Overview

The landscape of Web development at Lehigh has matured dramatically since Web & Mobile Services (WMS) was created in 2012. WMS now maintains over 150 websites (and counting) as well as 4 college websites. WMS’s goal is to be able to provide equitable support for all clients, which requires charging for custom development work that requires dedicated resources, while preserving WMS’s ability to support the multisite. This tiered structure provides options for areas interested in custom website work. Portions of costs are used to supplement the WMS team by hiring additional development resources as needed.

Fee Structure (Summary)

Fee Structure (Detailed)

Tier 1: No Cost

WordPress

Faculty, staff, and students can set up a WordPress site by going to https://wordpress.lehigh.edu and logging in with your Lehigh credentials. Additional documentation on setting up a WordPress site at Lehigh can be found here. There are several modulus and widget that are available with out deployment but we can’t add to that library.

Drupal

Please submit a support ticket at https://lehigh.edu/help (choosing “Website help” when prompted) providing the name of the website being requested, the desired URL for the website, and any other additional information that may be pertinent to the creation of the website (e.g., the site’s purpose, background information, etc.). A member of the WMS team will reach out to you with any additional questions as well as the next steps for getting your website started.

Websites are set up using the “standard” theme and functionality which is showcased via this website.

Tier 2: Low Cost

* Tier 2 sites can sometimes fit into the standard Drupal 10 infrastructure and do not require any specialized maintenance considerations. In some situations (especially where non-standard modules are required for the desired functionality), Tier 2 sites must be set up in their own Drupal instance or otherwise special infrastructure considerations, which involves a monthly maintenance charge for specialized attention to security updates, theme updates, testing, etc. The additional cost for a separate Drupal instance is $2,500 per year.

Who would benefit from a Tier 2 site?

Departments: Custom development work can be scheduled for departments that need specialized functionality within their websites.

Tier 3: Custom Sites

Colleges with websites currently in Drupal 7 should budget for a move into Drupal 10 and contract with a vendor prior to Drupal 7’s end-of-life date of January 5, 2025. As the Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 move requires a complete rebuild of the website (as opposed to a simple update), both the theme and functionality must be rebuilt. This is the perfect time for Colleges looking to update their websites to consider a redesign, if desired.

Option 1 - Vendor designs and develops the website in Drupal 10 (or latest version) content management system, unless otherwise discussed. WMS is to be included in meetings to consult with the vendor as needed during the design and development phases to ensure that technical requirements are met. This allows WMS to provide the highest quality of post-launch support.

Option 2 - Vendor designs and WMS develops functionality specs for the website (often with HTML and CSS/SASS templates included). WMS is to be included in meetings to consult with the vendor as needed during the design process to ensure that the design vision can be technically realized in Drupal. WMS would develop the website using the Drupal 10 content management system. This option is dependent on scheduling/timeline and available resources within WMS during the proposed timeline. Costs vary depending on the level of complexity of your site’s needs. WMS’s development rates start at $100/hour and we with you to  develop an agreed upon statement of work (SOW).  Technical support and hosting are provided free of charge.

Custom websites are also considered for monitoring with DubBot, WMS’s preferred automated service for monitoring website accessibility (including theme, structure, and content), broken links, misspellings, SEO matters, and more. Clients can opt to receive reports on these items as well as an account to log into DubBot to monitor your website.

Support Contract Option

In certain situations, clients may request a support contract with WMS for more ongoing support. WMS’s ability to enter new retainer agreements is dependent on team resources and availability. Pricing is determined by the maximum number of hours per week required in the retainer. Types of support that may be included are: custom training sessions designed by WMS as needed, collaboration with a WMS team member on content strategy, and ongoing development of additional custom functionality and theme work. This option provides the client with an assigned point-of-contact within WMS.

Support contracts are often for Tier 2 websites which require more ongoing development and support which may benefit from a retainer agreement rather than an hourly rate. WMS and the client will work together to determine the scope of work requested as well as expected work for the future and determine whether an hourly rate outlined in Tier 2 or a retainer agreement would be most appropriate. Support contracts are also offered for continued development and support of tier 3 websites which had been initially designed and developed by a vendor.