These days, most businesses can’t survive without some sort of online presence. Basically, if you’re not online, you might as well not exist. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have the time or desire to manage your own website. For businesses without an in-house marketing team or webmaster, a website management company comes in handy.
Your website manager will help you build and maintain a website that accurately represents your business. Many business owners are uncomfortable choosing a website management company, and understandably so. Website management isn’t your area of expertise and you may not know what to look for. Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing a website management company.
Do they provide the right services?
Website management companies can provide a whole range of services including:
- Website building
- Updates
- Security management
- Content updates
- Content creation
Some also bundle in social media management for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social accounts. If you don’t need social media management, you shouldn’t be paying for it. You also shouldn’t let your website management company convince you to use social media accounts that aren’t right for your business.
A basic website management package should include regular updates and security management. Both keep your website up to date and safe online. Most also include content updates, meaning that if you want to add some new information or switch out a picture, you just send the content to your website management company and they put it online.
There is a difference between content updates and content creation. Content updates are provided by you or someone on your team. Content creation is new content developed by the website management company.
If you need help creating content, you might turn to your website management company for that as well but keep in mind, they might not be the best business for the job. Some website management companies use the same basic text and images across multiple websites in the same industry. This results in poor search engine ranking for you and a negative experience for clients.
The person writing content and choosing images for your website should take the time to get to know you and your business. As much as possible, they should use actual photographs of your business and its customers. With personalized content, you can build a more personal relationship with your customers. If your website management company doesn’t provide personalized content, you might consider hiring a freelance copywriter or blogger instead.
What do they charge?
The best website management companies will create a custom package for your business including only the services you need. That means cost for website management can range from a few hundred dollars a month to thousands of dollars a month. Shop around to find someone who meets your budget while providing the services you need.
Are they attentive?
Many website management companies seem attentive at first. Their salespeople push hard to get you to sign a contract. Then, as soon as the contract is signed and the website is up, they disappear. The best website management companies will regularly contact you to make sure that you’re happy with your website. The best way to tell if a website management company is attentive is to ask their current and prior customers.
Where are they located?
Although a website management company can work from anywhere, it’s often easier to have someone who is within easy driving distance – or at least in the same time zone. When your website management company is close by, representatives can come to your business location to gather information, take pictures or just check in and make sure all is well.
If they’re in the same time zone, they’re reachable by phone during your business hours and can quickly address any questions or website edits you may have.
And of course, we believe that local businesses should support each other, which is why we prefer to work with local website management companies whenever possible. Although Technology Solutions doesn’t offer website management services, we’re happy to recommend professionals who do. We have a short list of trusted partners who who delivered quality work for our clients in the past. Call us today for a recommendation.
