Website maintenance and support with an SLA

Website maintenance is the ongoing technical care of a website after launch: system and plugin updates, security patches, backups, uptime monitoring and small changes. Unlike one-off fixes, problems are caught and handled before visitors notice them, and the response time is agreed in advance.

What maintenance includes

Updates - the content management system, plugins and server software on supported versions.
Security - security patches, access reviews and monitoring for suspicious activity.
Backups - regular off-site backups and periodic restore tests.
Monitoring - we find out when the site or a form stops working, not your customer.
Small changes - new form fields, page blocks, links and technical SEO fixes.
Monthly report - what was updated, what changed and what is worth planning next.

Why an unmaintained website becomes a risk

Software ages even when nobody changes it. Every version has a support period, after which there are no more security patches. Outdated content management systems and their plugins are the most common way in for attackers, and restoring a site without backups costs more than a year of maintenance.

The second risk is less visible: the site slowly gets slower, forms stop sending emails, the certificate expires on a weekend. Each is small on its own, but this is exactly how enquiries get lost.

SLA: what to agree in writing

Maintenance without an agreed service level means "we will do it when we can". The agreement should state:

Response time - how quickly work on a problem starts, by severity.
Resolution time - how quickly the site works again or a workaround is in place.
Update policy - how often, and whether it is included in the fee.
Backup retention - how long backups are kept and when a restore was last tested.
Change allowance - how many small changes are included per month and how larger ones are estimated.

More questions worth asking a supplier are in our article on how to choose a software development partner.

How we start

Technical review - system, versions, plugins, access, backups and speed.
Clean-up - critical updates and security gaps are fixed straight away.
Agreement - scope, response time and reporting are set out based on the review.
Ongoing maintenance - updates, monitoring and a monthly report.

If the website is old and patching it costs more than rebuilding, we will say so after the review. In that case it is worth talking about a new website, and if you first want to know the state of the current one, start with a free website audit.

What drives the cost of maintenance

Which system and how many plugins need maintaining.
The agreed response time: business hours only or weekends too.
How many small changes are included per month.
Whether other systems are connected to the site: an online store, CRM or accounting.

For websites connected to business systems, maintenance also covers the integrations: how we handle that is described on the integrations page.

No maintenance, on request or under an SLA

No maintenance, on request or under an SLA
Criterion	No maintenance	On request	Maintenance under an SLA
Updates	Whenever someone remembers	When you ask	Regularly, to a plan
Backups	Often none	Depends on the supplier	Regular, with restore tests
Problems noticed	When a customer reports them	When a customer reports them	Monitoring flags them earlier
Response time	None	When the supplier has time	Agreed in writing
Costs	Lowest, until something happens	Unpredictable	Planned monthly

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does website maintenance include?

System and plugin updates, security patches, backups, uptime monitoring and small content or feature changes. The exact scope and response time are set out in the maintenance agreement.

What is an SLA and why do I need one?

An SLA is a service level agreement: how quickly work on a problem starts, how quickly it is resolved and how website availability is measured. Without one, "we maintain it" only means good will.

Do you maintain websites you did not build?

We start with a technical review: which system, which versions, which plugins and whether backups exist. Only then is it clear what can be maintained and how, and sometimes that rebuilding is cheaper than patching.

Why update a website that works?

Because software ages even when nobody changes it. Once a version is out of support it gets no security patches, and outdated systems are the most common way in for attackers.

Can I still edit content myself?

Yes. Maintenance does not replace your content management: you edit copy and news yourself, and we take care of what happens under the hood.

Case studies