Why Do You Need Website Support?

When speaking with clients, we encourage them to see and treat their website like a car: in its infancy it is brand new, has the latest technology and all you need to do to maintain it is fill it with petrol (in a website’s case, images, content and blogs) to keep it running.

As time goes on and you start to clock up the miles, it’ll need more care and attention with regular servicing and, after 3 years, a MOT every year to ensure it’s road safe. A website is no different – it should be constantly updated by the experts, and evaluated yearly to ensure it’s functioning to the best of its ability.

So why am I telling you this? I want to outline below why a website support contract is vital to your business, just like a service/MOT contract for your car. It helps eliminate mistakes, and gives you peace of mind.

Human Error

A website is an evolving entity, that you should be able to update and add to as often as required. However human error can come in to play – you may forget your password, you may upload a link that’s broken or you may inadvertently delete something and not be able to fix it. A website support contract will help fix all of these to help eliminate the effects of human error quickly.

Updates

In addition, technology is constantly changing (see our recent article on some of the more recent shifts in web development), and your website needs to move with the times. If you run an open source platform, you may be able to install some updates yourself, however these can often have a knock-on effect on any plug-ins or widgets that are installed. Therefore, you may need to call in some help anyway – potentially expensive help. Technology is not the only thing that moves quickly e.g. the recent introduction of GDPR laws is an example of legislation driving changes online. Your digital partner should proactively ensure you are up to date and compliant with the latest changes, allowing you to concentrate on your own business.

Expertise

You wouldn’t start fiddling with things under the bonnet of your car without any prior knowledge of car mechanics, so why would you do the same for your company website? Particularly if you rely on it as part of the sales process to generate valued revenue? By entering into a partnership with experts in web design and development, you will save yourself time, money and headaches by ensuring your site is fully functioning.

Most Cost Efficient

When you take out a support agreement with Big Red, you have full peace of mind that any issues you come across will be prioritised and handled by our team in a timely manner. If you don’t take out a contract, we will of course help. However we will be unable to prioritise your issue over our support paying customers and any time spent investigating your enquiry will be chargeable. Also, if it takes a developer 20 mins to fix the problem, you’ll be charged the full hour, whereas when you have an agreement in place, only 20 mins will be logged against your enquiry. This is a much more cost effective option for our clients, and allows them to spread the cost over a period of time, managing cash flow.

Security

Probably the most important aspect of website support is the security you’ll get. It is vital to support yourself against hacking, which can decimate a business in a very short period of time. Here at Big Red Digital, we are subjected to penetration testing by the DWP, with constant feedback, allowing us to recognise any potential area that needs amended and sharing this across our platform immediately.

As a business who pride ourselves on being a true web partner with our clients, we don’t develop a website without a support contract in place. It allows us to proactively manage our clients, always giving them the best level of support and allowing them to concentrate on their business. See it in action here.

If you’d like to gain that piece of mind, contact me now to start the process of becoming a fully supported customer.