Website care plans are the unsung heroes of website management. Often overlooked, a website maintenance service is essential in keeping your website running smoothly and updated with the latest security measures. A WordPress website maintenance service can include updates to plugins, software and themes, as well as backups of your website. Packages can include software licensing, legal policies, speed optimisation, SEO optimisation, content changes, competitor analysis, and even strategy calls. Having a website care plan will ensure that your website is always up-and-running, protected and regularly updated to increase traffic and improve your visitor’s journey (and ultimately conversions).
1. Why do you need a website maintenance package?
Your WordPress website is an essential part of your business. But maintaining it is a job that’s often overlooked or seen as an unnecessary expense. The truth is, routine website maintenance is essential for keeping your website running securely and smoothly. But it’s not just about security and software updates.
Website maintenance services can (and should) include technical maintenance such as updates and security patches but a really good one help you improve traffic, and conversions and even take care of software licencing. By having a WordPress maintenance service, you can ensure that your website is always in prime condition and keeping up with the needs of your business. Preventative website maintenance could be compared to servicing your car. By keeping on top of important tasks, you may actually save money in the long run by preventing potentially expensive issues from arising. If you’re keen to protect your investment and keep your website running smoothly then a website maintenance package is essential.
That may sound like a hard sell and maybe it is. But outdated WordPress websites cause so many issues, and we’ve seen many of them first-hand. Here are just some of the issues that regularly occur with outdated websites:
- Stale content that doesn’t reflect the latest changes in the company or industry
- Slow loading pages
- Loss of search engine rankings
- Loss of traffic
- Bugs/Errors on frontend and backend
- Website crashing
- Hacked and ruined websites
- Security breaches (potentially including customer data)
Website maintenance services can help keep your website running smoothly and ensure that your visitors have a positive experience. They can also help to improve your website’s search engine ranking and make it more visible to potential customers.
2. The different types of website maintenance packages
All agencies will have their own variety of WordPress maintenance packages available, and the right package for your business will depend on your specific needs. Basic website maintenance packages typically include things like website backups, security updates, and technical support. More comprehensive packages may also include features like software licencing, legal policies, Fresh content updates, and performance optimization.
At Suffolk Web Design and Marketing we have 3 website care plans that cater to the majority of clients we serve:
- Crucial
- Premium
- Ultimate
Crucial
This is our basic yet comprehensive care plan and we feel it covers far more than most plans at this price point. Take a look at just some of what’s included below:
Website security
We’ll set up security software and monitor your website for any suspicious activity. We’ll actively lock out suspected hackers and be proactive in preventing security breaches.
Core software AND plugin updates
WordPress software and plugins require regular updates. We update your core software and plugins every week. But it’s not quite that simple. We don’t like to take chances with your website, that’s why we take a backup before any updates and check for any unwanted changes once updates are complete. If there’s a problem we’ll take care of it.
Daily off-site backups (in addition to daily server backups)
Most good web hosts take daily backups of your site but they’re not always easy to get hold of and they’re not always reliable. There have been cases of hosting companies losing client websites entirely due to server issues or human error. This is why we take daily off-site backups that are stored on a completely different server. Should the worst happen, we’ve got you covered.
All pre-agreed software licencing costs
Most good websites will use at least some premium plugins/software that require ongoing license fees. Wherever possible, we actually include these as part of your plan. This means you never have to worry about renewing individual software licences again.
Legal policies from Iubenda
It’s important to state that we are NOT legal experts. But, Iubenda is. That’s why we include (and regularly update) privacy and cookie policies from them. Unlike free templates you can find online, these are backed up by a trusted source and constantly updated as laws change. This is yet another expense that’s covered by your website care plan.
Monthly reports
Every month you’ll receive a comprehensive website report that shows you what work has been carried out and how your website is performing. This includes details of updates performed, backups created, website uptime, traffic analytics, security scans, speed monitoring and SEO rank changes.
Speed optimisation
Having a website that loads fast is NOT just a vanity metric. Slow-loading websites will put off visitors and that’s why Google consider it an important ranking factor. That’s right, speeding up your website could have an impact on your search engine rankings. Website visitors are ever more impatient and won’t wait around. If your website isn’t loading super-quickly, you’re probably losing customers. With our website care plans, you won’t have to worry about this. We’ll monitor your sites to ensure your it’s always pleasing your visitors and search engines.
Priority support
As a care plan client, you’ll be given priority for any support you need. We respond to messages within a few hours and you’ll be able to call if you require urgent assistance.
Discounted hourly rate
As a valued client of ours, we’ll offer a discounted rate for any work you require outside your care plan. This could be anything from small changes to complete website redesigns.
Premium
Our “premium” website maintenance package comes with everything listed in our “Crucial” plan but with one massive difference that we feel is an exceptional deal (it’s also our most popular plan). With this plan you’ll have UNLIMITED website changes at your disposal. Have a blog post to publish? want to update your images? Need to update your portfolio? We’ll take care of it!
Changes include amending any images/text and other jobs that will take 30 minutes or less. This typically covers things like adding reviews, updating your portfolio, editing your menu or changing descriptions. This doesn’t cover custom or complex features such as graphic design, membership areas or E-commerce functionality. We are generous but there have to be some limits.
Ultimate
Our ultimate plan is for those who’d like some hands-on assistance with moving their website forward and looking for opportunities to grow. You’ll of course receive everything above, but with this plan, we’ll include regular competitive analysis AND a one-one monthly strategy call to help you smash those goals on a consistent basis.
3. How to choose the right website maintenance services for you
The very fact that you’re reading this page suggests that you know just how crucial it is to keep your website up to date. However, with so many companies offering an array of different service levels (not to mention prices) it’s tough to know which plan is right for your website.
To start – All website maintenance plans should include regular updates to the WordPress core and all site plugins. They should also include regular backups, some form of security, and a contact option/web support for website owners should they need assistance. If they don’t offer all of these then look elsewhere.
If you’re not sure what’s required, your website developer (or another developer you trust) should be able to guide you on the best fit for you. However, aside from the basics and a few other components, there are some things that you really should consider before making your choice.
We’ve covered the details of these above but these 3 items, in particular, could very easily sway your decision from one company/package to another.
1 – Content changes
Do you require changes to your site very often such as images, content, new pages etc? If so, then it can be labour-intensive to do this yourself or expensive to pay a staff member/contractor. Some care plans offer a set amount of time each month to take care of this for you (you may have already seen that our premium plan offers unlimited content updates/changes for everyday type tasks).
2 – Software Licensing
If your website uses any software that has a monthly cost or annual fee attached (it probably does) then you’ll need to pay for those licences. Many companies hold commercial software licences for commonly used plugins which means they get a much better deal than you could from buying a single licence. This enables them to include licences within their website maintenance packages at a much lower cost.
3 – Legal Policies
All websites need standard legal policies that cover privacy and cookies (and possibly terms & conditions). A few companies (including us) offer legal policies as part of a care and maintenance package. This works in a similar way to software licensing. By purchasing multiple licenses they can save money and pass those savings on.
4. How much will website maintenance cost?
The big question! WordPress website maintenance costs in the UK can vary depending on the size and complexity of your website, as well as the level of support you require. However, most basic packages start at around £50 per month. This includes essential tasks on your WordPress site such as security updates, content management, and performance monitoring. For larger or more complex websites, you can expect to pay upwards of £500 per month for a comprehensive maintenance package. Of course, you could also choose to carry out these tasks yourself. If you’ve found a package that you like, you may be able to get a discount by purchasing annually. This is a common offer in the industry so it’s worth looking out for.
In this blog post, we’ve outlined some things you should consider before making a decision on the best website maintenance package for you. We’ve also given a brief overview of the different types of services offered by website maintenance companies. So whether you’re looking for regular updates to the WordPress core and plugins, content changes, or legal policies, there’s sure to be a package that fits your needs.
Click below to see our competitive and comprehensive website maintenance packages.
