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What website maintenance covers
Every website depends on software that keeps changing: the CMS, plugins, themes, frameworks, server packages and SSL certificates. Left alone, that software becomes outdated and vulnerable, backups quietly stop working, and small problems pile up until something breaks at an inconvenient moment.
Maintenance is the routine work that prevents that. It is not glamorous, but it is far cheaper than recovering a hacked site, restoring lost content or rebuilding after an update gone wrong.
Who needs a maintenance plan
- Businesses running WordPress or WooCommerce, where plugins and core updates arrive frequently.
- Online stores where downtime directly means lost orders.
- Clinics, coaching institutes and agencies that rely on enquiry forms and booking systems working every day.
- Companies whose original developer is no longer available.
- Teams without in-house technical staff who still need small content changes done quickly.
What’s included in a plan
- Updates: CMS core, plugins, themes and dependencies, tested on staging before going live where the risk warrants it.
- Backups: scheduled backups stored off the server, with periodic test restores to prove they work.
- Uptime monitoring: alerts when the site goes down, so we know before your customers do.
- SSL and domain checks: certificate renewals and domain expiry reminders.
- Security checks: malware scans, login protection and review of suspicious activity.
- Form and function checks: confirming enquiry forms, checkout and key flows still work.
- Content changes: an allowance of small updates such as text, images, prices or new pages.
- Monthly report: what was done, what was found, and what needs attention.
How it works
- Onboarding audit. We review the site, hosting, plugins, backups and access, and fix anything urgent.
- Access and documentation. Credentials are stored securely and the setup is documented.
- Monitoring setup. Uptime, SSL and backup monitoring are configured.
- Routine cycle. Updates and checks run on an agreed schedule.
- Requests. You send content changes or issues through one channel, and we handle them within the agreed response time.
- Reporting. You receive a short monthly summary.
Platforms we maintain
We maintain WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify, Next.js, React and custom PHP or Node.js sites, whether we built them or not. Backups are stored in a separate location from the live server, and we use Cloudflare for protection and caching where it fits.
For broader ongoing support across servers and applications, see our maintenance and support services, including security updates. If a site has already been compromised, start with malware cleanup.
Why maintenance is worth paying for
It is tempting to treat a website as finished once it launches. In practice, the software underneath keeps moving. Security fixes are released for the CMS and plugins, browsers change how they handle certain code, hosting providers upgrade server software, and payment gateways update their integrations. A site that is not kept up with these changes slowly becomes fragile.
The problems usually appear at the worst time. A plugin with a known vulnerability is exploited and the site starts redirecting visitors to spam. An expired SSL certificate triggers a full-screen browser warning on the day a campaign launches. A contact form stops sending after a server change, and nobody notices for weeks because enquiries simply stop arriving.
- A restaurant’s online ordering page goes down on a weekend evening.
- A coaching institute’s admission form quietly stops delivering during admission season.
- A WooCommerce store’s payment plugin falls behind a gateway update and orders fail.
- A clinic’s site is flagged as unsafe by the browser after a malware infection.
Regular maintenance does not make problems impossible, but it catches most of them early and makes recovery fast when something does go wrong, because a tested backup and a person who knows the site are already in place.
What affects the plan
- The platform and the number of plugins, apps or integrations.
- Whether the site is a simple brochure or a store with transactions.
- How many content changes you expect each month.
- Required response times for urgent issues.
- Whether hosting is also managed by us.
Common maintenance mistakes
- Assuming the hosting company’s backups are enough, without ever testing a restore.
- Updating everything at once on the live site with no rollback plan.
- Leaving inactive plugins and old admin accounts in place.
- Letting the domain or SSL certificate expire because reminders went to an old email address.
If the site is slow as well as outdated, combine maintenance with website optimisation. See all web development services, read the web development guide, or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Do you maintain websites built by other developers?
Yes. We start with an audit to understand how the site is built and fix any urgent issues before taking it on.
How often are backups taken?
It depends on how often your site changes. A store with daily orders needs more frequent backups than a brochure site. We agree the schedule during onboarding and test restores periodically.
What if an update breaks something?
We test risky updates on staging first, and keep a recent backup so we can roll back quickly if a problem slips through.
Can content changes be included?
Yes. Plans include an allowance for small content updates, and larger changes are quoted separately.
Can I cancel or change the plan later?
Yes. Plans are reviewed periodically, and you can adjust the scope as your site and needs change. On exit, we hand over all access and documentation.
Talk to us about website maintenance
Updates, backups, uptime checks and content changes handled on an ongoing plan.