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The WP Minute brings you news about WordPress in under 5 minutes -- every week! Follow The WP Minute for the WordPress headlines before you get lost in the headlines. Hosted by Matt Medeiros, host of The Matt Report podcast.
Eric Karkovack: Hi everyone.
And welcome to the WP Minute podcast.
I'm your host, Eric Karkovac.
On today's episode, we'll examine
the role website maintenance plays
in your freelance business or agency.
I think a maintenance contract is
something you can count on, even when
you're having trouble finding new
sites to build, they're increasingly
vital to our long term success.
So with that in mind, let's get started.
Why
WordPress maintenance could be
key for your freelance business.
The web design industry is maturing.
New projects used to be the lifeblood
of freelancing and companies spent
money on feature packed websites
to establish themselves online.
But those opportunities seem fewer
and farther between these days.
Now don't get me wrong, new projects
continue to be a moneymaker,
but there are fewer gigs to go
around and competition is fierce.
Relying solely on this strategy
is more challenging than ever.
I'm seeing evidence of
this in my business.
Prospective clients are more
likely to ask me about maintaining
their existing WordPress site.
rather than building a new one.
It's a disappointing
development on one hand.
Building a new site is the fun part of
this business as opposed to the messiness
of working with one built by someone else.
And even dealing with a site you
built years ago is no picnic.
This shift could have some
long term benefits though.
It may be key to a freelance business
that thrives into the future.
Let's talk about why maintenance matters.
There are a lot of poorly
maintained WordPress websites.
WordPress is still the most
widely used content management
system, but that doesn't mean
every site is well maintained.
Quite the contrary.
According to W3Techs, over 10 percent
of all WordPress sites are behind at
least a full version number, and only 71%
Running version 6 are fully up to date.
So yeah, there are a lot of
outdated websites floating around.
Granted, not every outdated
website is still needed.
Some were left to rot in cyberspace.
However, there are plenty of reasons
organizations fall behind on maintenance.
Perhaps their in house developer
is no longer in the picture,
or an agency dumped a site into
their lap without instructions.
These things happen.
Even with features like automatic
updates, outdated WordPress
sites are still out there.
That's not likely to change anytime soon.
That's an opportunity for
freelancers to come to the rescue.
It's akin to someone who hasn't
seen a doctor in a few years.
A full evaluation is needed
to find what needs fixing.
Our job is to diagnose any
issues and propose a cure.
Finding even a few of these
clients every year is beneficial.
You're adding cash flow and
connections to your coffers.
Building relationships
through website maintenance.
WordPress maintenance
isn't a one time thing.
It's weekly, monthly, and yearly.
There are no breaks in the action.
Site owners need a professional on
hand to look after their website.
A site that runs smoothly allows sales
and leads to continue flowing in.
That's too important to
ignore or leave to chance.
It's a good reason for freelancers
to offer maintenance contracts.
Not only does this give peace
of mind to clients, it also
provides recurring revenue and
builds long term relationships.
Both are essential pieces
to a healthy business.
The value of a good client relationship
can pay dividends for years.
It may start with a modest maintenance
gig, but it could lead to a lot more.
For example, you're the one
they'll call when it's time for
a redesign or a new feature.
A successful partnership
may also lead to referrals.
It reduces the effort required to find
new clients and helps your business grow.
You'll have more time to focus on your
to do list and less worry about where
your next project will come from.
A slower, steadier approach to revenue.
A constant stream of new site builds
makes your bank account happy.
Everyone loves getting
a big deposit check.
And the final payment after
launch feels even better.
It's a freelancer's dream.
It certainly was for me.
For the most part, shifting your focus
towards maintenance isn't as exciting.
Playing in the enterprise
sector may be the exception.
Those clients tend to pay well for keeping
their mission critical sites going.
There probably aren't enough of
those contracts for everyone though.
Otherwise, the payouts tend to be
lower and the work more mundane.
However, it's still a worthwhile trade.
You lose a few thrills while
gaining a lot of stability.
Economic uncertainty
can hit us at any time.
Maintenance work is
something we can count on.
The very nature of the
WordPress ecosystem ensures it.
New features are added to WordPress
Core, while plugins and themes evolve.
Server technology and
APIs don't stand still.
And yes, sometimes things break.
Who's going to fix them?
It also helps us know where we stand.
We know when this revenue is
coming, and we can plan accordingly.
And we can raise rates as needed.
A focus on maintenance
puts us in more control.
We can't predict every up and down
of our workload, but we can give our
business a solid pillar to stand on.
That has value.
Maintenance makes sense for freelancers.
Change is always difficult.
I've spent most of my career
looking for new projects and relying
on their near instant income.
I also scoffed at taking
on new maintenance clients
as it wasn't interesting.
That has changed in recent years.
There aren't as many startups
looking for new websites these days.
The small and medium sized
businesses I often work with
aren't spending like they used to.
Maintenance offers a way to
keep working with clients.
There are a lot of benefits.
There's satisfaction in helping a
client get their site in tip top shape.
I know what to expect
regarding client needs.
I'm also still in the loop.
when they want something bigger.
And oh yeah, there's
always something to do.
I don't worry as much about
booking new gigs, and it hasn't
stopped me from building new
sites when the opportunity arises.
Maybe focusing on maintenance is the
next logical step for freelancers.
After all, the web is already
a bustling metropolis.
Someone needs to look
after its many citizens.
Okay, that's a wrap on this
episode of the WP Minute.
So, how do you feel about
WordPress maintenance?
Is it becoming the bulk of what
freelancers and agencies do?
I've definitely seen a shift in my
business within the past few years.
Seems like the number of new
sites I build has gone down, while
maintenance is still an everyday event.
The balance has definitely been tilted.
Let me know what you think.
Find me on BlueSky at karks.
com, that's K A R K S dot com.
And be sure to visit us at thewpminute.
com slash subscribe to receive
our newsletter, subscribe to our
podcast, and become a member.
See you next time!