Why Your Website Needs a Maintenance Plan: Keep Your Site Secure, Fast, and Stress-Free!

When new clients come to me, they often say:

“The person who created my website has disappeared (or is no longer working in this field), and I don’t know how to make changes to my website. Can you help me?”

This is usually followed by something like, “My site isn’t working properly. Can you fix it?” Often, issues with website functionality are due to outdated plugins, themes, or WordPress itself. Sometimes, it’s the hosting server’s software causing problems. For business owners who aren’t comfortable with technology, both of these issues can be quite stressful.

Maintaining a website goes beyond its initial design and launch. Regular updates, security checks, and performance optimizations are essential to keep your site running smoothly and securely. That’s where website maintenance plans come in. They offer peace of mind and ensure your site remains in top shape.

Why Website Security is Critical

A very common type of attack is a Brute Force Attack which uses trial and error to guess passwords and login credentials. These are usually performed by bots that can try multiple attempts per minute and can sustain the effort for hours, days or weeks. Successful breaches and/or injected malware can cause Google to block your site. Getting your site back to normal can take time away from running your business. Poor security can hurt your SEO (search engine optimization) just as much as it can affect your customers.

My website security can minimize the chances of your site being infected and, if it should happen, I can take measures to have the site cleaned and restored to normal as quickly as possible, removing any blocks Google has placed against it.

How can you tell if you need support?

Sometimes clients decide not to opt for a support plan when we launch their website. Later on, they might reach out to me for help with some changes. When I log in, I often see notifications for updates for WordPress, themes, and plugins, which means they haven’t been checking for updates weekly as recommended. If you log into your website and see lots of red dots with numbers in them, that’s how many updates you have. If you don’t have the time or feel uncomfortable performing these updates, you might want to consider a support plan. You’ve invested a lot of time and money into getting your website up and running, so it’s a wise investment to keep it that way.

What Does Website Maintenance Consist Of?

I offer three levels of support plans. Each of my website maintenance plans includes essential services (indicated with an asterisk) to keep your site secure and running smoothly, with more services added as you move up through the tiers.

• Website security checks*: Checking 10 web trust points and looking for vulnerabilities
• Malware checks*: Scanning for malware on your site
• Backups*: Keeping a backup in case your website becomes unusable
• Daily database optimization*: Removing unnecessary records in your website’s database to keep it lean and running smoothly
• Uptime monitoring*: Notifying me when a website goes offline
• Performance checks*: Focusing on site loading speed and warning which elements of your site might be causing slowdowns
• Performance optimization*: Fixing any areas which might be causing the site to load slowly
• Broken link monitoring: Checking the site for any outgoing or internal links that are  are unable to connect. Sometimes that means the remote site removed the link or their site is down. Too many broken links are bad for SEO.
• Removal of spam comments (if you allow comments on your site): Keeping your database clean and efficient.
• Review/strategy calls: An opportunity for me to learn about my client’s upcoming products or services and how we’ll feature them on their website. Whether it’s planning an event promotion or mapping out a rebranding process, these calls are mostly brainstorming sessions where we discuss what’s happening in their business. These conversations often spark new ideas and can be incredibly productive.

Here’s a Breakdown of My Plans:

Culinary Basics Plan

The Culinary Basics Plan is perfect for anyone who needs essential support to keep their site secure and running efficiently. While it doesn’t cover changes to content like text or images, it ensures your site stays safe, secure, and happy (i.e., running smoothly).

• Security checks
• Malware checks
• Monthly backups
• Daily database optimization
• Daily updates to plugins, themes, and WordPress as necessary
• Uptime monitoring
• Monthly performance checks
• Performance optimization

Epicurean Essentials Plan

The Epicurean Essentials Plan offers more comprehensive support, including all of the Culinary Basics plan and additional monitoring and update services. This plan is my most popular choice for clients.

• Expanded monthly report listing top queries and sources of traffic
• Broken link monitoring
• Removal of spam comments
• Bi-annual review/strategy call
• 5 hours of updates to site content (text, images, video) per year
• Additional hours available for purchase

Gourmet Deluxe Plan

The Gourmet Deluxe Plan is my most extensive offering, including all of the Epicurean Essentials plan and providing daily checks and frequent strategy calls.

• Daily security checks
• Daily performance checks
• Quarterly review/strategy call
• 10 hours of updates to site content (text, images, video) per year
• Additional hours available for purchase

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What if I don’t have a support plan?

Not having a support plan means you’ll need to handle all updates to plugins, themes, and WordPress yourself. You will also be responsible for maintaining security measures. The potential risks include:

• Slow loading times
• Loss of Google SEO rankings
• Being blacklisted by Google
• Security risks
• No backups if the site gets hacked or breached
• Out-of-date plugins can break site functions
• Relying solely on your hosting company for support when issues arise

Do you take on sites that you didn’t build?

Yes, I evaluate each site individually to determine if it aligns with my services. For sites not built by me, there is a minimum setup fee of €250.

Are there any setup fees?

There are no initiation fees for sites I build. For sites not constructed by me, there is a minimum setup fee. Please reach out for a personalized quote.

Do you offer just maintenance?

No, in addition to providing website support, I specialize in website development. Contact me for a quote on any type of website, whether it’s a brochure site, e-commerce platform, a simple blog, or something more intricate.

Can you help if my site gets hacked?

Yes. I offer an initial site clean-up service. After that, you can enroll your site in my monthly plan to ensure it stays clean and protected from hacks.

What if my site gets hacked or breached while I’m on one of your support plans?

Depending on the severity of the breach, your site will undergo malware clean-up or restoration from the latest backup at no extra charge, except in cases where insecure login practices compromised site access. In such cases, cleaning the site would be charged at my hourly rate.

What if I require more time than the plan support time allows?

You can purchase additional blocks of hours tailored to your requirements. These blocks are available in increments of 5 (€330) or 10 (€660) + VAT, where applicable.

Conclusion

Investing in a website maintenance support plan is crucial for ensuring your site remains secure, fast, and functional without taking your time away from the day-to-day running of your business. When choosing a plan select one that best suits your needs and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your website is in good hands. Reach out to me if you want to be proactive and ensure your site is protected and well-maintained before any issues arise. You can learn more at https://the-website-chef.com/website-maintenance-plans/