Hi!
I am not sure if this is the best place to post my question but since it's service related, I figured I would start here.
I really enjoy putting together Wordpress websites for people but I am wondering what sorts of services that people offer along with design/setup for design customers. I have considered maintenance plans but when I started doing this for one person, I found I am at a loss to what I should be doing. So far, I have done Wordpress and plugin updates, and some minor edits as requested. \
Can anyone share what they offer for maintenance plans for their customers? Also, how do you bill for this type of work? I use PayPal but don't have the account where I can bill for subscriptions.
Thanks so much!
Vanessa Cox

One of the reasons clients opt for WordPress is because it is easier for them to update and maintain their own sites. When I put up WP sites, I offer training which is included in the site package itself. Some VAs offer additional support packages such as up to X amount of hours for extra support calls and questions.

However, that's not to say that VAs do not maintain WP sites, however, I have found this service to be included in the other services I offer which is typically for a retainer client.

Alot depends upon the clients' needs. If a client only needs a VA to update their blog weekly and add content regularly, this could be billed hourly or packaged...say xx amount of posts for XX amount of dollars.

You don't need the subscription plan for PayPal. You can send an invoice every 4 weeks.

I would suggest that you research VA sites who specialize in WP and see what maintenance packages they offer.

Janine

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Vanessa,
Over the years I have found that several WP Design clients really do want to maintain the site themselves but are scared of anything too technical so here's how my monthly maintenance plan works:
-I limit access to anything technical on the WP dashboard (No higher than editor, usually stick with Author)I have my own separate sign in with admin access.
-Payment is due before the 1st of the month for maintenance during that month. It is up to them to schedule and pay on time, no subscription needed- they don't pay, I don't do maintenance.
-I provide up to 3 5-minute fixes each month (adding/adjusting an image, switching out form code, etc.)
-I provide up to 5 emailed questions which are answered by email (ex, "How do I add a page?", etc.)
- I have regular backups automatically done and emailed to me which are saved on an external drive for safe keeping (I keep the last 3 backups just in case)
- Once a month I hop in and update WP and/or all plugins/themes as needed.
- Once updated I run a manual security scan (using a plugin)- I also have a monitoring service running at all times and I am notified if anything is amiss(I might do this 2x/month depending on size of site and how often content is added/changed)

That's the basics, obviously each client can have different needs so I adjust as needed but generally all of the above are included.
We can't discuss rates on the forum but I have a set hourly rate & I know how long all of this takes me to complete so I charge that as the monthly fee.

Anything over that is charged minimum 1hr at my normal hourly rate.

I have never had a client balk at my pricing when they see everything they DON'T have to worry about :-)

Hope that helps you,
~C

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~Christina|BD Mag|VOSTeam

Thanks Ladies!
Christina, what plugin do you use for a security scan?
Those answers help! I have found it's hard to figure out how to calculate rates that will be competitive but still have pricing that goes along with what I offer.
Thanks again!

Vanessa,

Plugin is "WP Security Scan". Once installed, register for an account and you'll have an "eye" on the site at all times.

~C

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~Christina|BD Mag|VOSTeam

Vanessa,

I offer basically the same thing as Christina as well as monitoring of up/down time and analytics reporting.

I too have found that while clients want to take the bull by horns in adding content to their site they just do not want to deal with the technical end of things.

I also work with ecommerce so many of my ongoing tasks with websites is adding products, updating discounts, integrating email marketing programs and such.

I have packages for the most part however I do have an hourly rate for those looking for one off items to keep their site in sync with their offerings.

Also, squeeze and sales pages are becoming a big requested service.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

That definitely clears things up for me. I think in general I have been offering these things to my one ongoing client but the other clients have been maintaining their sites on their own. However, I will be mentioning the security plugin so they are covered.
I haven't done much with ecommerce because I haven't found anything in particular that works best for me. I am converting my mother's site to Wordpress and just leaving it with Mals E-commerce because the codes/buttons are set up and the shipping is the way she wants it. The products are not going to be changing much so it works for now.
Thanks again for your responses!
Vanessa