Websites
What a website maintenance plan should include
“Website maintenance” can mean anything from a monthly plugin update to a full technical team. Use this checklist to see what you are paying for and what you are not.
Foundations you should own
- The domain registration, in your business’s name, with auto-renew and up-to-date contact details.
- DNS records, documented, including email authentication records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- TLS certificates, with automated renewal and expiry monitoring.
- Hosting and CMS administrator accounts, in your name, with your provider holding delegated access.
Routine care
- Scheduled updates for the CMS, theme and plugins, with a backup first and a check afterwards.
- Backups stored away from the web server, with periodic restore checks.
- Uptime monitoring with alerts that reach someone who can act.
- Security hardening and a clear malware-response process.
- Database housekeeping for online stores.
Improvement work
- Performance measurement and fixes, such as image optimisation, caching and slow queries.
- Accessibility and technical SEO reviews.
- Analytics configuration that respects visitor privacy.
- A monthly allowance of change time for content updates.
Usually excluded
Redesigns, new features, copywriting, photography, advertising management, premium licences and hosting fees are usually separate. So are guarantees of rankings or traffic, which no honest provider can make.