Readers’ Poll: How Do You Train Your Clients?

Readers’ Poll: How Do You Train Your Clients?

on Sep 6th 2011 with 22 comments

WordPress is an incredible platform… and one of the most appealing things about it is how easy it is for basic users to update content without needing to call or email their developer. That said, even the most basic users still usually need a lesson or two (or twenty) before they’re completely self-reliant. Which brings us to our first official Readers’ Poll: How Do You Train Your WordPress Clients?

The Poll

The Available Options

Training Clients Yourself

I’ll be honest… for a long time, I trained each one of my own clients personally. I work from home, so most of these lessons were at my home office, over the phone, or at the client’s business, but it always involved a lot more time than I expected… and it nearly always involved repeating the lesson a few days later.

Pros: Training a client yourself is a good way to introduce them to features (like custom theme options) that might not be covered in other lessons, books, or videos. If you’ve taken the time to customize a theme options page, include custom post meta fields, post types, and all sorts of other bells and whistles, this might be your best option.

My only advice: find a way to bill for this time! There’s no better way to focus a client’s attention than to bill them for every minute they’re listening!

Cons: This takes time and patience (lots of it!); which is usually the last thing on your mind when you’re trying to close out a project. After you train your third of fourth client, you’ll also begin to realize that you’re repeating yourself a lot (there are only so many ways to show people how to create a post), which leads us to our next option…

Premium Training Libraries

Premium services are starting to pop up for the very reason that was mentioned above: Training new clients how to use WordPress often feels like a waste of time if there’s an affordable solution that can train clients without wasting precious time looking over their shoulders. In full disclosure, I’m a huge fan of WP101.com and I’ve yet to really find a premium service that really compares… but I would imagine that they’ll start to pop up as the user-base of WP continues to grow and the demand for quality training increases.

Pros: Send clients a link, kick back and relax. WP101 even offers a plugin that brings the videos straight to the WP dashboard… so clients can learn without ever leaving their site. No need to repeat yourself over and over, and clients can learn at their own pace, on their own time. WP101 even includes updates to their videos at every major new WP release.

Cons: It costs $19 (one time payment) for a lifetime membership… which can seem steep compared to free resources… until you consider that that one time payment pretty much covers you and your clients for hours, days, even weeks of your time over the long run. Other cons: It’s not going to cover you for any custom theme features, so there’s probably still going to be some training investment on your part after clients get the basics under the belt.

Books, Blog Posts, and Other Mixed Resources

This category is probably self-explanatory. You collect a set of resources from all over the web, or suggest that a client picks up a book that will help train them on their own time. We even have our own starter set of the WP101 Basix videos here on Wptuts+, which is a great starting point if you’re not entirely sure about forking over that $19.

Pros: Most of these resources are totally free. In the case of the WP basics books, there are a lot of great resources to pick from.

Cons: Among other things, this won’t seem like the most professional option to clients. Sending them to a cobbled together set of training links or books can feel sloppy, and the quality of the resources will vary from resource to resource. In the case of the books, you’ll have to deal with out-dated material. Often, by the time a book is published, there’s already a new version of WordPress out that might invalidate some of the information in the book… which means more work for you re-hashing new features.

The WordPress Codex

Pros: Once again, this one is free… and it’s written by the WordPress contributors, which means that it’s (usually) going to be the most up to date resource available.

Cons: Chances are good that your clients’ eyes will gaze over quicker than they can speed dial your number asking for a personal walkthrough.

Don’t Train Clients, Let them Fend For Themselves

Pros: None that I can think of really… sure, most clients can probably pick up WordPress with enough time and dedication, but the first time a client breaks their site while “learning”, is the last time you’re going to want to skip showing your clients the ropes.

Cons: Lots! Like any of us, clients can develop bad habits, hacky workarounds, and other potentially devastating workflows even WITH training. Why risk letting your client break the site you worked so hard on just to save yourself a little time.

Share Your Thoughts!

What experiences have you had with training clients? Have any tips, lessons, or horror stories you’d like to share from your own stories? Share them in the comments below!

Brandon Jones is MDNW on Themeforest
 
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  • Al

    last place I would send a novice to is thw WordPress Codex, it is not well written or well documented for somebody who knows little about WP. once you know some ins and outs about WP, then fine, but it is still not the best resource in the world for us WP beginners. I really don’t find it that easy to use and documentation is incomplete in some cases.

    the WP101 series currently running is a great one.

    Al,

  • http://thadknowsweb.com Thad Bloom (@thadbloom)

    I’ve created screen casts for clients, walking them through the dashboard. This allows me to include instructions for custom built add-ons.

    I’ve found that creating a custom video eliminates at least some of the post-project phone calls regarding updating content.

    • Brandon Jones
      Author

      That’s actually a good addition – I’ve recorded short screencasts lots of time to cater directly towards a specific question rather than try to type it out. Thanks Thad!

  • Simon Johnstone

    I am a great believer of treating people the way I want to be treated, so I try to create a manual with screen shots and then have a training sessions with the users who will be updating the website, and I am always available by phone or email to help at no extra cost.

    • http://www.fridaymedia.nl Rob

      Same here. I also create a manual with screenshots, but I only give one person a “training”. Together with the manual they should find their way through wordpress. If not, they can always reach me by mail or phone.

  • http://www.aquickstudyonline.com Zoe

    I do a mix, depending on the specific needs and features I’m training on. Sometimes I refer to specific external resources (I just blogged about your series, for example), sometimes I provide my own training via e-book or screencast, sometimes I do live training via Skype with screen sharing (usually for specialized features and for clients who are already fairly familiar with WordPress).

    My preferred method is to provide links/ references to basic info (self-created or third party and free) and then to record quick screencasts for any special features or things I don’t have a demo of already. That way, the client has the video as a reference.

  • http://www.casabona.org Joe Casabona

    I’ve composed my own documentation for them, including my own written instructions, links to the codex, and links to WordPress.tv

    If they opt for it (and we are both in the same general area) I will train them one-on-one but the documentation and the occasional email/phone support has worked out for me so far!

  • # Fez

    I detect a brilliantly concealed advertising scheme for WP101 :P

    Perhaps I am too paranoid?

    • Brandon Jones
      Author

      Actually, nope :) I wrote/rewrote the post a few times to actively work away from it seeming that way, but I suppose if you’re really looking into the best way to train someone completely new to WP how to use it, they’re bound to rise to the top because they don’t have much competition at the moment outside of the WP for Dummies type books. But no, besides the fact that we have some of their videos here, we’re in no way affiliated with them.

  • Brian

    Your own WP101 Basix Training is getting quite good and extensive. I will be sending future clients to them.

    Here’s an idea: could you create a WordPress plugin for your own videos like WP101.com has? That would be awesome!

  • http://www.soulsizzle.com Ryan Marganti

    I’ve written and designed an interactive PDF containing basic WordPress usage as well as custom functionality I use often. Because I tend to reuse code and design patterns, modifying each guide to suit specific customer cases doesn’t tend to take up much time. The time used to create such documentation is billed the same way design and coding their website is, so it never seems like a worthless effort.

  • Sean Johnson

    I train them myself, using my own videos / screencasts. This allows me to exclude unnecessary features, avoiding confusion for first time users. It also means I can direct them on features from custom plugins I’ve created.

  • http://maddisondesigns.com Anthony Hortin

    I created my own easy to follow WordPress guide that I could pass on to my clients. I realised that a lot of other people were in the same situation, regarding training their clients so I’ve also created a site that has an online version of the document as well as copies of the guide that everyone can to download and pass onto their own clients. The documentation is in PDF format as well as a brandable Word Document. You can check it out at http://easywpguide.com

    There are heaps of articles within the WordPress Codex that go loads of detail about all sorts of topics and this is great if you want to get really involved in developing your own WordPress theme or creating plugins, but it can be a bit daunting users who just want to know how to keep their content updated.

  • https://kaelinwebdesign.com Kaelin

    I’ve tried more than once to use wp-101, and the codex for my clients, but honestly, the bulk of my clients are extremely intimidated and confused by those resources. After the third call from a client in frustrated tears, I gave up on outside resources.

    So I’ve built a series of instructional screenshot-style PDFs. As I do alot of customization work, each PDF is very tailored, but my training is one of the features of my custom wordpress intalls. The majority of my clients are not at all web-savvy, and rely heavily on step-by-step instructions, which I am happy to provide. They know what each action does, and what the screen is supposed to look like, in an easy, conversational non-threatening manner.

    As a developer though, I use the Codex when I run into something unusual. :)

  • http://www.adesignlink.com Chad Pierce

    I create short 5-15 minute screen cast to show how to use the system. Most of them I can reuse over and over again just because there isnt anything custom in them. Like for a cms like wp or cms made simple. Others you have to basically just use once or twice because they are site specific, like a custom mod.

  • http://www.stephaniewalter.fr Stéphanie Walter

    I usually expand wordpress functionnalities with custom post types, etc, so I prefere to train clients myself and explain them exactly where they will find which item of their website, etc. I’ve wrote a basic .pdf and I can re-use some parts from client to client, but I like to create each client a custom pdf that will suite their needs. I usually meet them for 2 or 3 hours, we go throught their website together, see how everything works. I like to use their content as exemple for those meetings. They can ask questions, and I usually have to update or add some extra chapters in the pdf. After the meeting, I send them the pdf. I like to thing that it is easier to see first what’s going on, and then get a pdf that will remind them who things work.
    Of course I can do that because the training time is in the invoice. I’m kind of lucky here ^^
    I thought of the screencast, but never had time to create some.

  • http://www.harishchouhan.com Harish

    I use custom post types, so have to give them training over phone, etc. Secondly I am based in India, so question of charging them for training does not arise. I will simply lose the project. However I try to add a fraction of the training cost in the total cost of the project.

    Until now I was using a 140 page guide I had written myself. And since last few months I had purchased a white-labelled document.

    Never knew about http://www.wp101.com/ until now. I feel dumb now. Will buy and start using it ASAP.

  • http://danielgroves.net Daniel Groves

    I personally record them a video using a screen recoding utility that waks them through their specilised set-up and how to do the common things they may need to do.
    I also set everything up so they can only access what they need and so cannot break anything ;)

  • http://www.misslaidlaw.co.uk Diane

    I make screencasts specific for each customer. I do the screencasts while I’m building the site, so they can see how I do it and I don’t have to take any extra time making it other than editing it.
    I then add the screencasts on YouTube and make it private for them to see. For general screencasts like Adding Users, or Creating a Post, Adding a Page etc. I have them on my website in the CLIENT section. I also have them as a link on their dashboard as well as my number and other contact details in case they really get lost.

  • http://www.boxless.com.au Andrew Davis

    I do face-to-face training, and I charge them for my time. My clients are typically not web-savvy, and I think they feel much more comfortable with the hand-holding (even though they often forget what I’ve taught them).

    I’m curious though – for those that refer clients to videos or other resources – do you know the extent to which your clients actually use those resources? (I’ve always assumed that most wouldn’t set aside the time to watch/read them.)

  • http://www.rictorres.com Ricardo Torres

    I always try to do a screencast. That way the client can refer to the video whenever he or she has any doubts/issues.

  • http://www.horrorartist.com Lori

    Just wanted to say that I just used WP101 to help me learn WordPress. I now feel like I have the ability to go in and actually use the program. It was extremely informational. I was on here trying to find some more information on wordpress and stumbled across your postings. I will be recommending everyone that I think would benefit from it to the WP101 training.