Getting custom functionality built in your site

Getting custom functionality

The Zeald Website Manager is very powerful and flexible. However as every business is unique, you may sometimes find that the Zeald system cannot do what you have in mind. In these cases we may be able to have our software developers build and create what we call a 'customisation' in order to meet your specific needs.

Do I really need a customisation?

Before you customise your website, please carefully consider:

  • Are you going to get a Return on Investment for the money you spend on this customisation? Is there something else that you could invest your time and money in to get greater results through your website?

  • Are there alternatives to developing a customisation. Often functions can be achieved through the standard website system. There are usually many different ways to achieve any given business result. If you are thinking about a particular functionality that you wish to have, you should contact our Support team to see if there isn't the functionality there already, or if there are other alternatives that don't require a customisation. The Support team can offer free advice and guidance, having worked on hundreds of websites and will likely have come across the business result you are attempting to achieve.

Choosing to have your website customised has some implications you must be aware of

  • We are continually releasing upgrades to our base website system, this is done so we can keep your website up to date with the latest internet technology, and also to provide you with more and improved website features. Some customisations may prevent your website from receiving some of the standard Zeald releases. The individual features of your website that have been customised will generally not be upgraded by standard website upgrades. For each page or component that is removed from the base software, they will no longer benefit from the automatic future upgrades and bug fixes. Further development work can be done so that your site can benefit from such features; this can be quoted for at our hourly rate.

  • All releases go through extensive testing. Although every effort is made to ensure base system upgrades do not conflict with website customisations, in some cases upgrades to our base website system may cause your customisation to not function correctly. These bugs are not predictable. In these cases we will endeavour to resolve any defects in your customisation caused by base system upgrades at no charge, upon being advised by the exact defect by you.

  • We will ensure that your customisation is compatible with your existing website add-ons. In some cases, the customisation to your website may result in your website not being compatible with some standard Zeald add-ons that you may choose to purchase in the future.

FAQs

  • What will my customisation cost?

  • Zeald website customisations usually take a minimum of 2 hours, and at our hourly rate of $197 + GST, they will usually cost a minimum of $394. This represents the minimum cost for our Technical Analyst to analyse your business needs, issue specifications and for our development team to design and develop your customisation. There is no 'typical' cost - Zeald website customisations range from a minimum of $397 through to $50,000 + for a fully customised website solution.

  • How long will it take to receive an customisation estimate?

  • Assuming you provide all the information required to produce the estimate, you will receive your written estimate within 3 working days. If more information is required we will contact you.

  • How long will it take to develop my customisation?

  • The number of total hours required to carry out the customisation will be a big factor on the estimated customisation completion date. We are constantly working on a number of customisations for different clients simultaneously, and somtimes we have a queue so if your project is a large or complex project, we will need more time to complete the project. If your website is live, you should allow 3 to 5 weeks to develop the customisation - this time starting from your signed acceptance of the estimate. If this customisation applies to a new website you should allow 4 to 6 weeks from your approval of the website design.

If you want more information about these points, please discuss with us before going ahead with any customisation. Learn more about our Website Services Get an estimate for a customisation

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