Why 'caveat emptor' remains relevant today…

The Latin phrase caveat emptor dates back to ancient Roman law and has subsequently been adopted into English common law. It translates as ‘let the buyer beware’ and from the experiences we’ve had when onboarding new clients recently, it definitely applies to the digital arena.

There is, of course, an onus on any client to do their research when selecting an agency to design and build their new website. But we believe there’s also a duty of care the other way too. In the last few months we’ve encountered five different clients who were surprised to discover that:

• Their website was built using an off-the-shelf WordPress theme
• Their website had been built in Wix so they could have done the same job themselves (at lower cost and potentially better than the agency)
• Their UK agency was using developers in India and the Philippines
• The developers hadn’t considered their future requirements, especially regarding API integrations

This isn’t a case of pointing fingers but rather calling for greater transparency and forward planning.

And by way of comparison:

• We build all our non-ecommerce sites in ProcessWire (unless the client demands otherwise)
• They’re all bespoke and hand-coded
• They’re all built in-house in Cambridgeshire – we don’t outsource
• And we take time at the outset to understand our clients’ objectives and interpret the implications that those may have for third-party integrations

So if you’re planning a new website, please, please do your due diligence before you place the project… And if you fancy a chat with an agency that's been around Cambridge since 1997, please do give us a call on 01223 949443 or complete our enquiry form.