Starting Out - Website Management

[jdwebmanagement]

Hi all,

I recently started my company doing Website Management and Maintenance (making changes to the website, adding content, blogs etc) for SME's as I feel it's a great way to save money and time and give the company time to focus on their business.

I was just looking for some opinions of the venture and if you felt it would benefit your business, or feel it is unnecessary.

Thanks,
James

 

[ryedale]

Have you had much experience managing client content before?

I think offering unlimited changes you will find yourself doing an awful lot for very little. You'll find yourself getting bogged down with one or two demanding clients and not being able to keep up others

I would lock down fixed plans on how much you'll do for the price or you are just asking for trouble when a client comes along with 100 pages they want adding each with about 50 images that have to be cropped, resized and then have to be laid out in a certain way.

Oh and then the client changes their mind 75% of the way through and decides they'd like them all laid out this way instead

Just based on my experience of clients and content!

 

[jdwebmanagement]

Hi ryedale,

I have a lot of experience with managing clients but from mostly web design jobs and projects so this is a little different but very similar in a way too. I totally get where you are coming from and I had the same view so I limited the changes to a certain amount of hours work per month. It is still unlimited changes to the point where they could ask for multiple change but only within that hourly bracket.

I think the big thing for me and it being a different approach to my normal web design is that if the service is seen as something people feel they can benefit from. I feel that companies could really same money if they utilise what I offer as opposed to 1-2 changes a month etc.

Thank you very much for your input, it is appreciated.

 

[JoshB92]

Hi James,

I can't provide a review of your website as they are reserved for full members, but I have a couple of thoughts on your pricing structure. Your cheapest package suggests you work for £5/hour. I understand the motivation to come across as cheap, but to prospective customers this looks like you don't value your work enough to be worth more, and this will put people off.

It would be far more time and cost effective for you to find one client that pays £500 than a hundred that pay £5.

By devaluing your services you're falling into a common starting pitfall - it's common to think 'I'll start small then charge more', but you'll never get a better rate if all your experience is in low value work.

 

[jdwebmanagement]

Hi Josh,

Thank you for you advice, I understand what you are saying. I think for this platform it's not as straight forward as looking at it as £5 an hour etc but would love to talk to you more after looking at what you offer. I have messaged you via your website.

Thanks,
James

 

[UseYourWeb]

there could be a business opertunity though UI would highly recomed you diversify and offer seo & design services to keep as many different revenue streams coming in as possible