Maintenance agreements range from comprehensive service to monthly invoices for almost nothing. Understanding what maintenance should include helps you evaluate what you are paying for.
What maintenance should include
Software updates
The core CMS, plugins, themes, and dependencies all need regular updates. Security patches should be applied promptly. Feature updates can be scheduled. Each update should be tested before production deployment.
Good maintenance documents what was updated and when. You should be able to see a record of changes.
Backup management
Automated backups should run regularly. Backup integrity should be verified. Restoration should be tested periodically. When problems occur, recovery should be possible within hours, not days.
Ask when backups were last tested. If they say 'never' or 'not sure', that is a red flag.
Security monitoring
The site should be monitored for malware, suspicious activity, and known vulnerabilities. Firewalls and security plugins should be configured and maintained. When security issues are detected, response should be immediate.
Uptime monitoring
Someone should know when the site goes down, ideally before you do. Monitoring should check availability, response time, and critical functionality. Alerts should reach someone who can respond.
A quick fix delivered late still costs the business as much as a slow one. The fix took five minutes but cost you three weeks is the case study version of that maths.
Performance baseline
Page load times should be tracked over time. Performance degradation should be noticed and investigated. Core Web Vitals should be monitored for search ranking impact.
What maintenance might include
Some maintenance agreements include additional services:
Small content changes within a monthly time allowance
Hosting management and domain renewals
Email configuration and troubleshooting
Third-party integration monitoring
SEO monitoring and basic reporting
These extras are useful but should be itemised. Know what you are paying for.
What maintenance should not include
Maintenance is not development. New features, redesigns, and major functionality changes are separate projects with separate budgets. Mixing them creates confusion about scope and cost.
A clear boundary between maintenance and development protects both parties. Maintenance keeps the site running reliably. Development changes what the site does.
Questions to ask your maintenance provider
What exactly is included in the monthly fee?
How are updates tested before deployment?
When were backups last tested?
How quickly will you respond to emergencies?
What is not included and how is it charged?
What reports will I receive?
Clear answers to these questions indicate a professional operation. Vague answers mean the agreement probably is not clear enough. I offer transparent support packages with clear scope.
Not sure if your site is being looked after properly? A site health report audits everything covered in this article and more. Security, performance, backups and code quality. Written report within 5 working days, one working day response. See what the report covers.
Frequently asked questions
What should every maintenance agreement include?
Software updates with testing, automated backups with verified restoration, security and uptime monitoring and a performance baseline. Anything less is not maintenance, it is just an invoice.
How is maintenance different from development?
Maintenance keeps the site running reliably. Development changes what the site does. New features, redesigns and major functionality changes are separate projects with separate budgets.
How can I tell if my maintenance provider is actually doing the work?
Ask when backups were last restored, what was updated in the last quarter and how response times are tracked. Clear written answers signal a professional operation. Vague answers usually mean the work is not happening.
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