Businesses need to remain operational 24X7 in the online environment so as to generate profits. And this requires constant support and maintenance. I always tell my clients that launching a website is only half the job; its running it persistently that takes the effort.
From an agency’s perspective, WordPress support and maintenance services can be a huge drain on resources. The technical prowess required is what makes all the difference.
A competent team delivering the right set of WordPress support can generate long term profits for your clients. But there are plenty of firms delivering dirt-cheap WP support that simply don’t match your client’s requirements.
So, how do you achieve the famed ‘Swiss Army Knife’ status of WP support services? With a feature rich set of services, you truly can deliver a host of solutions that truly delivers what your client needs. Let’s see how you can be an alternative to ‘run-of-the-mill’ WP support and maintenance companies.
Why WP Support is Long Term Commitment?
There’s so much that your clients can achieve with the right set of WP support. But they should know this fact in the first place. Being a responsible WP solutions provider, I make it a point that my clients know its importance. Here’s why personalized WP maintenance is the way to go.
Pricing
Your client should experience the full pricing benefits that comes with in-house WP support. You can offer site maintenance services as part of the development package with steep discounts. Also, same development team can be part of support solutions thereby decreasing the manual work.
In-House Expertise
Clients shouldn’t be left to fend themselves to choose support solutions after website launch. When the same agency offers maintenance, not only the costs come down but also the integration and automation time is reduced.
Recurring Revenue WP Support Plans
Recurring plans ensure that you are not stuck in an endless ‘time-for-money’ It may generate source of revenue but consistent but is stagnant in the long term. So, its vital that you offer recurring plans that are customizable as per client’s preferences. This safety net generates more predictable cash flow and more clients are covered.
Lower Customer Acquisition Cost
You don’t have to market to your current customers. The services can be bundled alongside the website creation packages. Not only do you bypass marketing costs, you also get referrals from your clients and add value to your services.
Customizations
There can be no better feature than customization since the clients already have gone through the development process. You can offer them unmatched customization because the same developer team has built the website.
What Features to Offer to Clients for WordPress Support
1. 24/7 Uptime Monitoring
Being live all the time is the greatest virtue any website can boast of. Serving your customers all the time is crucial to business development. Your client’s website must have 99.99% up-time to ensure visitors are never left wanting. It can be achieved by using simple plugins.
2. Free Website Edits
Changes are ubiquitous to development. Editing has to be done to incorporate new trends, resolve issues or even evolve the current code. Offer suitable editing opportunities to clients free of cost. This will not only make them subscribe but also improve your chances of getting it right in less counts.
3. WordPress, Theme and Plugins updates
Updates are a constant in WordPress development. Every now and then, a new update comes in for WP version, a plugin or even themes. The changes can bring technical issues that your client may not be able to handle on their own thus requiring expertise. Timely updates done with technical proficiency make sure the website runs right.
4. Automated Backups
Crashes occur all the time. What’s important is how you come out of it. With daily backups, the uptime and recovery time of the website improves significantly. Constantly changing marketing environment demands that your client quickly gets back up on their feet.
5. Website Security Setup and Monitoring
Latest standards of security including HTTPS and regular monitoring is vital. Hacking attacks are a result of non-updated WP versions or old plugins. DDoS attacks can occur in case of websites with ancient attributes. Surveillance of traffic helps identify the culprits and block them effectively. Firewall protection, performance optimization, version controls, SSL certification, staging websites, domain management are some more features to include.
6. Transparent regular reports
Monthly or weekly reports to your clients is an ideal way to not only report on vital matters but also connect for other related issues. Tabulated reports with details of all the issues ensure that concerns can be addressed timely in consultation with the client.
7. 24/7 Priority Email, Chat and Phone Support
Perhaps nothing is more important in WP support than the ability to be available in the time of crisis. It is crucial that 24/7 contact is maintained through one or more channels of communication. Technical expertise must be extended to the client within reasonable time to take prompt action. A dedicated small but expert team must be available as per different time zones.
8. Value Based Pricing
Pricing is, perhaps, the primary concern that your client has consulted you for support. The third party rates are higher out there and they are probably looking for something affordable that matches their requirements. It is critical that your pull something out of your hat to find middle ground. Value based pricing ideally solves this issue since you get your minimum rate and the client gets all the features he is looking for in a WP support package.
WordPress Support is a Treasure Mine, If Done Right!
It’s simple – offering WordPress support and maintenance services can add an extra $100-$200 per client every month! If you create the right customized packages for your clients individually, it can be a gold mine. It spares them the horror of selecting a third-party service and gives your clients the peace of mind.
When agencies just offer ‘plain Jane’ development sans the WP support services, they miss out on a huge opportunity. Be a one stop shop! You can not only increase your profits but also your bottom line significantly.
So, how are you going to start offering WP support and maintenance services to your clients? Let me know.
It looks like you’ve misspelled the word “experince” on your website. I thought you would like to know :). Silly mistakes can ruin your site’s credibility. I’ve used a tool called SpellScan in the past to keep mistakes off of my website.
-Kerri
Thanks for your comment Kerri, I’ve fixed it.