Website Repair
Fix what broke, then keep it working.
When part of your website breaks, the rest of it usually still has value, in the pages, the design, and everything Google already knows about them. I find what’s wrong, repair it, and explain what happened in plain words. After that, a care plan can keep the site updated, backed up, and secure, which stops most problems before they start. One person does the work, from the first look to the last test.
Repair or rebuild: how to tell
Is the problem in one place, or under everything?
Most broken websites need a repair. A repair fixes the part that stopped working and keeps everything else in place. A rebuild starts the site over on a new foundation. The question is whether the trouble sits in one part of the site or runs under all of it.
A repair is usually enough when
- The problem has a starting point. Something worked last month and doesn't now, often after an update, a change of host, or a new add-on.
- One part broke. The form, a page, the menu, or the images stopped working, and the rest of the site behaves.
- The site still fits the business. Your services, your photos, and your words are mostly right.
- It was hacked once. The site ran well before, and someone got in through an old piece of software.
A rebuild makes more sense when
- Every fix breaks something else. The site has been patched so many times that one change knocks over another.
- The software can't be updated. The site runs on a version so old that updating it would break it, and leaving it alone keeps it open to attack.
- Nobody can edit it. Simple changes need the original builder, or a tool its maker no longer supports.
- It doesn't work on phones at all. The layout was built for desktops only, and fixing it means building it again.
The form that went quiet
A landscaper's contact form stops sending requests after an update. That's a repair. One part broke, the rest of the site still works, and finding out why usually fixes it.
The layout every update breaks
A shop's site was built years ago on a tool that's no longer supported, and every update scrambles the layout. That's a rebuild, because the problem sits under every page.
The test in both cases is the same. Is the problem in one place, or under everything?
After I look at your site, I tell you which one it needs and why. If a repair would cost close to what a rebuild would, I say so, and you choose.
Not sure which one yours needs?
Describe the problemWhat website repair covers
Most repairs fall into one of seven kinds.
Website repair services cover the problems that keep a site from doing its job. These are the ones I see most often.
Errors and broken pages
The site shows a blank white screen, an error message where your homepage should be, or a page that loads only halfway. These usually trace back to a failed update, a clash between two add-ons, or a change at the host. I find the cause in the site's error logs, the records a server keeps when something goes wrong. Then I fix it and check the rest of the pages too.
Forms that stopped sending
A contact form can look fine and still fail. Visitors fill it in, press send, and the request never reaches you, or it lands in a spam folder. You may not notice for weeks, because nothing looks wrong from your side. I trace where the message stops and fix that step. Then I fill in the form myself, several times, and confirm each request lands in your inbox.
Slow pages
A slow page loses visitors, especially on a phone, and Google favors pages that load quickly. The usual causes are photos far larger than the screen needs, too many add-ons, and outdated software underneath. I measure each page's speed, fix the biggest causes first, and measure again so you can see the change.
Broken links and missing images
Over time, pages get renamed, images get deleted, and websites you linked to close down. Each broken link sends a visitor to a "page not found" error. I find them across the whole site and point each one to the right place. Old page addresses get a redirect, an instruction that forwards visitors to the page that replaced them.
Problems on phones
Many of your customers will see your site on a phone first. The common problems are text too small to read, buttons too close together to tap, menus that won't open, and pages that spill off the side of the screen. I fix the layout page by page and check it on several screen sizes. I also make sure your phone number can be tapped to call, your forms are easy to fill in with a thumb, and your photos load at a size a phone can handle.
Old plugins and outdated software
Plugins are the add-ons that give a site its features, like the forms, the galleries, the booking calendar. When they go years without updates, they stop working with each other, and they become the most common way small business sites get hacked. After a full backup, I update them in a safe order, replace the ones their makers have abandoned, and remove the ones the site no longer uses. The software the whole site runs on gets the same treatment.
Security and hacked sites
A hacked site may send visitors to spam pages, show links you never added, or sit behind a red warning screen in Google Chrome. You might also see "Not secure" next to your web address, which means the site's security certificate has expired or was never set up.
For a hacked site, I save a full copy first, remove the harmful code, close the hole the attacker used, and change every password. If Google flagged the site, I ask it to review the cleanup through Search Console, Google's free tool for site owners, so the warning can come off.
What repair doesn't cover
A repair keeps what you have. A redesign rethinks it.
A repair makes your current site work the way it should. It keeps the pages, the design, and the words you have. If the site needs a new structure, new copy, or a new look, that’s a redesign, and it starts with a plan of its own.
Sometimes a repair shows that a bigger change would serve the business better. The site may work again and still list services you stopped offering, or leave out the ones you sell most. When I see that, I tell you, and you decide whether and when to take it on.
- your pages
- your design
- your words
"I can honestly say, without exaggeration, that Josh not only developed our web site but his work literally saved our organization. We had worked with several web designers over the years and they either failed to see who we were as an organization or did not provide the support we needed to manage the site once launched. We were bleeding members due to their frustration with the web site and poor communication regarding their membership. Josh came on board to help repair the existing site so we did not continue losing members then designed our new site to better match what we needed. He was a pleasure to work with. Honest, responsible and responsive to needs. I cannot speak more highly of our experience with Josh."
How a repair runs
Six steps, in the same order every time.
Every repair follows the same order, so you know what’s happening and what comes next.
- 1
You describe the problem
In the Start a project form, tell me what's wrong, when it started, and your web address. Tell me which logins you have and which you don't.
- 2
A short call
On a short call, I ask a few questions about the site and its history, and I tell you what I'll look at first.
- 3
A full backup
Before I change anything, I make a complete copy of the site, including its database, where the site stores its pages and settings. If anything goes wrong during the repair, the site can go back to exactly how it was.
- 4
Find the cause
A symptom is where a problem shows up. The cause is why it happened. A form that stopped sending might trace back to an update, a mail setting, or a hacked file. Fixing the cause keeps the problem from returning next month.
- 5
Repair and test
I make the repair, then test the whole site on a phone and a desktop, checking the pages, the links, the forms, and the load speed. A repair that breaks something else isn't finished.
- 6
A plain report
You get a short note in everyday words about what was wrong, what I did, and what to watch for. You get every login for your website and your domain, written down in one place.
Ready for the first step?
Tell me what brokeAfter the repair: website care
Regular care keeps a repaired site from sliding back.
A site rarely breaks all at once. Most problems build up quietly, with updates skipped, backups never made, a security certificate left to expire, nobody checking whether the form still works. A repair clears the backlog. A care plan keeps it from building up again.
The plan covers hosting, updates, backups, and security.
After a repair, I know your site, including how it’s built, what broke, and what to watch. When you send a request later, it reaches someone who already knows the history.
- built in 2019
- form broke after an update
- watch the slider plugin
Questions about website repair
Still have a question?
Ask me directlyWhat are website repair services?
Website repair services fix the parts of a site that stopped working, like error pages, forms that won't send, broken layouts, and hacks, while keeping the pages, design, and search value the site already has. A repair starts with a full backup, finds the cause, fixes it, and tests the rest of the site. I do the work myself and explain in plain words what happened.
Should I repair my website or rebuild it?
Repair your website when one part broke and the problem has a starting point, and rebuild it when every fix breaks something else, the site is too old to update, or it fails on phones. Most broken websites need only a repair, which keeps the pages, the design, and everything Google knows about them. Once I've looked at your site, you get my recommendation and the reasons.
How do you fix a broken website?
To fix a broken website, take a full backup first, find the cause in the server's error logs and recent changes, repair it, then test every page and form on a phone and a desktop. Skipping the backup or guessing at the cause is how a small problem becomes a bigger one. When I'm done, you get a plain note on what went wrong and what I changed.
How much does it cost to fix a website?
The cost to fix a website depends on what's broken and how deep the cause runs. A form that stopped sending is a smaller job than a hacked site with years of skipped updates. If a repair would cost more than it's worth, I'll say so. We talk through the cost on our call, and I aim for the right blend of price and quality.
How long does it take to fix a crashed website?
Fixing a crashed website takes less time when one part failed, like an update that clashed, and more when it was hacked or has a long list of problems. Restoring from a recent backup can bring a site back quickly, and finding the cause comes next, so the crash doesn't happen again. We set the timeline for your repair on our call.
What does a 503 Service Unavailable error mean?
A 503 Service Unavailable error means the website's server can't handle requests for the moment, usually because it's overloaded, down for maintenance, or a plugin or script is using up its resources. If it lasts more than a few minutes, look for an email from your host, then think back to any recent update. I find the cause in the server's records and fix it.
Can you repair a site someone else built?
Yes, I can repair a site someone else built, after looking at how it was put together, including the platform, the add-ons, and the hosting. Then I make the repair in a way the site can carry forward, so the next update doesn't undo the work. If the logins are missing, tracking them down becomes the first part of the repair.
Will my site be down while you repair it?
Most repairs happen while the site stays live. If a hacked site is sending visitors to harmful pages, I may take it offline for a short time while I clean it, and I'll tell you before I do. Either way, a full backup comes first, so the site can go back to exactly how it was.
Will a repair help my site show up on Google again?
A repair helps your site show up on Google again by removing what holds it back in search, like slow pages, broken links, pages that fail on phones, and hacking warnings. Earning new rankings takes more work, such as pages written around the searches your customers make. That work is part of a new website or ongoing search work.
Do I need a care plan after the repair?
You don't need a care plan after the repair, because the repair stands on its own. Care is optional. I recommend it. Sites left without updates and backups tend to break again. A care plan keeps the site updated, backed up, and secure, and your requests go to someone who already knows the site.
How is this different from a website repair company?
With me, you work with one person. The one who reads your request finds the cause, makes the repair, and explains it to you. I've built more than a hundred websites since 2011, so I know how sites are put together and where they tend to fail. Repairs happen online, so where you're located doesn't matter. When the repair is done, the same person can keep looking after the site.
Tell me what needs repairing.
Tell me what’s broken, when it started, and your web address. “The form stopped sending” or “the site looks strange on my phone” is enough to begin. The repair starts with the form.