Please note this is Linked From our Main Article – 7 Things Clients Should Know When Building A Website
3 of 7 – Do I Need a SLA, Service Level Agreement for my Website or Software?
SLAs (Service Level Agreements) are recommended to ensure we minimise on-going issues and where possible address in advance – or in worst case scenarios, resolve quickly.
We know about problematic functionality as we see them frequently in warnings from our day-to-day research flags; for example; WordPress systems should constantly be upgraded to the latest versions as they come with security flaws; due to the number of people using WordPress – this system is a popular hacking target.
The complexity of a website will also add to maintenance and performance requirements. A simple brochure-ware site without a database or complex functionality requires very little long-term support. On the other end of the scale, large bespoke or unique software / commerce services like transactional, booking or buying functionality needs up to 24 hours of full-time monitoring and is built with these resources in-mind.
Small on-going SLAs are recommended for all clients, which can be turned down to monitor and perform obvious technology updates on a monthly basis. Or in times of outlier issues popping up, will rapidly deploy team members to address any irregular functionality.
Remember, emergency fixes are requested for many projects that do not have an ongoing service agreement. This will add additional time, costs and frustration where leads or conversions are lost to get your digital ecosystem back into pristine working order.