If you are in charge of a busy and growing website then you may be paying for professional website management services.
Many companies will try to manage their websites internally and it usually falls in the lap of an admin or marketing executive.
Although these roles may understand what the website needs in terms of content and messaging, they mostly don’t have the technical expertise on managing a website or CMS (content management system).
For example, many websites are built on WordPress, and although the learning curve is not very steep, you can quickly find yourself having to deal with server errors, plugin conflicts, speed issues and more.
That’s why hiring a website management company can significantly reduce issues your team may face.
The overall cost saving of hiring a website management company compared to doing it yourself can be in the thousands of pounds annually.
The benefits are therefore obvious: less time wasted on solving technical issues, having a team of experts supporting you, and a faster resolution to problems.
What does a website management company do?
Website management or maintenance typically comprises of:
- Fixing technical issues and errors on your site, such as white screens, internal server errors, conflicts and more.
- Making sure plugins and CMS files are kept up to date.
- Resolving plugin conflicts and other bugs.
- Keeping the server running smoothly.
- Help to resolve issues with email.
- Adding or updating content to the website.
- Doing SEO updates such as speed enhancements.
- Providing advice and guidance.
Providers will usually offer different tiers so you can choose the level of support which suits you.
A good website management company will be responsive to your needs, and be invested in your project.
They will show care and attention when working on your tasks, and also consider each task in context so you are not just wasting money on things that are not beneficial to the overall aim of the website.
Cost of time spent debugging website issues
Types of website management
WordPress website management
WordPress is an amazing system with which to build websites.
It is highly flexible, open source, amazingly supported and easy to start off with.
It’s no wonder millions of websites are built using it.
However, if you are not familiar with databases, PHP or servers you may find yourself stuck from time to time.
A WordPress management company should be able to debug and resolve a range of errors and conflicts you get.
They should also be able to install and configure the plugins your website will use, as well as keep the website running smoothly.
Other common issues they may help with include:
- SSL issues
- Email deliverability
- Website speed improvements
- Integrating third party tools
If you have a small website which is not updated often then you may not require extra maintenance services.
However, it is important to note that your website is your shopfront on the internet, and if it goes down or is out of date, it won’t reflect too well on your business.
It can often be a good strategy to pay a professional to keep it running smoothly.
Ecommerce website management
Ecommerce can be very time consuming and intensive so it makes sense to have support on running your website.
We have worked with entrepreneurs who have done amazingly well with ecommerce, and those who have managed to go in reverse as well.
The key elements here are:
- Getting high quality support when you need it most
- Understanding what is important to work on, and what can be left out
- Having a solid technical understanding of your ecommerce platform
- Assistance with marketing and onsite messaging
- Have a good grasp of order conversion, upselling, and your customer journey
Compared to a normal website, maintaining an ecommerce site is far more involving.
Your website management team will cover a broader range of skillsets and everything is driven by one thing – how many sales you are making on the website.
Without the right level of support you can suffer from burn out, lack of direction, and loss of sales.
Custom website support
Finally there are custom-made websites or portals which require a more tailored level of website support.
These may require specialist knowledge of a particular coding stack such as LAMP or MERN.
In these cases the website management services will be very much customised to your project so you will need to find a partner who is communicative, reliable and hardworking.
It is tempting to cut corners and go with a cheaper provider, but what you really need is a high level of expertise which will reduce downtime and fix errors quickly.
Common issues which may arise
There are many issues but the most common ones are:
Slow and unresponsive support – this could be due to having a high workload or lack of resource.
Lack of expertise – you need to ensure your provider has the skillset to complete your tasks to a professional standard.
Tasks are rushed and not checked – quality control is very important, as is attention to detail.
Being inflexible – sometimes you may not get a tailored level of service if you need it.
Tips on improving how you work together
So based on all of the above, choosing the right website management company for your business is vital.
The team need to have the right type of people to handle your tasks, have a good level of organisation and control, and be able to respond to your requests in a timely and efficient manner.
Having said this, there are definitely some things you can do to help keep the process smooth and get the best out of your provider:
Don’t leave things to the last minute
You would be surprised by how many ‘urgent’ requests we get which are only urgent because the client decided to leave things til the last minute.
In the vast majority of cases, these urgent issues could be avoided with better planning and care.
Therefore you should always make sure to send requests in a timely manner.
Be prompt and clear
Communication is also very important.
In the modern world of business we rely heavily on WhatsApp, email and voice notes.
However, it can be very easy to send messages, which are then over-turned, and a constant glut of conficting messages will only serve to confuse your management team.
Therefore, don’t rush and instead consider each task in its entirety before moving forward.
Don’t make false promises
Don’t promise unless you’re going to do it
We understand everyone is busy and as soon as one call ends another starts.
However, we find in our work that many times delays occur because we’re waiting for client information or whatever is sent to us is incomplete.
If you need help then mention it, and if you are going on holiday next week then maybe you shouldn’t promise to send us a huge list of products this weekend.
Be realistic in your expectations
Many times, clients can get into the habit of demanding too much without thinking things through.
If you want to save money and pay less, then you may not get the level of attention you actually need.
On the other hand, if you expect a priority level of service, then there may be a premium attached to it.
By being realistic you can also ensure your provider is on the same page as yourself.
If you’re not happy, just go elsewhere
One of the most important words of advice we always give.
If you are not happy with your existing service provider, just take your business elsewhere.
It’s a far better strategy than just complaining, and if your management team isn’t able to adapt to your business needs, then it’s time to find someone else who will.
Why choose us
At StudioRav we’ve got a wealth of experience in working with all manner of clients, large and small.
We know what makes a company tick, and we know how to work with busy, demanding entrepreneurs.
We also understand how we can help you become more efficient, and therefore have less stress over website management tasks which you shouldn’t need to.
Our team is flexible, professional and always looking to help you.
With our knowledge and background, we can guide you in a way that is both supportive and productive.
Get in touch today to discuss your project, and learn how we can help.