Insights · 5 min read
WordPress maintenance: what a monthly plan should actually include
By Austin Hunter ·
Most small-business and nonprofit websites run on WordPress, and most of them are fine until the day they aren't: a plugin update breaks the layout, a form stops sending, or the site starts redirecting visitors somewhere unpleasant. Nearly all of that is preventable with a little routine work each month. Here's what that routine should cover, whoever does it.
Updates, tested before they go live
WordPress core, the theme and every plugin release updates often, and many of them are security fixes. Out-of-date plugins are the most common way WordPress sites get broken into. The catch is that updates sometimes conflict with each other, so good maintenance means updating on a schedule and checking the site afterwards (forms, menus, checkout if you have one) rather than switching on auto-update and hoping.
Backups you can actually restore
- Daily backups of the database and files, stored somewhere other than the server itself.
- Kept long enough to go back before a problem started (a few weeks, not a few days).
- Restored into a test copy now and then, to prove they work.
Security and uptime checks
A malware scan and an uptime monitor catch problems before your visitors do. Remove plugins and admin accounts nobody uses, and make sure every admin has a strong password. Those two steps close a surprising number of doors.
Time for small changes
Most sites need a trickle of edits: new photos, an updated price, a staff change, a new page for an event. A plan with a small block of included time each month is usually cheaper and faster than quoting each change separately.
Questions to ask before you pay for a plan
- Are updates tested before they go live, or just applied automatically?
- Where are backups stored, and when was one last restored?
- How many hours of changes are included, and what happens if I need more?
- How fast do you reply, and on which days?
- Are the hosting, domain and admin accounts in my name?
- Can I cancel any time?
What we offer
Our Care plan covers all of the above for $129 a month: tested monthly updates, malware scanning and uptime monitoring, an hour a month of small changes, and replies within 2 business days. It's month to month, with accounts kept in your name. If you only need hosting, that starts at $40 a month.