Parties:
Site Squad LTD trading as Site Design Squad (“we”, “us”, “our”)
Registered Office: Henleaze House, 13 Harbury Road, Bristol, England, BS9 4PN
Company Number: 16881662
The Client (“you”, “your”) The person, firm, or company who purchases the Speed Optimisation Service and whose details are set out in the online order form.
1. Service Definition
1.1 Scope of Work: The Speed Optimisation Service (“The Service”) involves configuring your existing WordPress environment to operate more efficiently. This is strictly a configuration service, not a development service. Work typically includes:
- Configuring advanced caching and minification rules.
- Optimising media delivery (compression/WebP conversion).
- Deferring non-critical JavaScript and CSS execution.
- Database cleanup (transients/revisions).
Data Processing: You authorise us to access your website database for the purpose of removing transient data and optimising tables. We do not store, share, or download your personal user data during this process.
1.2 Limitation of Method: We achieve results primarily through the configuration of optimisation plugins and server-side settings. The Service does not include rewriting your theme’s core code, rebuilding page layouts, or replacing heavy page builder elements (e.g., Elementor/Divi) with custom code.
1.3 Right to Decline: We reserve the right to decline service and provide a full refund if, upon initial inspection, we determine that your website is unstable, compromised (hacked), uses obsolete technology (e.g., PHP versions below 7.4), or is built in a way that prevents effective optimisation (e.g., heavily customised “spaghetti code”). In such cases, no work will be undertaken, and the contract will be voided without penalty.
2. Testing Standards & No Guarantees
2.1 Testing Tools: We use Google PageSpeed Insights and Google Lighthouse exclusively to benchmark performance. We explicitly do not recognise or discuss results from third-party tools such as GTmetrix, Pingdom, or proprietary hosting speed tests, as their scoring algorithms often differ from Google’s Core Web Vitals standards.
2.2 No Score Guarantee: While we aim to achieve the best possible performance for your specific setup, we explicitly do not guarantee specific metrics, “Green” scores (90+), or passing grades on Core Web Vitals.
2.3 Volatility of Testing: You acknowledge that speed test results are volatile and can fluctuate significantly between tests due to server load, network latency, and Google’s algorithm changes. A specific score at one moment in time is not a guaranteed permanent baseline.
2.4 Third-Party Scripts: We cannot control or optimise code loaded from external servers. If your website relies on third-party tracking scripts, live chat widgets, Facebook Pixels, or heavy advertising networks (e.g., Google AdSense or Mediavine), these will negatively impact your scores. We are not responsible for low scores caused by these third-party tools.
2.5 Hosting Limitations: Software optimisation cannot overcome the physical limitations of poor-quality hardware. If your website is hosted on a budget, shared, or resource-limited server (e.g., GoDaddy Economy, Bluehost Shared), there is a hard limit to how fast it can go. We are not liable if your hosting provider is the bottleneck.
3. Durability of Results
3.1 Optimisation results reflect the website’s state at completion and are achieved using reasonable care and skill based on the information and access provided. We cannot guarantee ongoing performance due to factors outside our control.
3.2 Future Changes & Regression: We are not responsible for “speed regressions” (the site slowing down again) caused by actions taken after our work is done. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Your hosting provider’s server resources, configuration, or limitations
- Any changes you or third parties make post-completion, including uploading un-optimised media, installing plugins, theme alterations, or disabling our configuration
- Updates to WordPress, PHP, plugins, or third-party scripts (e.g., analytics, ads, chat widgets).
- Inadequate or lost access to your hosting control panel or DNS settings.
3.3 No Ongoing Maintenance: This is a one-off service. It does not include ongoing monitoring, monthly reporting, or re-optimisation unless you purchase a separate Care Plan.
3.4 Dependencies & Access: Successful optimisation often requires access to your Hosting Control Panel (cPanel/Plesk) and DNS provider (e.g., Cloudflare/GoDaddy). If you are unable to provide these credentials, or if you lose access to them, the extent of our optimisation may be limited. We are not liable for poor results caused by a lack of access to these critical systems.
4. Exclusions
4.1 What is NOT Included: For the avoidance of doubt, the Service does not include:
- Accessibility Fixes: Speed optimisation does not resolve accessibility warnings (WCAG) or fix HTML structure errors.
- Design & Layout: We will not redesign your site, remove heavy design elements (such as video backgrounds or sliders), or alter the visual appearance of the site to improve speed unless explicitly agreed in writing.
- Broken Code Repair: We do not fix pre-existing PHP errors, plugin conflicts, malware, or “white screen of death” issues. If your site is already broken, we cannot optimise it.
5. Liability and Refunds
5.1 Service Delivery: The Service is deemed complete once we have configured the optimisation tools and sent you a completion report.
5.2 No Refunds on Results: Since labour is expended to perform the analysis and configuration, we do not offer refunds based on the final speed score, your subjective “feeling” of the site speed, or your satisfaction with the test results. Complaints based on non-Google testing tools (e.g., GTmetrix) will not be accepted as valid grounds for a dispute.
5.3 Functionality & Conflicts: Optimisation involves aggressive caching and script deferral, which can sometimes break functionality (e.g., contact forms, sliders, or checkout flows).
- Correction Window: If functionality is broken, you must notify us within 7 Business Days of completion. We will adjust the settings to restore functionality (please note: this often requires reducing the “aggressiveness” of the optimisation, which may lower the speed score).
- Limitation: If you do not notify us within 7 days, the work is deemed accepted, and future fixes will be billed as Additional Work.
5.4 Liability Limits:
- Non-Excludable: Nothing in this agreement limits liability for death, personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by UK law.
- Cap: Subject to the above, our total aggregate liability to you for any damages (including lost profits, lost data, or business interruption) is limited to the total amount paid by you for the Service.
6. General Provisions
6.1 Entire Agreement: This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes any previous promises, representations (unless fraudulent), or understandings, whether written or oral.
6.2 Severability: If any part of this agreement is found to be illegal or unenforceable, the rest of the agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
6.3 Jurisdiction: This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
7. Acceptance
By ticking the “I agree” box during the checkout process and completing your payment:
- You acknowledge that website speed is variable and depends on hosting, theme coding, and third-party scripts.
- You confirm that you have read and accept the limitations set out in Clause 2 (Testing Standards) and Clause 5 (Liability).
- We agree to provide the Service subject to these terms.