Supporting WordPressCaring for your clients and community

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

I’m MasonI support WordPressSupport Team Leader, WPMU DEV

• Average 1500 unique topics (questions) per month and about 7000 posts in total.

• Team of 9 full-time support reps from across the globe

• Nearly 150 individual plugins and over a million downloads

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

• Let us think about WordPress so you don’t have to

• Management. Support. Peace of mind.

• You’re very own CTO

I’m MasonI support WordPress

CEO, WP Valet

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

Learn more!• WPMU DEV - http://premium.wpmudev.org

• WP Valet - http://thewpvalet.com

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

WordPress Support:Communities and Clients

1. The Case for Support

2. The Pulse of the Community

3. The Best Tools for the Job

4. The Importance of Metrics

5. Conclusion

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

You must know why you are providing support.

The ONLY reason to be involved is because you have a passion for them and a vision for the future.

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

@masonjames #wcnyc

The Case for Support

Tuesday, January 8, 13

Long-term customers and community equals long-term revenue & legacy

@masonjames #wcnyc

f + jg = $$$

Tuesday, January 8, 13

Publicly available support is fantastic for business.

The content is great for search engines and a long record of support will encourage new customers

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

The Pulse of the Community

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

Discover the persona of your online communityExactly who is your community?

•Quirky/Fun

•Intelligent/Thoughtful

•Passionate/Energetic

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

Engage!• Welcome new members

• Show them of ways they can be more involved

• Answer any questions in a timely fashion

Newsletters | Community Q&A Support | Social Media

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

Listen!• Ask for frequent, regular feedback

• What changes can you make to better the experience?

• Respond immediately and honestly when there is a problem

Polls | Customer Survey | Contact Form | Social Media

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

@masonjames #wcnyc

Use all types of media!No one wants to read long blocks of text. Use screenshots and how-to videos to explain the most frequently encountered obstacles.

Tuesday, January 8, 13

The Best Tools for the Job@masonjames #wcnyc

Tuesday, January 8, 13

REAL WordPress Hosting

WP Engine | Page.ly | Synthesis | zippykid

Advantages:

WordPress Updates | Backups | Security Audits

Players:

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

bbPress• Native Wordpress Support Forums

BuddyPress

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• Community Made Easy

Tuesday, January 8, 13

white-label support

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•Screencasts•Images•Copy

Re-usable copy and content savesyou time!

Tuesday, January 8, 13

Ongoing Maintenance and Plugin/Theme Updates• Manage WP - Update plugins/themes across

multiple installs from one incredible dashboard with one click

• WP Remote - Update

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

The Importance of Metrics@masonjames #wcnyc

Tuesday, January 8, 13

The edublogs story• 2007: Initially totally free

• 2008: “Upgrades” - Pay if you want

• 2010: Supporter - Pay for features

• Dedicated Server Admins

• Dedicated Support Sta!

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

WPMU DEV• 2009 - Forum Support (Dev, Designer,

Community responses)

• 2010 - First Dedicated Support Sta! (ME!)

• 2012 - Q&A, 24/7 Support, Live Chats

• 7 person team located across the globe

• Focus on Community

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

Conclusion

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13

@masonjames #wcnyc

Ongoing support is not optional.

It’s critical to your success.

Tuesday, January 8, 13

@masonjames #wcnyc

Happy clients = lasting business

Tuesday, January 8, 13

Thanks so much!Mason James

@masonjames

http://masonjames.com

http://premium.wpmudev.org

http://thewpvalet.com

Slides by Slidefix at http://slidefix.com

@masonjames #wcnycTuesday, January 8, 13