Terms and Conditions

1. About DigitalWeb21

DigitalWeb21 ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") is an ecommerce SEO and digital consulting agency based in North Carolina, United States. We provide SEO services, expert consulting, conversion rate optimization, and related digital services to ecommerce store owners.

Our services are provided to businesses and individuals operating ecommerce stores. Our services are not intended for consumer personal use and are B2B in nature.

2. Services

DigitalWeb21 offers the following categories of services:

• SEO Services — monthly SEO optimization, content creation, technical SEO, structured data implementation, and AI visibility optimization for ecommerce platforms including Shift4Shop, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Squarespace
• Expert Consulting — advisory services for Shift4Shop store owners covering setup, integrations, UX, shipping, payments, debugging, and business strategy
• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) — one-time CRO audits and ongoing monthly CRO plans
• SEO Foundation Audit — one-time standalone SEO audit services

Specific deliverables, scope, and timelines for each service are as described on our website at the time of purchase. We reserve the right to modify service offerings with reasonable notice.

3. Account Registration and Eligibility

To purchase our services, you must be at least 18 years of age and have the legal authority to enter into a binding contract. If you are subscribing on behalf of a company or organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

You are responsible for providing accurate, current, and complete information during registration and for keeping your account information updated. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.

4. Subscription Plans and Billing

4.1 Monthly Subscription Services

Many of our services are offered on a monthly subscription basis. By subscribing to a monthly plan, you authorize DigitalWeb21 (or our payment processor) to charge your designated payment method on a recurring monthly basis at the then-current plan rate.

4.2 Billing Cycle

Your first payment is due at the time of subscription. Subsequent monthly payments are billed on the same calendar date each month (or the nearest business day). For example, if you subscribe on the 15th, your subscription renews on the 15th of each following month.

4.3 Price Changes

We reserve the right to adjust subscription pricing. We will provide at least thirty (30) days' written notice before any price change takes effect for existing subscribers. Continued use of the service after the effective date of a price change constitutes acceptance of the new price.

4.4 Failed Payments

If a payment fails, we will attempt to notify you and may retry the charge. If payment is not received within seven (7) days of the due date, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate your service until payment is received. Accounts suspended for non-payment may be reactivated upon receipt of all outstanding amounts.

4.5 One-Time Services

One-time services (such as the SEO Foundation Audit or CRO Audit) are billed as a single payment due at the time of order confirmation. Work begins upon receipt of payment and completion of onboarding.

5. Cancellation Policy

5.1 Monthly Plans — 30-Day Notice Required

All monthly subscription plans require a minimum of thirty (30) days' written notice to cancel. Notice must be provided via email to support@digitalweb21.com with your account name and the plan you wish to cancel. Cancellation requests submitted through other channels may not be processed.

5.2 Effective Date of Cancellation

Your cancellation becomes effective at the end of the 30-day notice period. You will continue to have access to services and receive deliverables during the notice period. If your next billing date falls within the 30-day notice period, you will be charged for that final month, after which services will cease.

5.3 Immediate Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel your subscription immediately, without the 30-day notice period, in the event of: (a) material breach of these Terms; (b) non-payment; (c) abusive, threatening, or unlawful conduct; or (d) any activity that puts the security of our systems or other clients at risk.

5.4 Cancellation of One-Time Services

One-time services may be cancelled prior to commencement of work for a full refund minus any payment processing fees. Once work has commenced, cancellation is subject to the refund policy in Section 6.

6. Refund Policy

6.1 Monthly Subscription Plans — No Refunds for Completed Billing Periods

Monthly subscription fees are non-refundable for billing periods that have already commenced. If you cancel your subscription, you will continue to receive services through the end of the current billing period and the 30-day notice period; no partial or pro-rata refunds will be issued for time remaining in a completed billing period.

6.2 One-Time Services

For one-time services (audits, standalone projects):

• Prior to work commencement: Full refund minus any payment processing fees, typically 3%
• After work has commenced but before delivery: Refund of 50% of the total fee
• After delivery of the completed work product: No refund is available once the final deliverable has been provided

6.3 Exceptions

Refunds may be considered on a case-by-case basis in the event of a documented failure to deliver the agreed service due to causes within our control. Refund requests must be submitted in writing within fifteen (15) days of the issue arising. We do not guarantee refunds in circumstances outside our control, including client unresponsiveness, client failure to provide required access, or platform changes made by third-party providers.

6.4 Disputes

If you believe a charge was made in error, you must contact us within thirty (30) days of the charge at support@digitalweb21.com before initiating a chargeback with your payment provider. Unauthorized chargebacks may result in suspension of services and collection action for amounts owed.

7. Site Access, Authorization, and Changes

This section is critical. Please read it carefully. It governs how we access your platforms and what liability we bear — and do not bear — for work performed on your behalf.

7.1 Client Authorization

By engaging our services and providing us with access to your website, ecommerce platform, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or any other platform, you explicitly authorize DigitalWeb21 and its team members to access those platforms and make changes within the agreed scope of services. This authorization is a material term of our service agreement.

7.2 Scope of Changes

All changes we make to your website or platforms are made in good faith in accordance with the agreed scope of services. Changes may include, but are not limited to: editing page titles, meta descriptions, and headings; adding or modifying structured data markup; editing product and category page content; adjusting internal linking; configuring SEO settings within the platform admin; adding tracking scripts; and implementing technical SEO fixes.

7.3 Client Responsibility to Maintain Backups

You are solely responsible for maintaining current backups of your website, store data, product catalog, content, and settings before and during our engagement. We strongly recommend that you maintain regular backups through your platform's built-in tools, third-party backup services, or manual exports. DigitalWeb21 does not perform or maintain backups of client websites as part of our standard services unless explicitly agreed in writing as a separate deliverable.

7.4 Pre-Existing Conditions

DigitalWeb21 is not responsible for any pre-existing issues, errors, vulnerabilities, or technical debt present in your website or platform prior to our engagement. We may identify and report such issues during our work but are not obligated to fix issues outside the agreed scope of services.

7.5 Third-Party Platform Changes

Ecommerce platforms (including Shift4Shop, Shopify, BigCommerce, and Squarespace), as well as Google and other search engines and AI platforms, regularly update their systems, algorithms, interfaces, and policies. DigitalWeb21 is not responsible for changes to your website's appearance, functionality, or search performance caused by platform updates, theme changes, app conflicts, algorithm updates, or other third-party modifications outside our control.

7.6 App and Plugin Conflicts

Your store may have third-party apps, plugins, or integrations installed by you or prior service providers. DigitalWeb21 is not responsible for conflicts, errors, or performance issues caused by interactions between our work and existing or newly installed apps, plugins, or third-party code. We will make reasonable efforts to identify potential conflicts and will notify you if we believe our proposed changes may interact with existing functionality.

7.7 Documentation of Changes

We maintain records of material changes made to your platforms as part of our service. Upon request, we will provide a summary of changes made during the current engagement. This documentation is provided as a professional courtesy and does not create additional liability for DigitalWeb21.

7.8 Revocation of Access

You may revoke our access to your platforms at any time. Revocation of access prior to completion of the notice period does not relieve you of payment obligations. Upon termination of services, we will promptly remove our team members from any platform accounts where access was granted, and we request that you do the same through your platform's admin settings.

8. No Guarantee of Results

Search engine optimization, AI visibility, and conversion rate optimization are disciplines that involve significant uncertainty. Results depend on many factors outside our control, including search engine algorithm changes, competitive activity, market conditions, platform changes, the quality of the client's products and website, and the client's own actions.

Our obligation is to perform agreed services with reasonable skill, care, and in accordance with current industry best practices. We do not guarantee that services will achieve any particular outcome.

9. Client Responsibilities

To enable us to perform our services effectively, you agree to:

• Provide timely access to necessary platforms, tools, and information as reasonably requested
• Respond to communications within a reasonable timeframe (typically 3–5 business days)
• Maintain accurate and current billing information
• Notify us promptly of any changes to your website, platform, or business that may affect the services
• Not make significant changes to areas of your site being actively optimized without notifying us first, as this may interfere with ongoing work and invalidate testing results
• Maintain independent backups of all website data and content
• Ensure that all content provided to us for publication on your site does not infringe any third-party rights and complies with applicable law

DigitalWeb21 is not responsible for delays in service delivery or failures to deliver results caused by the client's failure to meet these responsibilities.

10. Intellectual Property

10.1 Work Product

Upon full payment of all applicable fees, content created by DigitalWeb21 specifically for your website (such as SEO blog articles, product descriptions, and category page content) becomes your property. You may use this content freely in connection with your business.

10.2 Methodologies and Tools

DigitalWeb21 retains all rights to its proprietary methodologies, processes, frameworks, templates, software, and tools used in the delivery of services. These are not transferred to the client and may not be reproduced, reverse-engineered, or used for competitive purposes.

10.3 DigitalWeb21 Website and Materials

All content on the DigitalWeb21 website, including text, graphics, logos, and design, is owned by or licensed to DigitalWeb21 and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our website content without written permission.

11. Confidentiality

Both parties may have access to the other's confidential information in the course of this engagement. "Confidential Information" includes business strategies, financial information, platform credentials, client lists, proprietary methodologies, and any information designated as confidential.

Each party agrees to: (a) hold the other's confidential information in strict confidence; (b) not disclose it to third parties without prior written consent; and (c) use it only for purposes of fulfilling obligations under these Terms.

This obligation does not apply to information that is publicly known, independently developed, or required to be disclosed by law.

12. Limitation of Liability

This limitation of liability applies to:

• Any changes made to your website, ecommerce platform, or digital assets in the course of providing services
• Any errors, bugs, or unintended consequences resulting from SEO implementations, code changes, or configuration adjustments
• Search engine ranking changes, traffic fluctuations, or revenue impacts following SEO work
• Platform downtime, data loss, or functionality issues caused by third-party platform updates or app conflicts
• Any failure to achieve specific rankings, traffic targets, or conversion outcomes

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain types of liability. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless DigitalWeb21 and its owners, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:

• Your breach of these Terms
• Your use of our services in a manner not authorized by these Terms
• Content you provide to us that infringes third-party rights or violates applicable law
• Your negligent or wrongful acts or omissions
• Any claim by a third party arising from changes made to your website at your direction or within the agreed scope of services

14. Representations and Warranties

Each party represents and warrants that:

• It has the legal authority to enter into these Terms
• Its performance under these Terms does not violate any other agreement or obligation
• It will comply with all applicable laws in connection with these Terms

You additionally represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the legal right to operate the website(s) for which you are engaging our services
• You have the authority to grant us access to all platforms and tools provided
• Content you provide does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights and does not violate applicable law
• Your website and business operations comply with applicable laws, including consumer protection and advertising regulations

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

16. Independent Contractor

DigitalWeb21 operates as an independent contractor. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, partnership, joint venture, or agency relationship between DigitalWeb21 and the client. DigitalWeb21 retains sole and absolute discretion in determining the means and methods by which services are performed, subject to the agreed deliverables and timelines.

17. Third-Party Services and Platforms

Our services involve working within or alongside third-party platforms, tools, and services. DigitalWeb21 is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or responsible for Shift4Shop, Shopify, BigCommerce, Squarespace, Google, or any other third-party platform. These platforms' own terms of service, privacy policies, and operational decisions are independent of DigitalWeb21 and outside our control.

Any changes to third-party platforms' policies, algorithms, features, or availability that affect our ability to deliver services or your website's performance are not within our control and do not constitute a breach of our obligations.

18. Force Majeure

DigitalWeb21 shall not be liable for delays or failure in performance resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, government action, platform outages, internet disruptions, cyberattacks on third-party systems, or pandemic. In such events, we will provide reasonable notice and make good-faith efforts to resume performance as soon as practicable.

19. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

19.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

19.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal legal proceeding, both parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes informally by written notice to the other party describing the dispute and desired resolution. The parties agree to negotiate in good faith for at least thirty (30) days before pursuing other remedies.

19.3 Binding Arbitration

If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, it shall be resolved by binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), conducted in North Carolina. The arbitration shall be conducted by a single arbitrator. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

19.4 Class Action Waiver

Both parties waive any right to pursue claims as a class action or in any representative capacity. All disputes must be brought on an individual basis.

19.5 Exceptions

Either party may seek emergency injunctive or equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to protect confidential information or intellectual property rights without first complying with the informal resolution or arbitration requirements above.

20. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with any service-specific agreements, proposals, or order confirmations entered into by the parties, constitute the entire agreement between you and DigitalWeb21 regarding our services and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and a specific written service agreement, the specific written service agreement shall prevail.

21. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid under applicable law, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

22. Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative of DigitalWeb21.

23. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. DigitalWeb21 may assign these Terms or any rights hereunder without your consent in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of our assets.

24. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated by email to active clients and by updating the "Last Updated" date on this page at least thirty (30) days before taking effect. Your continued use of our services after the effective date of any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

25. Contact