jw may presentation
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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 [email protected]
(603) 801-0688