It’s a common strategy among organizations, especially large companies, to hire a third-party agency and get them in charge of an entire department. eCommerce companies, for example, would often outsource customer support to an agency specializing in that service.
Essentially, it’s an approach that exchanges time with money—you pay the agency to perform tasks that your employees would have otherwise spent their time on.
While, in theory, you can outsource every aspect of the company, it’s often not a good idea. For one, it can be financially demanding. Put simply, you must be strategic in what service to outsource.
That’s where the website support vs. IT support argument comes in. Since these two services are quite similar, most companies would often choose to outsource one or the other, but not both.
If you’re here for that purpose, the best approach would be to look at each service separately before jumping right into their comparison. Let’s start with IT support.
What Is IT Support?
IT support, in its simplest terms, is a service that handles a company’s IT system. It often involves one of two things: fixing technological issues with the IT infrastructure of an organization or making changes to the system that’ll lead to benefits, which we’ll discuss in the next section.
What Are The Benefits Of IT Support?
Several benefits come with an IT support department. These benefits are generally the same regardless of whether the IT support is in-house or outsourced from agencies like the one you’ll find at https://www.expertip.net/it-support-charlotte/. Here’s a look at its benefits:
- Minimal downtime
Technical issues tend to cause downtime to a part, or in some cases, the entirety of the company. A server crash, for example, may partially or fully shut down the operations of an office. These technical issues can last for several minutes or even hours if the company doesn’t have a department to handle these issues. However, if there’s an IT support department, they will likely resolve the underlying problem quickly.
- Reduced likelihood of issues
The IT support service provider would often perform updates regularly and make changes to the system to minimize the likelihood of technical issues. It’s a great way to reduce downtime by preventing technical issues from happening in the first place. And in most cases, the IT support team schedules these necessary updates and maintenance when the system is idle to reduce inconvenience and interruptions in the business’s operations.
- Improved productivity
As much as you’d like to think your IT system is as perfect as it can be, there are bound to be issues that might be costing you money. Perhaps your network isn’t performing as quickly as it should. Or maybe your employees are taking too much time on a task they’re supposed to complete quickly because of an improperly-configured software.
These issues can negatively impact the company’s productivity and revenue. An IT support department can help improve productivity by fixing such problems.
- Better cybersecurity
One of the services that IT support companies offer is cybersecurity. It’s essentially a form of technical support where the service provider ensures your organization is safe from technological threats. These include social engineering attacks (e.g., pretexting, scareware, phishing), viruses, malware, and ransomware, among many things.
- Easier deployment
It’s common for a company to deploy software that would supposedly help employees with their tasks. Though these tools can be helpful in the long run, they can be demanding to the employees as they have to learn how to use the software. IT support agencies can help streamline deployments by guiding employees throughout the process.
Keep in mind that an IT support company won’t always offer all these services or benefits. In most cases, the provider would only offer a specific service. Certain IT support agencies, for example, specialize in cybersecurity, while others focus more on providing desk support. The same applies to website support in that it won’t always offer the same benefits.
What Is Website Support?
Website support is a form of technical support that focuses on websites, as the name implies. The main idea behind it is to ensure your website performs as best as it can, be it in terms of its search engine rankings or how quickly it loads.
What Are The Benefits Of Website Support?
Just like IT support, the benefits that come with website support generally depend on the service provider you’re planning to hire or the type of in-house department you want to establish.
But as a quick reference, the benefits of website support typically include the following:
- Quick website maintenance and repairs
It’s common for websites to crash suddenly. It’s either because of a server crash or a specific code in the website that just malfunctioned. Either way, it can cause downtime, which would affect your site’s performance badly. And if you have no one around to fix this issue, it can last for a while, which is critical as it can result in the loss of clients and sales.
A website support company should be able to handle the issue promptly, the same way an IT support company can fix technical problems quickly.
- Improved website performance
Just like your IT system, there’s a good chance your website has performance issues you aren’t able to check, much less fix; missing files, too many plugins, poorly-written scripts, and large media files are some examples of these issues. Website support is about fixing these issues and optimizing the site’s performance.
- Regular content updates
Like most content on the internet, your website’s content, such as articles, videos, and photos, will eventually become irrelevant. As a result, their ranking on search engines could be affected.
That’s why it’s essential to update the content of your site regularly. However, this task is easier said than done, especially since it can be time-consuming. But with a website support department or agency, you don’t have to worry about updating content, as they would do it for you.
In addition, if you’re only starting to make a website for your company, website support can help you. Some agencies offer content creation services wherein they’ll provide your website with relevant content.
- Better website visuals and graphics
Hiring a website support agency can help improve your site’s visual design and interface. They have a skilled team that can give your website a boost by incorporating a better color palette, theme, and banner designs.
- Greater security and safety
A website is as vulnerable to cyberattacks as IT systems. If a hacker manages to gain access to the site, they can do all sorts of malicious things, like deleting posts, and messing with the code, to name a few. Website support can help in that regard by improving the security measures of the site and creating backups for damage control.
Which Is Best For Your Needs?
If your issues mostly revolve around your devices and network, then IT support is the more suitable option. But if you’re struggling with website management, then website support is the way to go. It ultimately depends on your company’s needs.
Although considering these two forms of technical support are two different services, you can’t go wrong with choosing both. And if the budget permits, opting for these services can give your business the boost and support it needs to remain competitive.
