Website Maintenance and Care Plans
One person who keeps your site running
A website needs looking after once it’s live. The software behind it needs updates, the hosting needs watching, and your business keeps changing. My care plan covers the website maintenance a site needs, including hosting, updates, backups, and security. When you need something, you send a request, and the person who knows your site takes care of it.
Why website maintenance matters, and what breaks without it
Websites break quietly, and care catches it early.
Your website is a lot like your phone. The software inside it keeps changing, so it needs regular updates. Most small business sites run on a content management system, the software that lets you edit pages without touching code. On top of it sit plugins, small add-ons that handle jobs like contact forms, photo galleries, and search settings. Different companies make each piece, and each one releases updates several times a year. Those updates close security holes and keep the pieces working with each other. Skip them for a year, and parts of the site start to fail.
These are the problems that show up most.
Updates that pile up
The longer updates wait, the riskier each one gets, because an old plugin may not work with a new version of the software around it. One update can break a page, or the whole site, so small, regular rounds are safer.
Plugins nobody supports
Sometimes the company behind a plugin stops maintaining it. The plugin keeps running without security fixes, and it becomes the easiest way into the site. Nothing on the screen tells you it's been left behind.
Forms that stop sending
A contact form can stop delivering requests after a change on the server or in an email setting. The site looks fine, and the inquiries stop arriving. Weeks can pass before anyone notices the quiet.
Hosting trouble
Hosting is the computer your website lives on. An overloaded host makes pages slow, and visitors leave before they load. An outage takes the whole site offline, and nobody calls to tell you it happened.
Attacks
Automated programs test every site they find for known weaknesses, and small businesses are on the list too. A hacked site can send visitors to spam pages, send junk email in your name, or show up in Google with a warning.
Renewals that lapse
Your domain name and your security certificate (the padlock in the browser's address bar) both need renewing. When one lapses, the site can vanish or greet visitors with a warning page. Most people leave the moment they see it.
None of these give notice. You hear about them from a customer, or you notice the inquiries have slowed. Regular care catches them early, while they’re small and quick to fix.
What a website care plan covers
Everything it takes to keep your site healthy.
Hosting
Your site lives on hosting I choose, set up, and watch. You never have to call a hosting company or work out which plan you need.
Updates
I update the site's software, its theme (the framework that controls the layout), and its plugins.
Backups
Daily copies of your whole site, stored apart from it, so it can be restored if anything goes wrong.
Security
Your site is set up to stand up to the automated attacks.
Fixes
When something stops working, like a form, a page, or a link, I find the cause and fix it.
An answer when you need one
Your requests and questions come to me, and so do the answers. If you're weighing a new tool, an offer from a marketing company, or a change to the site, you can ask.
no help desk, just meEvery item on the list is handled by one person, from the first request to the last. Nothing gets passed to a support desk, and nothing has to be explained twice.
Ready to hand it off?
Start a care planWhy the person who built your site should look after it
The person who built your site already knows how it fits together.
- why each page is set up that way
- which plugin runs the booking form
- where the search settings live
- which pages Google sends visits to
Whoever built your site knows things about it that nobody else does. They know why a page is set up the way it is, which plugin runs the booking form, where the search settings live, and which pages bring in the most visits from Google. Anyone new has to learn all of that before they can change the site safely. The learning takes time, and mistakes happen while it’s going on.
When I look after a site I built, I already know how the pieces fit together. Years after launch, the site still looks and works like one site.
Care also protects the search work. Small, careless edits wear down SEO (search engine optimization, the work that helps Google understand and rank your pages) a little at a time. A few examples include a page renamed without a redirect, a photo uploaded with no description, and a heading swapped for bold text. One at a time, they barely register. Over a year, they add up.
I’ve built and looked after websites since 2011, and many of the relationships last. I’ve hosted and looked after the Ecosense site since 2015. I also host and look after the sites for DR Miller Design Build and Family Value Flooring. When something on those sites needs doing, the request comes to me, and I fix it fast.
Sites I host and look after
Built years ago, and still growing.
I built each of these sites years ago, and I still host them and look after them. Here’s where each one stands today.
Family Value Flooring
#1On Google for the store's old nameI built the site in 2021 for Troyer Carpets and moved it to the store's new name in 2022. I still host it and look after it. Searches for the old name still find the store, and when a second store joined, it got a page of its own with no rebuild.
Read the case study
Ecosense
5,300+Times in Google's AI answers, 3 monthsI designed the logo, the website, and the print pieces in 2015. I've hosted and looked after the site since 2015.
Read the case study
DR Miller Design Build
2x"Near me" and local-town clicks, year over yearI designed and built the site in 2016, and I still host it and make its updates.
See the projectTaking over a site somebody else built
Five steps before anything on the site changes.
Plenty of websites lose their designer. The freelancer moves on, the agency stops returning calls, or the person who handled the site leaves the business. The site keeps running, and nobody is quite sure what’s holding it together.
I take on sites I didn’t build. Before anything changes, I go through it in five steps.
- 1
Access
I gather the logins for the site, the hosting, and the domain. If nobody has them, getting access back is the first job.
- 2
A full backup
I copy the whole site before I touch anything, so there's always a way back.
- 3
A review
I check the software and plugin versions, the hosting, the forms, the security, and the search setup, and note anything that's outdated, broken, or unsafe.
- 4
A plain report
You get a short list of what I found, in everyday words. It shows what needs fixing now, what can wait, and what each item means for your business.
- 5
Fixes, then care
Once the urgent problems are fixed, the site can go on the care plan like any other.
What I found- Fix nowcontact form not sending
- Fix nowa plugin 4 years old
- Can waitslow homepage photos
- Finedomain and padlock
Sometimes the review turns up a site that would cost more to patch than to replace, because of software years out of date, a layout that falls apart on a phone, or a structure Google can't make sense of. When that happens, I'll say so and lay out your options. A new site may be the better use of the money.
Site built by someone else?
Tell me about it
Love and Beauty Maui, a wedding hair and makeup studio, hosts its site with me. I design its pricing guides when it needs new ones.
Read the case studyWhat clients say about the care after launch
That responsiveness has been just as valuable over the years as it was during the original project.
"Working with Josh on MedRock Pharmacy's logo and website, and continuing to work with him as our business grew, has been a great experience. He created a logo that was both creative and elegant, with typography that brought that same elegance to our website.
The website felt ahead of its time, especially the customized sections for our healthcare providers. Josh brought innovative ideas while understanding what we needed as a pharmacy and how the site would serve our audience.
The process was seamless. We could easily track progress, and edits and updates were handled promptly. That responsiveness has been just as valuable over the years as it was during the original project.
For any business owner considering Josh, I would recommend him wholeheartedly. He combines a creative mind with an organized, efficient process and dependable ongoing support. Years later, I'm still proud of what we built together."
R.Ph., MBA, Founder and Owner, MedRock Pharmacy
Josh delivers and does not walk away when that product is delivered.
"I have worked with Josh on two major projects. A web site for our veterinary professional association and, more recently, the web site for a new business, Motoride Tours. Motoride is a motorcycle tour business and the web site needed to promote, educate and allow purchasing of tours.
Josh took the time to find out about us, the business, and our vision for it. He then took this information and made it a reality.
More importantly, he was there for the follow through. Managing the things that either needed to be tweaked after the site went live or to help us learn how to operate the site.
While many web developers can give you product, Josh delivers and does not walk away when that product is delivered."
Motoride Tours
Questions about website care plans
Still have a question?
Ask me directlyWhat does website maintenance include?
Website maintenance includes keeping the site's software, theme, and plugins updated, backing up the site, protecting it from attacks, keeping the hosting running, and fixing anything that stops working. My care plan covers hosting, updates, backups, and security, and when something like a form or a page stops working, I find the cause and fix it. Backups are made daily and stored apart from the site.
What is a WordPress care plan?
A WordPress care plan is an ongoing service that keeps a WordPress site updated, backed up, secure, and hosted, so the owner doesn't have to. Most of the sites I build and look after run on WordPress, the platform behind a large share of the web. My care plan covers what a WordPress site needs. That includes core updates, theme and plugin updates, backups, security, and hosting. If your site runs on something else, mention it in the form.
How often does a website need maintenance?
A website needs maintenance whenever its software, theme, or plugins release updates, which happens several times a year for each piece, and it needs a fresh backup every day. Updates are safer in small, regular rounds, because the longer they wait, the more likely one breaks a page. On my care plan, the site is backed up daily and before every update, and I update the software, theme, and plugins regularly.
Is website maintenance necessary?
Yes, website maintenance is necessary, because a site's software and plugins need regular updates to close security holes and keep working with each other. Skip them for a year, and parts of the site start to fail. Forms stop sending, pages break, or the site gets hacked. A small site needs the same care as a large one, because it runs on the same kind of software, and one problem can take down everything a customer sees.
How much does website maintenance cost?
The cost of website maintenance depends on how big the site is, how many plugins and features it runs, and whether hosting is included. My care plan includes hosting, updates, backups, and security. Send a request with your site's address and what you'd like taken off your plate, and my reply sets out the next steps. I aim for the right blend of price and quality.
Can I hire someone to maintain a website someone else built?
Yes, you can hire someone to maintain a website someone else built, and the work should start with a careful look before anything changes. I take over sites someone else built by moving them to my hosting. First I gather the logins, take a full backup, and review the software, hosting, forms, security, and search setup. You get a plain list of what I found. If the site would cost more to patch than to replace, I'll tell you and explain your options.
What happens if my site goes down or gets hacked?
Most of the work I do for the sites I host goes into keeping that from happening. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regular updates, security software, a firewall in front of the site, and hosting I watch head off most problems before they start. If something does go wrong, send me a request, and it goes to the top of my list. A site that's down gets back online, from the latest backup if that's what it takes, and I track down the cause. A hacked site gets cleaned and secured, and the weakness that let the attack in gets closed. The cleanup is covered by the plan, and afterward you get a short note in plain words on what happened.
Is hosting included in a website care plan?
Yes, hosting is part of my website care plan. I set it up, keep it running, and deal with the hosting company if a problem comes up. Your site moves onto my hosting at launch, or when you join the plan, and every site on a care plan runs on it.
How do I send a request?
To send a request, describe what you need in a sentence or two and attach any photos or files. You don't need the technical terms. “The contact form isn't sending” is all I need to get started. Every request comes straight to me, with no help desk in between, and the person who knows your site handles it.
Can I cancel my care plan?
Yes, you can cancel your care plan anytime, with no minimum term and no contract to wait out. Your website is yours. If you cancel, I'll hand over a full copy of the site and everything your next host needs to move it. Most clients stay for years, because it's easier to keep one person who knows the site.
Why should the person who built my site maintain it?
The person who built your site should maintain it because they already know how it fits together, including why each page is set up that way, which plugin runs each form, and where the search settings live. Anyone new has to learn all of that before changing the site safely, and mistakes happen while they learn. Care also protects the search work, because small, careless edits, like a page renamed without a redirect, wear down a site's rankings over time.
Put your website on a care plan.
Tell me what your business does, the address of your website, and what you’d like taken off your plate. If someone else built the site, mention that too. My reply sets out the next steps. A care plan starts with the form.