A website is a living breathing, thing that needs constant care and attention — kind of like a plant, but you don’t have to have a green thumb to do it. Let’s face it: your website will never really be done. It’s not a static entity, meaning it’s always evolving, changing, and adapting. This is a good thing! Especially when you think of it in terms of efficiency. That’s where Website as a Service (WaaS) comes in. It’s similar to Software as a Service (SaaS), whereby a third-party provider hosts software applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet.
Website as a Service (WaaS), similarly, is a single monthly fee covering the design, development, hosting, maintenance, and updates that every website needs, especially websites in the home health sector. If you have a residential care facility, your website would greatly benefit from WaaS, and here’s why.
Basically, you get everything you need to create (and keep) a professional web presence all in one package. All you have to do is pay a small setup fee, the amount of which will depend on the size and complexity of your website. Then, you just have to pay a monthly fee for a specified term.
Benefits of WaaS
We understand your situation as a residential care facility owner. You want and need a beautiful, functional website for your business but you likely have a strict budget, as well. This is just one of the benefits of WaaS. In fact, WaaS is more affordable than a custom or even a DIY site! The process is simple: pick a plan and design, specify the features you want, supply the information needed to populate the website, and then launch.
With a WaaS, you get:
- Industry experience and expertise
- Professionally written content
- Affordable setup and monthly payments
- Easy launch
- Easy maintenance and updates
- Access to many beautiful designs
Let’s drill down into some more details.
WaaS also gives you:
Constant Development
Just like meat and milk, websites have an expiration date. That date gets shorter and shorter as technology evolves. With WaaS, you can continuously update and add new features to your site so it stays relevant, current, and technologically up-to-date.
Your website will allow prospective patients, referral sources, and potential employees 24×7 access to important information about your residential care company. With a properly managed website, you can extend your brand online by letting people know what you do, who you are, and what clients are saying about you.
Latest Designs
Your website has to function well, have fast page loads, and feature easy navigation, but it also has to look good. That’s why having access to the latest design trends is so important. A stagnant design will fall out of favor with your visitors really quickly and knock the perception of your professionalism down a few notches.
Security and Support
If something goes wrong, you need help or your site is breached in some way, you have access to the expert help you need – fast. You can’t leave security up to chance. More than 40 percent of cyberattacks target small businesses, yet only 14 percent are prepared to defend themselves. Sadly, these incidents cost businesses $200,000 on average, with more than half of all small businesses suffering a breach within the last year.
So why do you need WaaS?
For one thing, it’s a more personalized, fluid way of managing your online presence. For another, it gives you peace of mind knowing you’re paying one low price for everything, which would be cost-prohibitive if you were to do things piecemeal.
Keep in mind:
- Websites don’t last forever. Just like software, the survival of any given website is limited. It’s not a “set it and forget it” entity! Your website is essentially at the mercy of the latest design trends, new technologies, business plan evolutions, and browser standard updates.
- Your website will eventually become obsolete. There are no two ways about it: change is inevitable. When you own and maintain your own site, this can prove to become extremely expensive over time.
- Most people have no clue how to run a website properly. Are you one of those people? Would you rather be putting your time and energy into building your residential care business? Of course you would! A support service for those who manage their own content is very valuable.
- Security is a big concern when running a website. If your connection is not secure, your site will be vulnerable to hackers who may steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, keystrokes, or patient details.
Just as with any other business or industry, you have competitors. By ignoring key markers for online success, it’s easy to drop the ball and inadvertently lose clients to competitors in your area. It all starts with an easy to create website.
Contact A Servant’s Heart Web Design and Marketing
To learn more about why WaaS is a wonderful thing for your residential care facility, contact us at (760) 227-2720. We have some good news coming in next week’s blog all about our new venture Assisted Living Boost which is a WaaS designed for your specific industry. Assisted Living Boost is a division of A Servant’s Heart Web Design and Marketing, an exciting new offering by president Tim Colling who brings 30 years of experience to the table.
