Supporting WordPress Caring for your
clients and community @masonjames #wcnyc

I’m Mason I support WordPress
Support Team Leader, WPMU DEV • Average 1500 unique topics (questions) per month and about 7000 posts in total. • Team of 7 full-time support reps from across the globe • Nearly 150 individual plugins and over a million downloads @masonjames #wcnyc

I’m Mason I support WordPress
CEO, WP Valet • Let us think about WordPress so you don’t have to • Management. Support. Peace of mind. • You’re very own CTO @masonjames #wcnyc

Learn more! • WPMU DEV
- http:// premium.wpmudev.org • WP Valet - http://thewpvalet.com @masonjames #wcnyc

WordPress Support: 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 #wcnyc

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 #wcnyc

The Case for Support @masonjames
#wcnyc

Long-term customers and community equals
long-term revenue & legacy f + jg = $$$ @masonjames #wcnyc

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 #wcnyc

The Pulse of the Community
@masonjames #wcnyc

Discover the persona of your
online community Exactly who is your community? •Quirky/Fun •Intelligent/Thoughtful •Passionate/Energetic @masonjames #wcnyc

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 #wcnyc

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 #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. @masonjames #wcnyc

The Best Tools for the
Job @masonjames #wcnyc

bbPress •Native Wordpress Support Forums
BuddyPress •Community Made Easy @masonjames #wcnyc

REAL WordPress Hosting Advantages: WordPress
Updates | Backups | Security Audits Players: WP Engine | Page.ly | Synthesis | zippykid @masonjames #wcnyc

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 #wcnyc

The Importance of Metrics @masonjames
#wcnyc

The edublogs story • 2007:
Initially totally free • 2008: “Upgrades” - Pay if you want • 2010: Supporter - Pay for features • Dedicated Server Admins • Dedicated Support Staff @masonjames #wcnyc

WPMU DEV • 2009 -
Forum Support (Dev, Designer, Community responses) • 2010 - First Dedicated Support Staff (ME!) • 2012 - Q&A, 24/7 Support, Live Chats • 7 person team located across the globe • Focus on Community @masonjames #wcnyc

@masonjames #wcnyc

@masonjames #wcnyc

Conclusion
@masonjames #wcnyc

Ongoing support is not optional.
It’s critical to your success. @masonjames #wcnyc

Happy clients = lasting business
@masonjames #wcnyc

Thanks so much! Mason James
@masonjames http://masonjames.com http://premium.wpmudev.org http://thewpvalet.com Slides by Slidefix at http://slidefix.com @masonjames #wcnyc