A Guide for Conscious Businesses & Their Developers
Introduction: The Unseen Values Powering Your Website:
Whose Are They?
As a business owner, you pour your values into your products, services, and customer interactions. Many of us meticulously check the ingredients in our food to make healthy and ethical choices, understanding it’s composed of many unseen parts. So why don’t we apply the same scrutiny to our digital tools?
When it comes to your website, the digital face of your brand, are those same ethical considerations at the forefront? Often, critical decisions about themes, plugins, and platforms, the component parts of your site, are left to developers. While clients understandably focus on aesthetics and functionality, the origin and ethics of the underlying technology can be an overlooked detail.
This article is for values-driven business owners who want their digital presence to be a true reflection of their principles. It is also for web developers who aim to provide truly comprehensive, ethical web development services. We believe that understanding and consciously choosing your website’s technological component parts is a shared responsibility. This approach strengthens brand integrity and aligns with a truly ethical business model.
Let’s explore why the “who, what, where, and how” behind your website’s technology matters profoundly, how to investigate its “digital ingredients,” and how businesses like ours are navigating these choices.
1. The Developer-Client Dialogue: Making Tech Ethics a Team Effort
Most clients trust their developers to select the best tools for the job. This often means themes and plugins are chosen for technical merit, cost-effectiveness, or simple familiarity. Clients don’t always ask about the deeper implications, and developers, focused on delivering a functional and beautiful site, might not always foreground these ethical considerations.
For business owners, it’s time to start the conversation. A good starting point is to ask your developer questions like: “Where does this plugin, theme, or platform come from? What do we know about the company behind it and their operational practices? How does this choice align with our business values?” This isn’t about micromanaging; it’s about ensuring your digital presence is as principled as every other part of your business.
For developers, this presents an opportunity to elevate your service. You can incorporate ethical considerations into your recommendations. Educating your clients on the tech supply chain ethics of different options can become a valuable part of your offering. This fosters deeper trust and can lead to more values-driven business partnerships.
2. Why Your Website’s “Country Code” & Company Ethics Matter More Than You Think
Understanding the origin of your website’s components is crucial. This extends beyond mere geography to encompass the ethical landscape of the company and country in question. Key considerations include data stewardship (where is data hosted, and under what laws?), alignment with human rights, fair labour practices, and the environmental policies of the company or its country of origin.
For example, well-known website builder Wix and popular WordPress plugin Elementor are both successful technology companies founded in Israel. Knowing this allows you to consider the broader context if these tools are part of your digital toolkit.
The power of collective consumer and investor choices, based on perceived ethics, is undeniable. Consider Tesla. Public and investor reactions to its leadership, environmental promises, and labour practices have significantly swayed its market perception and valuation. This demonstrates that people using their dollar, or their investment, can influence major companies. The same principle, whether on a small or large scale, applies to every software subscription or platform choice your business makes.
Each one is an endorsement.
3. Walking the Talk:
Our Approach to Ethical Tech Choices
At our business, we are committed to making ethical decisions in all aspects of our operations. When it comes to our digital infrastructure, this means we proactively research ethical companies and the origins of the tools we use and recommend. This is an ongoing journey, not a destination of perfection.
For example, whilst some of our essential tools or client legacy systems may still involve companies based in the USA, we have performed risk assessments, particularly regarding data privacy under regulations like the CLOUD Act. We have a plan to continuously evaluate and prioritise alternatives that offer stronger alignment with global ethical standards and robust data protection. We believe in a proactive, values-driven procurement process for building a conscious tech stack. This diligence is part of our commitment to our clients and our own principles.
4. Your Investigation Toolkit:
Uncovering Your Website’s Ethical Fingerprint
Embarking on this investigation might seem daunting, but it doesn’t require you to be a tech expert. Here are practical steps for businesses and developers to research the origins and ethics of website components:
- Visit Company Websites: Check “About Us,” “Contact,” and “Investor Relations” pages for headquarter locations and leadership information.
- Review Legal Documents: Terms of Service and Privacy Policies often state the legal jurisdiction under which the company operates.
- Examine Plugin/Theme Repositories: For WordPress plugins or themes, the developer’s profile or company name is usually listed. Research them further.
- Read News and Reports: Look for independent news articles, industry reports, or watchdog findings related to the company’s practices.
- Ask Vendors Directly: Do not hesitate to ask potential or current providers direct questions about their primary location, data center locations, data handling practices, labor standards, and environmental policies. Due diligence is key for ethical vendor selection.
5. Building a Website That Reflects Your Values:
A Collaborative Effort
Once you have gathered information, the next step is to make informed choices. This is where collaboration between business owners and developers is vital.
Developers can present clients with options that include these ethical considerations, explaining the potential impacts of choosing one provider over another. Business owners, in turn, should be prepared to engage in these discussions and potentially invest in choices that better align with their company’s values, even if it means moving away from a more familiar or slightly cheaper option.
Consider exploring open-source software. The inherent transparency and community-driven nature of many open-source projects can align well with businesses seeking more control and accountability from their technology. However, remember that even with open source, the ethics of hosting and any commercial support services still warrant consideration.
Conclusion: Your Website
A Shared Commitment to Ethical Digital Practice
The technology powering your website is not neutral; it carries an ethical weight and reflects the values of the businesses that create and use it. For business owners, the call is to engage with your developers and ask critical questions. Be prepared to make choices that reflect your deepest values, even in your technology stack.
For developers, the opportunity is to lead the charge in ethical web development. Educate your clients and offer choices that extend beyond mere function and price to encompass integrity and responsibility.
Together, by making conscious tech choices, we can build a digital ecosystem that we are all proud to be a part of. Let’s ensure our websites are true beacons of our ethical leadership, one component, one plugin, one informed decision at a time.