Help Your Small Business Client Maintain Their Own

WordPress Site

Jonathan May

Agenda

§  Introductions §  What This Is – and Isn’t – About §  The Four Steps to Self-Maintenance Nirvana §  Questions, Success Stories and War Stories

Introductions •  Who are you???

•  Freelance Website designers/developers •  Small business or not-for-profit people •  In-house IT guys •  Tool developers (themes, plugins, etc.) •  Not Sure/Other

Introductions, cont’d •  Who am I?

•  Currently a freelance Web marketer, designer, developer and chief-cook-and-bottle-washer at YourPresenceOnTheWeb.com

•  I have been programming, project managing, consulting and loving/hating everything to do with computers and software for over 30 years

•  Relatively new to WordPress…and loving it!

Hmmm… whatever happened to COBOL???

*COBOL => COmmon Business-Oriented Language

What This Is – and Isn’t – About

•  This is NOT about technology (very much)

•  It’s all about becoming a trusted advisor to

your client •  As a trusted advisor, you are:

•  More valued than a whiz-bang code jockey •  More likely to obtain follow-on business from a

client •  More likely to be referred to other clients

•  The catch: It doesn’t come easy

What This Is – and Isn’t – About •  The scenario:

•  You are a freelance Web designer/deverloper •  Joe’s Tax Service wants you to create a WordPress

site for them •  Joe is just getting started in business, doesn’t have

much cash flow, and – to keep ongoing expenses down – doesn’t want to pay someone else to maintain his Website

•  What should you do? a.  Jump right in and hope for the best – it’ll all work out b.  Walk away from this soon-to-be mess, or…. c. Take the Four Steps to Self-Maintenance Nirvana!

The Four Steps to Self-Maintenance Nirvana

1.  Evaluate the Risk 2.  Plan the Approach 3.  Execute the Plan 4.  Re-evaluate and Adjust

•  This is really “Consulting 101”

Pop Quiz #1

Q: Who is this guy???

Pop Quiz #1

A: Matt Mullenweg

Pop Quiz #2

Q: Who is Matt Mullenweg???

Pop Quiz #2

A: Matt Mullenweg is the original creator of

Step #0: Provide Some “Escape Clauses”

•  Build at least a modest amount of “warranty time” into your development agreement

•  Consider offering the client a “bare bones” ongoing maintenance and support agreement •  Small monthly retainer (perhaps at a discounted

rate) for a minimum number of billable hours •  Additional time supporting the site above and

beyond the minimum to be billed at your standard hourly rate

•  Minimum duration of 3 – 6 months

Step #1: Evaluate the Risk

•  Before you start the project, assess how risky it would be to have the client self-maintain the site

•  Why do that? •  WordPress is supposed to be the Website

development tool for the masses, isn’t it? •  Well, yes, but…

•  But it takes training, experience and some basic aptitude to avoid botching up a site

•  A botched-up Website will hurt the client’s business, and possibly your business, too

•  Before you sign up for this gig, determine if the level of risk is acceptable

Step #1: Evaluate the Risk

•  Scenario #1: Acceptable risk •  Site design is relatively simple, e.g, a basic

“brochure site” with •  6 – 8 pages •  A few key plugins •  Little/no custom code •  No e-commerce

•  No plans to make major changes/enhancements to the site immediately after launch

•  Site owner has some computer savvy

This could work!

Step #1: Evaluate the Risk

•  Scenario #2: Danger, danger, Will Robinson! •  Complex site design •  Owner will be depending on site to generate

significant revenue •  Big plans for ongoing enhancement of the site

after launch •  Site owner possesses little/no basic computer

skills or aptitude

Consider a different approach!

Comic Relief #1

Step #2: Plan Your Approach

•  Provide ways to reduce how much time they need to spend in the tool •  Example: submit posts via e-mail

•  Work with your client to determine how they will get the training and experience they need to become a self-maintainer •  WARNING: Do not attempt this with someone

who lacks basic computer skills/aptitude

Step #2: Plan Your Approach •  Plan the Training

•  Create a simple inventory of the set of skills the client must have

•  Focus on the 80/20 items •  Start early in the process

•  Training Resources •  Books (Lots of them available, but probably

better as reference guides) •  You (in a limited way only) •  On-line videos (now you’re talking!)

•  Free: wpapprentice.com and freewptraining.com •  NOT Free: lynda.com and wp101.com

Step #2: Plan Your Approach

•  Create a practice plan •  Set up a practice sandbox

•  To avoid conflicts with development, consider creating a site at wordpress.com

•  Start with simple exercises, move to more complex

•  Drive off the skills inventory with 80/20 focus •  Again, start early – “doing is learning”

•  Last but not least: Make sure the site owner buys into the plan!

Comic Relief #2

Step #3: Execute the Plan

•  Do regular progress check-ins with the client •  Have them show you the practice work they

have done •  Your role should be primarily to answer

questions and provide feedback •  Make sure any time you personally spend on

training them is focused on high-leverage topics

Comic Relief #3

Step #4: Re-evaluate and Adjust

•  If the client is really floundering or just isn’t making any progress… •  Time to “Have The Talk” •  As needed:

•  Step up training/practice efforts by the client •  Invest more 1-on-1 training time with the client •  Suggest re-considering at least a bare bones support

agreement

Comic Relief #4

Questions Success Stories, and

War Stories

Thank You!

For listening For sharing

For laughing (?) at the lame cartoons

Jonathan May jwmay@yourpresenceontheweb.com

(603) 801-0688