In today’s fast-paced digital world, having a strong online presence is essential for businesses of all sizes. However, building and maintaining a modern website can be a challenging and costly endeavor.
Fortunately, a new service-based model is emerging that makes it easier and more cost-effective for businesses to create, host, and maintain their website: Websites as a Service (WaaS).
Read on to learn more about the service, its benefits, features, and more before deciding to include WaaS in your business plan.
What Is Website as a Service (WaaS)?
Websites as a Service (WaaS) is a subscription-based model that provides businesses with a complete website solution, including design, development, hosting, maintenance, and ongoing support.
Unlike the traditional web development process, which is a one-time project-based model, WaaS is an ongoing service that continuously improves and updates the website to meet the changing needs of the business.
WaaS is an ideal solution for businesses that do not have the expertise or resources to build and maintain their website in-house or those that want to focus on their core business activities while leaving the website management to the experts.
Advantages of Websites as a Service (WaaS)
Cost and Risk Reduction
The traditional web development process requires businesses to pay 50% of the project cost upfront and 50% at final delivery, which can be a significant upfront investment. Additionally, there is a risk that the vendor may not perform or not perform on time, which can result in further costs and delays.
In contrast, WaaS requires only a small initial cash layout, typically less than $200, and the ongoing service contract guarantees that the vendor will keep the website up-to-date and functional.
No Start or End Date
With WaaS, the website is an ongoing service that evolves and grows with the business. If a business has new marketing messages, product updates, or service changes, they can easily incorporate them into the website without any additional costs or delays.
Stunning Website
WaaS guarantees that businesses will have a website that they are proud of, without being pressured by time or extra costs if they change their mind on the design or content elements of the website.
Scalable as Business Needs Evolve
A traditional web development project can quickly become outdated, and businesses may need to invest in a new project to meet the changing needs of their customers. In contrast, WaaS can evolve and grow with the business, ensuring that the website is always up-to-date and scalable to meet the changing needs of the business.
Up-to-Date Marketing Messages
WaaS ensures that the website’s marketing messages are always up-to-date and consistent with other online and offline channels, helping to build trust and credibility with customers.
Access to a Pool of Designers and Developers
WaaS provides businesses with access to a pool of designers and developers who specialize in different areas of web development, such as mobile design, mobile development, UI design, and payment gateways.
Hosting, Domain Settings, Maintenance, and Uptime
WaaS providers handle all aspects of website hosting, domain settings, maintenance, and uptime, ensuring that the website is always up-to-date and functioning correctly.
Customer Service
In the event of website issues or bugs, WaaS providers offer customer service and support to resolve the issue quickly and efficiently.
Benefits of WaaS over Traditional Web Design and Development
By subscribing to a website as a service plan, your company decides your website’s development level and progress. With these plans, you can account for new technologies in the market, changes in preferences, and any sort of hiccups within the development process. A WaaS plan allows for an open relationship between your provider and company.
While it might seem like you’re spending more on a WaaS program than a typical site build, that isn’t necessarily the case. Instead of paying for a lump sum for a well-built, organized website, you spend a smaller amount for setup and monthly fees for WaaS. The monthly range can also vary due to specific requests regarding upgrades or specialized features.
Another benefit of a website as a service system is that there is ongoing support with this type of partnership. Other development companies might not offer this perfected and consistent support, which can lead to headaches and miscommunication in the longterm performance of the website.
With a superior WaaS system, your web project has no start or end date. This allows your website to truly evolve with your business.
What WaaS Should Include
A successful WaaS includes all levels of support that lead to a successful website.
Not every single website as a service provides the same type of offerings, but a majority of them will touch on these elements.
- Initial website design and development of your website
- All aspects of securing your website, which include server protection, browser assistance, and any fraud-related prevention.
- Any sort of updates that can include regular updates, testing, and ongoing functionality improvements.
- Hosting support that involves the server environment your website and all of its files live.
- Regular backups that help your website get back up and running quickly if something goes wrong.
- Any design updates that impact the freshness of your website’s frontend.
- Ongoing support and maintenance ensure your website matches the level of service you provide to your customers and ensures that everything is running smoothly.
- It is important to note that WaaS plans can be adapted to the user’s needs. If you find that hosting support or backups aren’t necessary, you can coordinate the fine details with your service provider.
Who Should Use WaaS?
In today’s digital age, every business needs a website to remain competitive. However, not all businesses have the expertise or resources to build and maintain a modern website. WaaS is an ideal solution for businesses that:
- Want to focus on their core business activities
- Do not have the expertise or resources to build and maintain a website in-house
- Want to ensure that their website is up to date and converts visitors into buyers
- Want to control costs and mitigate associated risks
Why Is Website Design Important to WaaS?
Web design, along with ongoing frontend design updates, is crucial for a successful website as a service relationship.
Interactive elements and other creative content have become staples in the evolving world of web design. To keep up with your competitors, it is key to have a WaaS system that keeps all of these in mind.
How WaaS Can Help Your Business Scale and Thrive
The Websites as a Service (WaaS) model represents a significant shift in the way businesses build and maintain their online presence.
By adopting this approach, businesses can reduce their financial risk, improve their scalability, access a pool of expertise and resources, and receive ongoing customer service and support.
WaaS is the future of website development, and businesses that embrace this model will be well-positioned to succeed in the digital age.
If you’re interested in learning more about WaaS and how it can benefit your business, please contact us to book a free consultation.
