We talk a lot about the value of having a SaaS Enterprise Publishing Platform (EPS). Without one, you can’t begin to execute a digital-first strategy or grow your revenue streams. Most business owners certainly recognize that having a website is imperative, but it’s hard to think beyond just getting it designed, up and running. That in itself can feel so daunting that we often avoid looking further down the road and realizing that our website should actually be an ecosystem—one that changes and evolves, constantly. When you think about it, that makes a lot of sense, after all, the world of BtoB publishing is constantly doing the same thing—you have to keep up. That’s why a new or redesigned website should come with attentive, high-touch support. Without it, you are hard-pressed to fully realize the potential of your EPS.

Customer support shouldn’t be an afterthought. Here’s why: 

• Ongoing Orientation: Say you have this nifty redesigned site and your SaaS provider has given you an orientation. The site is multi-featured—with the capacity you asked for, but an hour into the orientation, you are saturated. It’s inevitable: we can only absorb so much information at once. When it comes time to use that taxonomy tool, you may remember that it was covered in training, but you can’t for the life of you make it work. If you have an EPS with built-in support, it’s no problem to just contact your support desk and get the info you need, when you need it. If you don’t, there is no guarantee when you will get the assistance you need, nor how much it will cost you.
• Tailored Assistance: Your business is unique, and hopefully, your EPS and website reflect that. When you have a site and platform built to suit your needs and to target your audience, it only makes sense that you should have someone who understands those unique qualities, intimately, standing by to help if you when run into a challenge or need to make changes or upgrades. That kind of support goes beyond simply “putting out fires,” it is a proactive approach to website management that enables your support staff to advise you of the best course of action or options that will work for your business.
• Active Data Employment. You’ve heard plenty about what deep data can do for growing and engaging your audience. But, what good does having all your data in one place do, if it isn’t put to work? When you have built-in support for your EPS, you also have another set of eyes watching your site. That data tells your support person what is working and what isn’t for you. It tells them how they can help you maximize your ROI.
• Constant Care, Not Lost Opportunities. Sure, you should absolutely celebrate when your new website goes live! But that website needs constant care to keep it alive and thriving. Whether it needs new plug-ins, SEO updates, new features, better security, social updates, improved mobile responsiveness—there is always something to update or improve upon.  You could hire someone else to do it, or assign it to your own IT staff, but it’s a full-time job. Why not have the people who developed your website continue to support you? Why not let your IT people focus on other innovations and requirements for staying up to speed? Otherwise, you will constantly face the stress of limping along just to stay in front of your audience, instead of being able to focus on what you do best: engaging your audience with compelling, high-value content.

So, next time you are inclined to forego on ongoing support, take a little time to think about what lies ahead. It could mean the difference between just staying afloat or blazing into the future.