The website development and marketing agencies world is witnessing a significant shift toward a new model called Website as a Service (WaaS).
This model has become increasingly popular due to its cost-effectiveness, time-saving features, and ease of use, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.
This article will explore the WaaS model in depth, discussing its benefits, who is adopting it, and which part of the market they are capturing.
We will also provide insights into how to build a WaaS that can last a lifetime yet only take minutes to manage.
By the end of this article, you will clearly understand the Website as a Service model and the necessary toolset to create a successful WaaS.
Understanding WaaS
The Website as a Service (WaaS) model is a distribution model in which a service provider offers websites to customers as a service. This means that monitoring, maintenance, and technical updates are managed by someone else as part of a monthly plan.
The WaaS model is becoming increasingly popular, particularly among businesses with limited resources and without the in-house skills to create and maintain a website. WaaS providers offer a cost-effective and time-saving solution to website development and management.
The benefits of WaaS for businesses are significant. With a Website as a Service provider, businesses no longer need to invest in expensive website development or hire a marketing agency to build and maintain a website. Instead, they can pay a monthly subscription fee and access a high-performing, always up-to-date and secure website. This frees up resources and allows businesses to focus on other vital areas of their operations.
In addition, Website as a Service providers typically offer a range of templates and designs that businesses can choose from, which can further reduce the time and cost of website development. With WaaS, businesses can also benefit from expert technical support and troubleshooting, ensuring that their website is always functioning optimally.
Overall, Website as a Service provides a simple, cost-effective, and efficient solution to website development and management for businesses of all sizes. In the next section, we will examine why the WaaS model is gaining traction and who is adopting this new approach to website development.
The Need for WaaS
When it comes to building a website, businesses traditionally have two options. The first option is to create a website themselves using a content management system (CMS) like Wix or Squarespace, or investing some time in learning a visual builder such as Elementor or Divi. While this option is cost-effective, learning a new skill requires a significant time investment.
The second option is to invest in a custom solution by hiring a website development or marketing agency that is capable of building a website. While this option allows for a more tailored and sophisticated website, it comes with a hefty price tag and requires the business to take responsibility for maintaining and updating the website.
Both of these traditional options have downsides. Building a website yourself takes time away from the core functions of the business, and investing in a custom solution can be prohibitively expensive for businesses with limited resources.
This is where Website as a Service (WaaS) fills the gap. WaaS is a website distribution model in which a service provider offers websites to customers who subscribe to it as a service. This means that monitoring, maintenance, and technical updates are managed by someone else as part of a monthly plan.
Website as a Service is overwhelmingly attractive for any business that has few resources and doesn’t have in-house skills with relevant competencies. With WaaS, customers pay a monthly subscription and, in turn, do not have to worry about their website. They also have access to a dedicated support line to troubleshoot and develop anything they need for their website.
Pivot to a Websites for Service Offering
As we have discussed, the WaaS model is designed to allocate most of the mental bandwidth away from the end-user. This includes installing and paying for web hosting, web design and plugins, and making sure the website is up to date, secure and performs well. Now, let’s look at how agencies can leverage this model to pivot to a Websites for Service offering.
Instead of offering a traditional project-based approach to website development, agencies can create a Website Product that automatically sets up everything that they would usually do manually. They can then create prefab website templates that will eliminate the heavy design work at the beginning of a project and turn it into a portfolio potential customers can choose from.
Customers can browse through live demo versions of the agency’s work, and directly sign up when they decide to make the purchase. A complete, stand-alone website is spun up after the customer finishes the onboarding process.
It’s important to note that this stand-alone website can be visually improved later to become a unique piece of design. The website can stay technically completely the same, but be visually stunning and completely differentiated if desired.
Some agencies may have concerns about technical complexities with this approach, but a new innovation is making this as easy as developing any other website in WordPress.
The benefits of creating a Websites for Service offering are numerous. It can help agencies standardize their service offering, reduce project timelines, and scale their business more effectively. It can also provide a more cost-effective solution for businesses that don’t have the resources to invest in a custom solution.
Comparing WaaS to Traditional Models
In comparison to traditional web development models, WaaS and SaaS solutions offer several benefits. Here are some key differences between these models:
- Ease of use: With WaaS and SaaS solutions, users can easily set up and customize their websites without requiring advanced technical skills. These solutions offer intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop tools that make creating and editing website content easy.
- Cost-effectiveness: Traditional web development models can be expensive and time-consuming, as they require businesses to invest in servers, software licenses, and development resources. In contrast, WaaS and SaaS solutions are generally more cost-effective, as they offer subscription-based pricing and handle the hosting and maintenance of the website.
- Scalability: With traditional web development models, businesses must invest in infrastructure and software to support their website growth. With WaaS and SaaS solutions, businesses can easily scale up their website as needed without investing in additional hardware or software.
- Security: Traditional web development models can leave websites vulnerable to cyberattacks if security measures are not properly implemented. WaaS and SaaS solutions, on the other hand, typically provide robust security features, including automatic updates, malware scanning, and backups.
Overall, Website as a Service and SaaS solutions offer a more accessible, cost-effective, and scalable option for businesses looking to establish an online presence. By eliminating the need for advanced technical skills and expensive hardware and software investments, these solutions can help businesses get online quickly and easily.
Specifics of WaaS
Website as a Service (WaaS) is a model that provides businesses with a clear, optimized website without the need for extensive technical knowledge or resources. It is essentially an all-in-one package that includes website hosting, design, development, maintenance, and support, making it an ideal solution for businesses that don’t have the time or expertise to build and maintain their own website.
One of the key advantages of WaaS is that it provides a clear, fixed offering that makes it easy for businesses to understand what they are getting for their money. This can be particularly valuable for small businesses that don’t have the resources to invest in a custom website design.
Another advantage of WaaS is that it is optimized for performance, which means that businesses can expect fast page load times, high search engine rankings, and a smooth user experience. This can be particularly important for businesses that rely on their website to generate leads or sales.
When considering Website as a Service, businesses will need to decide whether they want a DIY service or a more personalized touch. DIY services provide businesses with the tools they need to build and maintain their own website, but may require a higher level of technical knowledge. On the other hand, services that include initial setup fees and monthly retainers typically provide businesses with more personalized support, which can be particularly valuable for businesses that don’t have the time or resources to manage their website on their own.
Conclusion
In conclusion, WaaS is an excellent option for businesses looking for a more cost-effective and efficient way to create and maintain their websites. However, to truly succeed in the fast-paced digital world, scalability is critical. As a business grows, it is important to have processes and systems in place that can handle an influx of customers and manage them effectively. This is where multi-tenancy comes in.
wildcloud offers a unique solution to all three scaling challenges of WordPress with multi-tenant cloud architecture. Businesses can automate every aspect of their processes by utilizing our API, from sales to launch. Our state-of-the-art infrastructure provides a user-friendly interface that allows businesses to manage and update their WordPress-based products centrally and safely. This opens up new opportunities for WordPress-based SaaS companies, empowering any WordPress creator with the ability to create complex applications.
Don’t let a lack of scalability hold back your WaaS business. Sign up for your free trial today and experience how easy it is to get started with wildcloud.