“HELP!” the subject line read.
Those are the worst emails, am I right? When they start with the word “help” and involve a heightened sense of alarm?
It was around 2011. I and my then business partner had completed a website build for this client—a pastor—a few months earlier, and as far as we knew, things were just fine.
Until they weren’t, as the story goes.
We had not been updating our client’s website. Back then that’s really not something you did. You would build a website, collect a check, then turn over the keys.
Of course, we made sure the church had appropriate access, told them how to update the site, and thought things would be just fine.
Things weren’t fine.
It was far from fine, actually. The website had been hacked (along with a few others on the same server) and blacklisted by Google.
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, it was automatically redirected to a pornography website. Not good.
Fortunately we were able to fix the issue. It took some doing and I would not want to do it again. I took that lesson to heart.
A Different Approach
Fast forward to late 2015 / early 2016 when NorthMac Services was started.
I had just taken a full-time job and was eager to build a side business. I started with a desire to work on Mac computers (hence the business name) but was quickly reminded that Macs don’t break that often.
Let’s just say the market was not great for me.
As I prepared to transition the business into web design, I thought back to that experience. I have to do something different.
That is when the concept of the Managed Website was born. This would not be like other websites.
“The other guys” build websites and then turn over the keys. If you’re lucky they’ll offer you a “maintenance” plan, but that feels like insurance.
And who wants to buy insurance?
No—this would be much different. We would plan to work together for the long term. You wouldn’t have to update your own website. We’d do it for you. You wouldn’t have to worry about security and hacks. We’d worry about it.
That was (somehow) 3 years ago now — what feels like an eternity.
We’ve learned a lot in that time, and the Managed Website concept is more important today than ever before.
Here are 3 reasons why you should consider a Managed Website for your business:
Reason 1. You are not a web designer
This is hardly controversial, but the fact remains that many business owners have fallen into the alluring trap that a website is easy to build and maintain on your own.
Actually, that’s not too far from the truth—but it’s an insidious trap nonetheless.
Why? Because you don’t need a website.
If all you needed was a website, sure, Wix and Squarespace would be fine. But most business owners aren’t looking for a new website—they are looking for a better business.
More customers, more email subscribers, more money, etc.
And those things can’t merely be accomplished with a new website. It’s not like a website provides the magic fix for these things. It takes the expertise of a team that knows how to craft a website to achieve those goals.
Now—that is true even working with a more traditional design firm. But the Managed Website takes it to the next level.
If you’re a business or executive leader, you shouldn’t be maintaining or updating a website either.
And yet—many of you fall into this trap often. Don’t do it.
While you are busy creating the results you’re responsible for inside of your organization, we are concerned with the health and effectiveness of your website.
That’s a world of difference. It keeps everybody in line, doing what they do best.
Reason 2. A website is alive
The old way of thinking about a website is like a house. You build it once then keep it from falling apart.
The problem with this thinking is that it is incorrect. A house has one job: Provide a safe dwelling for your family. It is not dynamic. It is static and largely unchanging.
You buy insurance and maintain it in order to keep it from falling apart. And that’s traditionally what buying a website and then purchasing a maintenance plan entails.
A Managed Website honors the reality that your website is alive. It has many different goals. It’s always adapting to a changing marketing landscape. What it does well today, it might do poorly tomorrow.
Things can change at a moment’s notice. Combine this reality with the fact that many web designers have a bad habit of ghosting people, and you have a nasty problem: No one is there when you need help the most.
It’s actually a two-part problem:
- You may not even know your website isn’t working because it isn’t being monitored
- When you need help, you have to make additional payment arrangements, get in contact with someone you haven’t spoken to in potentially a long time, etc.
Those problems disappear with a Managed Website.
We actively monitor not only your website but, depending on your service level, your marketing effectiveness. We might be aware of problems long before even you are.
And as you might expect, when that happens, we will be in touch. A Managed Website is fundamentally proactive instead of reactive.
Reason 3. The benefits of an integrated marketing partner
Traditionally, web designers are thought of as “outside service providers.”
That’s not really how we work. Even though we don’t technically become a part of your team, the way we work feels like it.
If you allow us, we become an integral part of your marketing operations and go far beyond the website itself. Ideally, we’d work with you to increase your presence on Google, get more reviews, communicate via email, etc.
And the Managed Website is a foundational part of that.
As a matter of fact—and you may not realize this—email, Google SEO, and reviews all fundamentally depend on a relationship with your website.
Treating it as separate leads to fragmented marketing and ineffective measurement.
Realizing that everything works together, and choosing an integrated marketing partner that can see the big picture and how it all works together, is crucial to an effective strategy.
Again—it’s like having an in-house team but without the additional overhead. That’s what makes it so powerful and effective.
Can we help you?
If you like the sound of this, we’d be happy to hear from you and see if it makes sense to work together.
Just fill out the contact form or set up a discovery call right from our contact page.
We look forward to the opportunity to make your business goals a reality!
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