Do I need a website maintenance plan?

Published On: December 12th, 2022Categories: FAQ, Website SecurityTags: , ,

If you have a website built on a content management system (CMS), the answer is yes. Over a third of the websites online are powered by four key platforms: WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, and Magento. WordPress is leading the CMS market with over 60% market share. It is a database-driven system with lots of underlying source code and requires consistent maintenance to remain stable, secure, and in good working order.

The phrase “maintenance plan” can mean many different things depending on the company you speak to. Plans typically include software updates, content updates, troubleshooting and reporting.

One of the great many things about WordPress is that it is free, open-source software. It is publicly accessible and anyone can contribute to the development and advancement of it. It is also customizable and supported by developers all over the world. Because of its transparency, the code is vulnerable to hackers. WordPress rolls out major updates two or three times per year. Minor updates can occur more frequently. These updates not only contain new features and bug fixes, but those all important security updates.

Themes, plugins and widgets

Your site most likely contains add-ons, which includes plugins, themes, and widgets. Plugins, or third party software, adds functionality like forms, sliders, ecommerce, etc., and will also need updating on a regular basis. Outdated theme and plugin files account for most of website security breaches today.

If this software is no longer supported by its authors, meaning it has not been updated to keep up with the latest version of WordPress, your site could break. Just like your vehicle, Preventative Maintenance costs less in the long run. Generally developers charge a premium for emergency requests. You should also consider the cost to your business while your site is down.

What should I look for in a website maintenance plan?

  • Updates include theme and plugin software as well as the core WordPress files.

  • Updates occur at least once per month and when major updates become available.

  • A backup of the site and database files is performed before any updates occur.

  • Outdated and incompatible plugins/third party software are replaced.

  • Website is tested for design and functional errors after updates.

Ready to get started?

Baldwin Web Design offers maintenance plans for WordPress sites that we host. Give us a call if you have any questions on our plans, pricing, or moving your site to our hosting environment.

About the Author: Carla Baldwin

Carla Baldwin
Carla is the owner of Baldwin Web Design. She is the lead developer and project manager with over twenty years of professional experience in web development and digital marketing.