While WordPress is a power player in the world of content management systems, it’s not free of vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities cause 41% of attacks on the platform.
This reason is what makes WordPress care businesses profitable nowadays.
Since lots of people run their online businesses using the CMS, they will need all the help they can get to keep their sites safe and secure.
However, the question is not why you should start this business. Rather:
Is it worth it to start one?
You can break down this question into smaller ones, which we will ask and answer in this post.
This way, you get a clearer picture of what’s in store for you in this business and help you get into the right mindset.
Let’s start!
1. “Will this be my core business?”
There are two ways to play this out:
Do you plan to make WordPress care your core business? Or do you prefer to make it just an extension of an existing business?
Newt Labs started as a WordPress Design and Development company, then transitioned into WordPress care after realising that once clients had a site built they needed support and maintenance to keep their sites secure and effective.
Either way, you need to get to the bottom of this subject. And whatever your decision is, that’s where you should focus.
If you decide to make your WordPress care business as your core business, you need to drive most of your focus into it. You should go all in and devote your time and effort into its growth.
So, let’s say that you also offer content writing services. If you want to make WordPress care your primary business, you need to decide that 80% of your focus goes into WordPress care. And that content writing will take the backseat and end up being the remaining 20%.
Remember, the majority of your income will come from your core business. So it would help if you put it on top of your priorities.
Don’t feel so strongly about making your WordPress care business the main channel of earning your income? Then you can let it merely serve as an extension of what’s already your core business, or you can white-label it.
2. “Will I host the websites?”
Some of your prospective clients are looking for better web hosting solutions for a variety of reasons. So as a WordPress care provider, you need to answer this crucial question.
The easiest route is to offer suggestions on which web host they should move their site. If their web host is making their site load slower, for instance, it’s time to help them move to another one.
At this point, you can assist them in migrating their website to another hosting platform. Most popular WordPress hosting providers offer the migration for free or at a minimal cost. Either way, your job is to facilitate the transfer smoothly.
Of course, the choice of hosting depends on how much traffic the site is generating.
For example, your client’s WordPress-powered site welcomes 100,000 monthly visitors. Therefore, advise them to turn to a dedicated WordPress host that can accommodate a high-traffic site better.
For businesses who require dedicated resources to help get the most out of their WordPress sites you can consider hosting the sites yourself, however you need to be comfortable working on the command line in order to optimise servers for WordPress and you need to be able to navigate and troubleshoot when settings need adjusting.
For clients that want inexpensive shared hosting you can suggest managed WordPress hosting service providers such as Kinsta, WP Engine, and SiteGround.
However, you can also white-label and resell these hosting platforms under your brand. This way, you’re technically selling web hosting as part of your services.
The advantage of hosting as a service is you can earn more compared to advising them to host on which platform. You can bundle your WordPress care services but suggest they move their site to your hosting.
However, whenever problems arise from their website related to their hosting, they’ll call you instead of the platform you white-labelled. This shouldn’t be a problem if you have a support team to accommodate inquiries. However, being at the mercy of your clients for every website issue takes a toll on you.
Newt Labs hosts their websites in house in order have full control, this way if the worst was to happen they can fix any problems fast without having to rely on a 3rd party.
Consider these things when thinking about hosting client sites.
3. “What services should I offer?”
Administrative and security services are examples of what you can offer with your WordPress care business. You can provide plans for daily, weekly, and monthly site maintenance, too.
It’s your call as to which services you’re willing to provide. And before you offer a service, you need to consider these factors:
- Level of expertise – If you’re not an expert in an area, it’s best not to include it in your list. It would help if you didn’t deal with situations that involve more knowledgeable clients.
- Willingness to go the extra mile – Always give 100% of your effort when providing a particular service. And be willing to do more. It can earn you respect, as well as more clients in the long run.
- Does it help reach other business goals? – Is your other business goal about meeting a high financial standard? Then you might want to avoid offering less profitable services.
Newt Labs offers a free 7 day email course, which will run you through the core services you should be providing as a WordPress care provider and gives examples of some of the tools you can use to provide these services.
4. “How much do I need to invest?”
For your WordPress care business to operate seamlessly, you need to be willing to shell out cash.
For one, you might want to keep it well-maintained with updated themes, plugins, and more. And to use premium tools for your client sites, you may need to subscribe to Agency plans, which can clock in at over thousands of pounds a year.
Using free plugins and themes on a client’s WordPress site is okay to an extent. At some point, however, you need to provide them with premium tools that match your premium services.
Let’s put it this way:
You’re asking your clients to invest in you. If you don’t want them to have issues about giving you their money, why should you have concerns about investing in a product?
Besides, did you know that free plugins are a significant source of vulnerabilities? These tools account for 54% of the global WordPress vulnerability count.
That said, installing free plugins is not always a smart move. And unless it is necessary, it’s best not to depend on free plugins.
Newt Labs subscribes to various premium plugins and includes them in their WordPress care plans to provide clients with extra value.
Remember, your objective in running a WordPress care business is to cater to companies that need help. The idea is that you would want them to have peace of mind as you take care of their site.
5. “Am I willing to provide support?”
So if you’re planning to win over your clients, a path toward it is to provide support.
73% of consumers are in love with brands that have friendly support services. That’s more than the majority!
Troubleshooting and code support are examples of the support services that you should be willing to give. And what you can do is this:
Include hours for providing technical support in the plans you will be offering.
Just bear in mind that providing support takes time so if you don’t manage your time well it could end up consuming the majority of your focus. Ensure that your days are well planned out by separating time for support and maintenance, so you can provide a good service and grow your business.
You may also want to plan for later by allowing some funds to build up in the business in order to invest in an extra pair of hands later on when support starts taking up all of your precious time.
Conclusion
A WordPress care business is like running almost any kind of business: it requires patience.
And while you can’t wait to dive into success, you need to accept that getting there could take time. Months — or even years — might pass by before you can reap the benefits of all your hard work.
But regardless of the waiting period, what you can do is make informed decisions on how you want to proceed with your WordPress care business. The questions above should help you understand what you’re going up against so you can decide which route to go.