When you’re getting your website set up and everything is brand new, it’s easy to forget that all may not run smoothly. Support is an important element of your website plans and something you should consider from the get-go.
If you are going for an end-to-end WCMS solution, you should make sure that your provider offers a solid support base.
The company you deal with should be committed to both product and solution support. Find out whether they carry out research and technology development. It’s a good sign if they solicit feedback through user forums.
Keep in mind too, the future development of your site and consider the kind of upgrades and new technologies you may require. If you want to add sub-sites and additional users at a later date for instance, you need to know whether this will be possible. You would be wise to ask your provider the kind of costs you can expect in the future.
We spoke with Pete Stevens of GOSS Interactive, a CMS software and development company that also provides hosting, who says that the kind of support you go for will depend on how you like to work, how you’re going to work, and how much support you expect you’ll need. According to Pete, some companies will just hand you a printed manual and tell you to get on with it, and presumably, some companies are happy with this.
If this doesn’t sound like the kind of support you’re prepared to settle with though, check out our list of considerations. You should find out:
Whether support is provided by your WCM supplier or by a third party
Whether technical telephone support is provided
What kind of response times there are (check your service level agreement)
If support is based in the
If in-house staff training is required, and if so whether it is online, by phone or face-to-face
Whether upgrades of the WCMS are free (they generally are if you have a support contract)
The final word: check for limitations in your WCMS package before you settle with your provider. Otherwise, if things go wrong, you’ll be left with a costly problem.