Website “Technical Support” is a myth, site management is a must

If you’re paying your web designer/developer for technical support, you’re paying for nothing. With the exception of someone actually going into the code of your web pages and changing something, the only thing that can go wrong with your website is if the server it resides on goes down, and that’s the responsibility of your hosting company – which is part of the reason you pay them.

Has your website company actually explained to you in detail what comprises the technical support you’re paying for? Do they actually show you documentation of the things they’re doing for you? Or did they give you a general statement such as “We keep your site running smoothly”? Did they tell you what could actually go wrong? Most likely not, since nothing can go wrong!

Website technical support is not to be confused with website management, which is a must if you want your site to be successful. Website management services can be contracted or done yourself, depending on the type of website you have and your interest in keeping the content of your site current – which anyone with a website should! But that’s a subject for another day.

If you have an HTML static type site – otherwise known as “old school” – the only way to change content is through coding, so odds are you will need help from your designer/developer. They may offer you a monthly management program, which you should consider based on the frequency of changes you anticipate having. You may be better off paying for the updates on an hourly or project basis when the need arises. Although making changes is technical in nature, this is not technical support!

If you have a dynamic website built on a framework such as WordPress, you’re in a far better position relative to content control, not to mention marketing and interacting with your site visitors. Dynamic sites almost always come with a content management system (CMS), which allows you to add, remove or change content effortlessly and in real-time.

A CMS interface is user-friendly, and fairly easy to learn. If you can use Microsoft Office, you can learn how to use your CMS, at least for the most common aspects of your site. CMS features do, however, run the gamut from basic to complex functions, and you may not have the time or interest in mastering them all. Once again, this is where your designer/developer can help by managing your site for you. The same management considerations as with a static site apply, monthly plan or al a carte? Choose wisely.

And cancel that technical support, right now.

John Wolforth
Fix Your Website NOW
617.365.2412
www.fixyourwebsitenow.com