You invested time, money, and energy into creating a great website for your business. But what happens after it’s launched? Just like a new building needs a groundskeeper or a star athlete needs a trainer, your website needs ongoing care to perform at its best. If your Google search history looks something like this…
- What is website maintenance?
- Do I need website maintenance?
- What are the benefits of maintenance packages?
… then you’re in the right place.
We’re here to answer those questions and show you why a website maintenance package isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential for protecting your investment and ensuring your business’s growth.
What is website maintenance?
Website maintenance services are the proactive, ongoing tasks that keep a website functional, secure, and up-to-date. This consistent care encompasses everything from regular content and software updates to active security monitoring and performance optimization. By staying on top of these essential services, you protect your site from potential threats, ensure a great user experience for every visitor, and maintain your business’s relevance and authority online. Having a 3rd party company perform these services ultimately save you time, money, and stress, allowing you to focus on better serving your customers.
What is WordPress website maintenance?
Given its massive popularity, it’s worth taking a moment to talk specifically about WordPress website maintenance. Because over 40% of all websites on the internet are built on WordPress, it has become a frequent target for hackers. The platform itself is robust, but it relies on a huge ecosystem of third-party themes and plugins, which are a common source of vulnerabilities.
So, what does good WordPress maintenance look like? It’s about protecting the three core pillars of your site:
01 | Core Software Updates
WordPress regularly releases new versions of its core software. These updates contain critical security patches and performance improvements. Proper WordPress maintenance means keeping an eye out for these updates and implementing them as soon as possible, especially if it’s a security update.
02 | Theme Updates
Just like the core software, your website’s theme needs to be kept current. Developers release updates to fix bugs, improve compatibility, and patch security holes. Keep an eye on your theme and ensure it’s receiving regular updates. If a developer stops supporting a theme you’re using, take note and start looking for a replacement theme fast.
03 | Plugin Updates
Plugins give your WordPress site extra functionality, features, and robust capabilities, but they are also the most common point of entry for malicious attacks. A proper website hosting plan ensures all of your plugins are updated and working together seamlessly, so you can leverage their features without the security risks.
WordPress support services take the guesswork out of consistently managing core software, theme, and plugin updates, ensuring your site remains a secure and powerful tool for your business rather than a liability.
How do I purchase website maintenance services?
When it’s time to invest in a website maintenance plan, you have a few options, each with its own advantages and disadvantages that should be carefully considered.
DIY (Do-It-Yourself)
For those with the time and technical expertise, you can manage website maintenance tasks yourself. However, it’s crucial to be consistent and stay up-to-date with the latest security protocols and best practices. Neglecting your website for as little as a month, or less, could lead to vulnerabilities that result in your website getting hacked. One could argue that this may be a more cost-effective solution. However, if you don’t have a complete understanding of your website and the maintenance it needs, you may just end up making costly mistakes.
Hiring a MSP (managed service provider)
This is the hands-off, “set it and forget it” solution. You hire a company, like ours, to handle all your website’s technical needs, from updates and backups to security scans and performance checks. This is usually done via an annual or monthly retainer agreement.
A retainer agreement is the most common approach to website maintenance. This means you have a dedicated company actively helping with your website needs as they arise. You pay a set annual or monthly fee for priority access to their services, often at a discounted rate, giving you peace of mind that expert help is always available.
Finding Maintenance & Support
There’s a wide range of options for website maintenance and support. These range from small, simple plans covering site hosting and minor changes, to comprehensive site auditing and regular content creation. Luckily, there’s an easy way to find the best plan. Introducing, Super Web Heroes!
Super Web Heroes: Web Maintenance Simplified
We have partnered with Super Web Heroes to provide website maintenance in a easy to manage way. No more second guessing your website maintenance. Super Web Heroes offers:
- Transparent Pricing Tiers: Super Web Heroes has a plan for you no matter what your needs are. Whether you require new pages, features, and refreshed content, or prefer to handle page updates while offloading plugin complexities and security, there’s a plan for you.
- Easy Communication: There’s no anonymous support tickets here; you’ll work directly with a web expert on the team. Requests can be sent through your dashboard or via email.
- Secure Website Hosting Included: Every plan includes secure website hosting, a firewall, 24/7 monitoring, and other protections so you can sleep well knowing your site is safe.
Super Web Heroes Provides Website Maintenance Services to Save Your Day
What happens if I don't have a website maintenance package?
Without a consistent maintenance plan, your website is vulnerable to a host of issues that can hurt your business. the longer you leave your website with updates and maintenance, the more likely you will be to experience the following issues:
Security Breaches
An unpatched website is an open door for hackers. Cyberattacks can lead to stolen customer data, a damaged reputation, and costly cleanup efforts. The most common attack vector on a WordPress website is an outdated plugin.
Slow Performance
Websites that run on outdated software, plugins, and themes do slow down over time. Just like your cellphone or a 6 year old computer. The truth is, your customers are busy people. If your site takes too long to load, they’ll leave. A slow website also hurts your search engine rankings, making it harder for new customers to find you.
Broken Functionality
Over time, plugins, themes, and code can become incompatible with one another. This can lead to broken contact forms, checkout errors, or pages that simply don’t work. These frustrating issues often send your website users straight to the dreaded close button.
Data Loss
Without regular backups, a critical error or hack could wipe out your entire website. Leaving you without an online presence or other valuable data. The time and resources it takes to rebuild from scratch is costly and give you a bad reputation if visitors notice your site down.
Reputation
Speaking of… The highest price you’ll pay for not performing regular maintenance is a damaged reputation. A broken or compromised website makes your business look unprofessional and unreliable. When customers encounter errors, security warnings, or outdated information, they lose trust in your brand. Regaining lost trust is way harder than keeping your site well maintained.
Securing Your Website's Success
Imagine a version of your business where your website is consistently fast, always secure, and free from unexpected issues. What would that mean for you? It would mean more leads, better user experience, more customer trust, and the freedom to focus on what you do best. That’s the real value of a great maintenance plan, it gives you back time and energy to dedicate to your core business, knowing your online presence is in expert hands.
By choosing a proactive maintenance plan, you’re making a strategic investment that saves you time, money, and stress in the long run.
Watch how we can transform your website.
IDS builds websites that stand out, strengthen your brand, and drive results.
