables, estimated completion dates and the resources needed.

5.3 Design and development

Work begins based on the approved requirements. We choose the technologies, frameworks, CMS and tools that best suit the project, and all work follows our coding, design and security practices. Where a design stage is included, you approve the design direction before full development begins.

5.4 Client review and feedback

Where applicable, you receive access to a development or staging website so you can review progress before anything goes live. Feedback is recorded and handled within the agreed scope. Consolidated feedback, sent together rather than in many separate messages, helps us move faster.

5.5 Testing and quality assurance

Before launch, every website goes through quality assurance testing in line with our Quality Assurance Policy. Testing covers:

• Page functionality.
• Navigation and internal links.
• Forms and how submissions are delivered.
• Mobile responsiveness.
• Browser compatibility.
• Images and media.
• Security settings.
• Loading speed.
• Payment gateways and other integrations, where applicable.

5.6 Deployment and handover

After successful testing and your approval, the website is published to the live environment. Handover may include:

• Administrator login details.
• Website, hosting and domain access information.
• Basic guidance on updating content.
• Relevant documentation.
• Backup information.
• Training, where included in the project agreement.

We recommend that you change shared passwords after handover and keep them in a safe place.

6. Content management

Unless content creation is part of your package, you are responsible for supplying accurate, complete and legally authorised content. This may include company profiles, service descriptions, product information, images, videos, contact details, legal documents, testimonials and other promotional materials.

Where content is not ready, we may use temporary placeholder text or images during development. These must be replaced with final content before launch.

We may ask for corrections to content that is misleading, unlawful, offensive or otherwise unsuitable for publication, and we will not knowingly publish copyrighted material without permission.

7. Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Every website is built with sound SEO foundations where applicable, so search engines can find, understand and index it. These may include:

• Clean, readable URLs.
• Page titles and meta descriptions.
• A logical heading structure.
• Image alt text.
• An XML sitemap.
• Search engine indexing settings.
• Mobile-friendly layouts.
• Internal linking between related pages.
• Structured data where relevant.

Keyword research, backlink building, content marketing and ongoing SEO management are separate services unless expressly included in your agreement. No one can guarantee a specific search ranking, and we will never promise one.

8. Website security and data protection

We take reasonable measures to protect your website and your information, including:

1. Secure administrator access.
2. Strong password practices.
3. SSL/TLS certificates, so the website loads over HTTPS.
4. Regular software and plugin updates.
5. User permissions limited to what each person needs.
6. Website backups.
7. Protection against common vulnerabilities, such as spam, brute-force login attempts and malicious uploads.
8. Secure handling of client information.
9. Appropriate security settings for payment integrations.

We handle personal information in line with applicable data protection laws, including the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, and our Privacy Policy.

As the website owner, you are responsible for making sure personal information collected through your website is handled lawfully, and that suitable privacy notices and consent mechanisms are in place where required. We can help you set these up.

9. Client responsibilities

A successful website is a partnership. We ask clients to:

• Provide accurate project requirements.
• Submit content and materials on time.
• Provide authorised branding materials.
• Make sure they have the rights to images, videos and documents they supply.
• Review work and give feedback promptly.
• Approve designs and milestones.
• Provide the domain, hosting and third-party account access we need.
• Make payments within the agreed timelines.
• Keep administrator login details confidential.
• Tell us about website issues that need technical support.

Delays in providing information, content, feedback or approvals may move the agreed delivery date.

10. Revisions and change management

Revisions are handled according to the agreed scope and package:

• Initial design revisions follow the number included in your package.
• Minor corrections include text edits, colour changes, spacing adjustments and image replacements.
• Major design changes may need extra time and may be charged.
• New pages or features not in the original agreement are treated as additional work.
• Changes to approved requirements are documented in writing.
• Additional work only proceeds after you approve its cost and timeline.

We may decline unreasonable or repeated revision requests that fall outside the agreed scope, and we will always explain why and suggest a way forward.

11. Project timelines and delivery

Timelines are shared during the quotation and planning stages. They depend on:

• The complexity of the project.
• The number of pages.
• The features required.
• When client content is available.
• The availability of third-party services.
• How quickly feedback and approvals are given.

We make every reasonable effort to meet agreed dates and will tell you early if we expect a delay, together with the reason and a revised date.

12. Payment and project commencement

Each project is governed by its quotation, invoice or service agreement. Unless agreed otherwise in writing:

• A deposit or agreed initial payment is required before work starts.
• Development proceeds according to the agreed payment schedule.
• Outstanding balances must be settled before final handover or transfer of ownership, subject to the project agreement.
• Additional features and services are quoted separately.
• Domain registration, hosting, premium themes, plugins, licences and third-party subscriptions are charged as agreed, and many renew yearly.

Refunds, where applicable, follow our Refund Policy.

13. Website ownership and intellectual property

Ownership and licensing are governed by your client agreement. Unless agreed otherwise:

• You keep ownership of your original business content, branding and materials.
• Custom-built deliverables are transferred or licensed to you according to the agreed payment and ownership terms.
• Third-party themes, plugins, fonts, images and software remain subject to their own licences.
• We keep ownership of our pre-existing tools, reusable code, frameworks and methods.
• We may ask your permission to show the completed website in our portfolio and promotional materials.

We never disclose confidential client information without proper authorisation.

14. Website maintenance and support

Websites need regular care to stay secure and fast. Maintenance is provided according to your support package or maintenance agreement, and may include:

• Software and plugin updates.
• Backups.
• Security monitoring.
• Bug fixes.
• Technical troubleshooting.
• Performance optimisation.
• Content updates.
• Database maintenance.
• Restoring the website when required.

Unless specifically agreed, maintenance does not include major redesigns, new features, content creation, hosting costs, premium licences or extensive development work. Response times are set out in our Customer Service Charter.

15. Backups and recovery

We set up suitable backups for websites we manage. Where applicable, backups cover website files, databases, configuration files and important assets.

How often backups run and how long they are kept depends on the hosting environment and your maintenance package. Restoration depends on the availability and integrity of existing backups, so we recommend that clients also keep their own copy of important content.

16. Accessibility and inclusivity

Websites should be usable by everyone, including people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments. Where reasonably applicable, websites should:

• Use readable text and enough colour contrast.
• Provide alternative text for meaningful images.
• Work with a keyboard as well as a mouse or touch screen.
• Use descriptive links and buttons, not “click here”.
• Keep a logical heading structure.
• Avoid flashing or distracting animations.
• Give forms clear labels and instructions.

We follow relevant standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

17. Third-party services and integrations

Websites may connect to third-party services such as payment gateways, M-Pesa, WhatsApp, Google Maps, social media platforms, email marketing tools, analytics and tracking tools, and other external APIs and software.

We configure these according to their technical documentation and your agreed requirements. Their availability, pricing, policies and features are controlled by the providers, not by us. Some services require you to open and verify your own account, for example an M-Pesa paybill or till number.

18. Employee and developer responsibilities

Everyone who works on a website project must:

• Follow approved company development procedures.
• Maintain professional standards.
• Protect client information.
• Use only authorised software and resources.
• Never access client systems without authorisation.
• Document significant technical changes.
• Test their work before submitting it for review.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Report security incidents and technical risks promptly.

Employees and contractors must not use client projects, credentials or information for unauthorised personal or commercial purposes.

19. Non-compliance

Failure to follow this policy may lead to corrective action, additional project costs, suspension of work or other appropriate measures, depending on the circumstances. Any exception to this policy must be reviewed and approved by company management.

20. Policy review and amendments

This policy is reviewed at least once a year, or sooner when there are significant changes in technology, business operations, security requirements or the law. Management may amend it when necessary, and all relevant staff are informed of approved changes. The latest version is always published on this page.

21. Approval and contact

This policy is approved for implementation by the management of Permalink Business Ltd. Questions about this policy or about a website project are welcome.

Permalink Business Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya
Email: info@permalinkbusiness.com
Phone / WhatsApp: +254 706 143 654

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