Why sign your work?

[shukla7789]

Should a web designer or developer add their signature to the footer of their websites? Check out the pros and cons!
During more than a decade of working with website creation and development, I've lost count of how many times I've seen (sometimes not so) friendly discussions on the subject: should a web designer or developer put a signature in the footer of the website they created for a client?

I know those who sign it, those who don't care so much about it and also those who are totally against it.

I am totally in favor. I know I am biased when I romania number dataset about this since I work in this field, so I gathered everything I learned from these conversations to express my point of view here.

If you are in doubt about whether to subscribe or not, I hope this post helps you!

Index

Reasons for a web designer or developer to sign off on projects
It is common in this area
Ideas and solutions are yours
Promotion of your work
It's not a big agency
Does not harm the customer
What about the opposing arguments?
“I paid for it”
“But that’s common in these areas!”
“Yes, but I can’t ask Nike to remove their logo from my clothes!”
Practical examples in other areas
“An architect does not put his mark on a house he builds”
“This is free advertising”
When I don't sign projects
“Competitor” sites
When there are many changes
Some “types” of content
Large companies, government, etc.
My internet subscription
Alternatives for those who need a website and don't want subscriptions
Signature also represents appreciation for the professional – now partner – hired
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Reasons for a web designer or developer to sign off on projects
To start, let's talk about the basics: why subscribe?

It is common in this area
Signing a project is a very common practice on the internet. You will rarely find a website without the signature of the agency that created it.

Of course, this is not the main argument. But it is an important detail: it is something that has always been done.

So, I'm not saying that just because it's common it should continue to be done. This topic is just a reminder that signing a project is nothing, let's say, out of this world.

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Throughout the text I will address this subject again to try to explain why this has become common.

Ideas and solutions are yours
In my opinion, this is the main argument.

With years of study and practice, it is the professional who will provide consultancy, prepare the briefing and deliver the ideal solution for the client's business: the “tailor-made” website.

Of course, there are many “professionals” who only do what the client asks for, or sell something ready-made with a few changes and that’s it. That’s another story, and unfortunately it’s a very common tale out there.

But the focus here is professionalism. The client has a need, and it is up to the professional to come up with something that really works – and to guide the client whenever possible, since often what is requested is not ideal for the job.

notepad with several crumpled papers around it
And those hours staring at the white paper or screen?
Another thing: the work would be done differently with another professional. If you hire ten web designers for a job, you will have ten jobs with different characteristics and with the best that each one has to offer.

In other words, the signature is practically like a seal of quality.

Promotion of your work
This point is quite obvious. Of course, by displaying a signature at the end of the page, the professional will be promoting his or her work.

If a visitor likes the website they see, they will want to know who created it. This is because it has always been common practice in the market to have a professional's signature in the footer.

See how things connect?

That's the thing: the client probably only found the professional because of his signature on another project. It may have been indirectly, like a friend's recommendation, or maybe a Google search... but it all starts with the signature.

It's not a big agency
An Africa Agency has enough resources (financial and labor) to advertise its work everywhere. They will have no shortage of clients.

Now, a small or medium-sized agency, or even a freelancer, will hardly have the structure for advertising and personal marketing. The vast majority depend on word of mouth, or – guess what – signatures on completed projects.

The difference is that when a large agency does the work, the client is usually proud to display the signature. It is Africa, after all.

As I said in one of the topics above, the signature is also a seal of quality.

Does not harm the customer
Finally, a subscription does not harm the customer.

SEO? Not a scratch. When in doubt, nothing beats anofollowto prevent.

Competition? Well, unless the client provides the same type of service (in which case it makes sense not to have a subscription – I’ll talk about that below), this wouldn’t make sense. He won’t lose clients to the web designer.

Advertisers? It’s unlikely that a 30×30 icon or a very discreet name in the footer will get in the way of banners on a website and compromise profits, right?

Aesthetics? It doesn’t look “ugly”. It is – I repeat – discreet.

Navigation? A signature is usually located away from menus and things like that. So, the visitor will certainly not confuse the signature with a page on the website.

If you have any other questions or suggestions of what could be harmful, leave your comment!

What about the opposing arguments?
Of the “whys” for denying a signature, these are the most common:

“I paid for it”
One of the classic arguments is that if you pay for it, you have the right to unsubscribe. After all, it's yours: you bought it.

Well, if that is the argument, the customer should not buy branded clothes, any car or even a TV, which has the manufacturer's signature both on the front of the device and in the operating system.

Signatures are part of our daily lives. And in most cases, they are just status symbols.

“But that’s common in these areas!”
It's also common in web design and development!

“Yes, but I can’t ask Nike to remove their logo from my clothes!”
You can also buy a lower quality garment that has no branding whatsoever.

Look at that “quality seal” again.

Practical examples in other areas
Still taking into account the “I paid for this”, let’s comment on some examples from other areas:

Branded clothing: the most expensive brands printed a logo on the chest, like on Polo shirts, for example (and there are people who buy pirated clothing just because of the “brand” printed on it);
Vehicles: cars – which are also quite expensive – come with the manufacturer’s logo (on the front, back, on the steering wheel…);
Books: even in books, which have proofreaders, designers and other professionals hired and paid by the publisher (or the writer), credits are common;
Movies: If you've ever paid attention to movie credits, you'll see that even the lady at the coffee shop is credited – and everyone gets paid;
Packaging in general: you've probably already seen the contact number of the person who made the box for your favorite pizzeria (even if the pizzeria paid for the packaging);
Household appliances: Finally, throughout your home there are appliances, from taps to refrigerators, with a brand stamped on them.
Note that in each area the signature has a different purpose. In some cases, it is simply an appreciation, a recognition for the professional (even if he or she has only done his or her duty); in other cases it is a status symbol, and so on.