When you buy a website what is it you expect to get?

9th February 2009

In your mind, are you buying a 'product' or a 'service'. It's easy to see a website as being an extension of 'boxed software' and approaching the process with a 'product' mentality.

However I would humbly suggest that the more successful web projects are approached with a 'service' mentality, and an understanding that any web development process is exactly that, a process.

A product is defined. A service is flexible.

Don't get me wrong, it's important to set out clear agreed objectives for any project. But there also needs to be a clear support mechanism communicated up front, so that the client understands their cost of ownership at the outset, ensuring they don't end up with a website they can't maintain.

From my experience, the most successful websites are the result of a long term relationship and involve open discussions with a consultative component that allows us to be proactive about where we can see scope for improvement, aesthetically, technically and from a marketing perspective.

It was to this end we created our Virtual Webmaster Service: firstly to address the lack of a webmaster within our client's organisations; to allow us the scope to proactively make a positive impact on the success of our clients websites.