Website maintenance explained

What does website maintenance cover?

Maintenance is more than adjusting a piece of text now and then. In practice it consists of a number of recurring elements:

• Software updatesWith a CMS, updating the core, the theme and all extensions.
• Security patchesClosing known vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
• BackupsMaking copies regularly and checking that restoring works.
• MonitoringKeeping watch on whether the site is reachable and the certificate remains valid.
• Content changesTexts, prices, photos and new pages.
• Technical checksBroken links, loading speed and error messages.

Why is maintenance important?

Most websites are not hacked by a targeted attack, but by automated scanners looking for known weak spots in outdated software. Overdue maintenance is therefore the biggest risk you run. On top of that, a visitor notices immediately when information is wrong or a page shows an error — that costs trust and therefore enquiries. Search engines, too, appreciate a site that is fast, available and error-free.

The difference between a CMS site and an HTML site

The maintenance burden depends heavily on how your site is built. If a CMS is running, there is software that permanently has to be kept up to date: every month brings updates for the core and the extensions. That is structural work, which is why agencies usually charge a fixed amount per year for it.

A static HTML website does not have that layer. There is no core, no database and there are no plug-ins that go out of date, so the greater part of the compulsory maintenance disappears. What remains is hosting, a valid certificate and the changes you want yourself. That is exactly the thinking behind a website without maintenance costs.

How often is maintenance needed?

For a CMS website, updating monthly is a sensible rhythm, with immediate action as soon as an important security vulnerability becomes known. Backups preferably run automatically every day; you can read more about that in backups explained. For a static site there is no need for an update rhythm — there, maintenance is limited to content changes whenever you want them.

Do it yourself or outsource it?

Carrying out maintenance yourself is possible, but it takes time, discipline and some technical knowledge: an update can break something and then you need to know what you are doing. Many organisations therefore outsource it in a fixed package, so that updates, backups and checks simply carry on without anyone having to think about them. You can read what we take care of at website maintenance.