Website maintenance is all the work needed to keep your site secure, fast and up to date after it goes live. Think of updates, backups, security, checking for errors and updating copy. A website isn't a brochure you print once. It's more like a car: without maintenance, sooner or later something goes wrong.
This article covers what maintenance involves, how often to do each task, what you can do yourself and when it makes sense to outsource it. With a checklist you can use straight away.
Why is website maintenance necessary?
Every website runs on software. That software gets regular updates, for example to close security holes. If you fall behind, your site becomes an easy target. That's especially true for sites with lots of plugins, like many WordPress sites.
But maintenance goes beyond technology. These things also go wrong over time if nobody looks at them:
- Forms that quietly stop working, so enquiries never arrive.
- Links to pages that no longer exist.
- A site that slowly gets slower because of new photos, scripts and plugins.
- Copy, prices or opening hours that are no longer correct.
- An SSL certificate (the padlock in the address bar) that expires.
- Integrations with other systems that break after an update on the other side.
The annoying thing is that you won't see many of these problems if you rarely look at your own site. You only notice when a customer calls to say your form doesn't work, or when Google flags your site as unsafe.
What does website maintenance include?
Good maintenance consists of a few standard parts:
- Updates to the system, the theme, the plugins and the server.
- Backups that are made automatically and stored somewhere other than the server itself.
- Security: monitoring for suspicious activity, strong passwords and as few admins as possible.
- Monitoring: an alert if your site goes down.
- Checking forms, links and important features.
- Speed: measuring regularly and stepping in if the site gets slower.
- Content: keeping copy, photos, prices and contact details up to date.
- Small changes and improvements, such as a new page or an extra field in a form.
Read more about security in our article on securing your website. And keep an eye on speed too: every new photo or plugin can make your site a little slower.
Website maintenance checklist: what to do when
Use this schedule as a guide. For a busy site or an online shop, you'll do some things more often.
- Daily or continuously: automatic backups and monitoring whether the site is online.
- Weekly: check for and install updates, and look for suspicious alerts.
- Monthly: test forms, measure speed and check that backups can actually be restored.
- Quarterly: review copy, prices and photos, and look for broken links.
- Yearly: check your domain name, hosting and licences, and consider whether the site still fits your business.
A tip: actually test your backup. A backup you can't restore is worthless. Ideally do this in a test environment, a copy of your site where you can safely try things out.
Signs your website has overdue maintenance
Not sure how your site is doing? These signs suggest nobody has looked at it for a while:
- Your admin area shows a long list of pending updates.
- Your browser or Google warns that the site isn't secure.
- You get fewer enquiries through the form, while things haven't got quieter otherwise.
- Pages load noticeably slower than they used to.
- Old prices, job vacancies or promotions are still on the site.
- You don't know where your backups are, or when the last one was made.
- Nobody remembers the login details for the hosting or the domain.
Recognise a few? Start with a backup, then bring the updates up to date. Ideally do that in a test environment first. If the site hasn't been updated for years, updates can break a lot in one go. Sometimes it's then smarter to consider whether redesigning your website is the better step.
Do it yourself or outsource?
You can maintain a site yourself, certainly a simple one. But be honest about your time and knowledge. If an update breaks something, you need to be able to fix it. And restoring a hacked site is hard without experience.
Outsourcing is often smart if:
- your site brings in enquiries, bookings or orders and can't afford to go down;
- your site has integrations with other systems;
- you don't have the time or inclination to keep up with updates and backups;
- you want someone to think along about improvements.
A good split: you update the copy and photos yourself through the CMS, and a specialist looks after the technology.
How much does website maintenance cost?
The cost depends on the size of your site, the technology behind it and how much happens. A simple information site needs less work than a site with a booking system or an online shop. With a maintenance contract, check these points:
- What exactly is included? Only updates, or also backups, monitoring, small changes and support?
- How much time for changes is included?
- How quickly do they respond if your site goes down?
- How long are you tied in, and how do you cancel?
- Where are backups stored, and for how long?
Include these costs when you have a new site built. Read more in what website development costs.
Website maintenance with Violexa
At Violexa we offer three maintenance plans for websites we build:
- Silver: €179 excl. VAT (€217 incl. VAT) per month.
- Gold: €299 excl. VAT (€362 incl. VAT) per month.
- Platinum: €699 excl. VAT (€846 incl. VAT) per month.
The first 12 months are fixed. After that you can cancel monthly by email, with one month's notice. You can see exactly what each plan includes on our pricing page. Haven't had your site built yet? See websites and apps. A custom website starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT) per project.
Not sure whether your site is being maintained properly? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on site, we look at your site together. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you update a website?
Check at least weekly for updates to your system, theme and plugins. Install security updates as soon as possible. Always make a backup first.
What happens if you don't maintain a website?
The risk of being hacked goes up, the site often gets slower and features such as forms can quietly stop working. Copy and prices also go out of date. Often you only notice when a customer mentions it.
Do I need a maintenance contract for my website?
Not always. With a simple site you can do a lot yourself if you have the time. If your site brings in enquiries or orders, a contract is often wise, so someone keeps the technology up to date and steps in quickly when there's a problem.
How much does website maintenance cost per month?
That depends on the size and technology of your site and on what the plan includes. At Violexa maintenance starts from €179 excl. VAT (€217 incl. VAT) per month. Always compare plans on what they include, not just on price.
