Designing, building, and launching a website is an exciting and sometimes exhausting process, and when it finally hits the WWW, it’s time for celebration.
But once the party’s over and the champagne’s gone flat, it’s time to get back to work. That’s because the internet is fickle and is constantly changing, and if your business doesn’t adapt quickly to those mood swings and operational changes, you’ll be left wondering where everyone went while you were chilling out.
Yeah, we hate to be the ones to tell you, but the work has only started. And that’s why smart businesses add Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to their online marketing plans.
SLAs are contractual agreements between the parties that specify the services to be provided and the costs associated with them. They’re pretty much what the name implies—an agreement between you and your e-commerce service provider for delivery of service and support for a fixed term at an agreed-upon cost. They allow businesses to plan and budget for ongoing site management, typically at a reduced cost compared to piecemeal work.
Rather than offering support and site maintenance on an a la carte basis, an SLA lets a client and service provider anticipate what it will take to achieve goals and structure a plan to provide those services and support at that level. It allows both the business and the support team to schedule the things needed to keep a site dynamic and productive instead of working from one crisis to another.
Another benefit is that an SLA is reduced in price over the standard hourly rate. The reduction can be as much as 23% when buying a large bulk of time in advance. Smaller incremental savings depend on the number of hours a customer purchases in advance under the SLA.
SLAs are tailored to individual clients’ needs, as well. Platforms like Magento® and ExpressionEngine® are periodically updated by their developers. Customers on those platforms include updates as part of their SLAs. Businesses with large product turnovers or seasonal needs know what will be needed to keep their lines up-to-date. And SLAs typically include a budget for unforeseen troubleshooting, maintenance and contingencies. These are all components of SLAs that are discussed and agreed upon before the Agreement is signed.
Beyond the cost savings—which can be considerable—SLAs offer the benefit of convenience. Clients with SLAs are typically assigned a management-level contact point in the company for simplified communication and immediate attention to their needs.
Service Level Agreements can cover a wide range of needs and are customized to offer the right amount of service that is consistent with a successful online enterprise and do so at a fixed cost well below standard rates.
The Unleaded Group has been a leader in e-commerce solutions for nearly 20 years. Service Level Agreements are just one of the ways we make sure our customers’ sites are some of the most productive in the crowded internet marketplace.
To learn more about Service Level Agreements, call us toll-free today at 855.865.3233 and find out how the Unleaded Group can add horsepower to your online business and simplify your life in the process.