You wouldn’t drive a car for years without an oil change, right?
The same goes for your website. Many business owners launch a site and forget about it, only to realize later it’s slow, broken, or even hacked.
Website maintenance isn’t just about keeping things looking nice. It’s about protecting your investment.
In this article, I’ll explain what website maintenance is and why skipping it could cost you more than you think.
Let’s dive right into it.
What exactly Website Maintenance is?
I saw lots of threads on Reddit asking this question – and even after years nobody seemed to have proper answer. Let me fix that.
Website maintenance is the ongoing process of keeping a website updated, secure, and functioning properly. It involves tasks like updating plugins, fixing bugs, optimizing performance, doing backups and checking security of the site.
Think of it like routine servicing for a car—without regular checkups, things can break down, slow down, or even stop working altogether.
A well-maintained website loads faster, stays secure, and provides a smooth experience for visitors.
Website maintenance isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing commitment to keeping your site healthy, relevant, and effective. And for many businesses, their website is their business. It’s how they attract leads and make sales. Now, imagine if their website went down for a week. That could mean losing a huge chunk of revenue.
That’s why I always recommend website maintenance to my clients—it’s about preventing problems before they turn into disasters.
Especially if you are on the WordPress. Plugins get outdated and someone needs to updated them. If not, your site is more prone to cyber attack. Also, when things go wrong – you at least have a backup right? Right?
A key part of website maintenance is setting up daily, weekly, or monthly backups—so if anything happens, you always have a safety net.
What does website maintenance include?
Website maintenance involves a range of tasks to keep your site running smoothly, securely, and efficiently.
Here are the key areas it usually covers:
Plugin updates
If your site runs on a platform like WordPress, regular updates are a must. This includes updating core CMS and plugins to patch security vulnerabilities and ensure compatibility.
Outdated plugins are one of the biggest security risks for your website.
Backups
Regular backups act as a safety net in case something goes wrong. Depending on your needs, backups can be done daily, weekly, or monthly. If your site gets hacked or crashes, a recent backup can save you from losing everything.
Performance Optimization
Over time, websites can slow down due to bloated code, large images, or outdated plugins.
Maintenance includes optimizing speed by compressing images, caching files, and cleaning up unnecessary data.
Faster websites improve user experience and SEO rankings.
Security Monitoring & Protection
Cyber threats are real, and a hacked website can damage your business reputation.
Website maintenance involves monitoring security and scanning for malware to keep your website secure.
Fixing Bugs & Broken Links
Broken links, missing images, or layout issues can make your site look unprofessional. Routine maintenance includes checking for and fixing these errors to ensure a smooth user experience.
Uptime Monitoring
If your site goes down, you need to know that immediately. Even better – have someone to fix it within few hours.
Website maintenance includes uptime monitoring so you can react quickly if there’s a problem with your hosting or server.
How much does website maintenance costs?
Website maintenance costs vary based on factors like frequency of backups, website size, complexity, and the level of attention needed.
Large ecommerce store will need daily support and maintenance. Contrary, small website for roofing company will happily need once-a-month maintenance. If your site has low traffic and rarely gets updates, spending hundreds on daily maintenance isn’t necessary. It’s all about choosing the right level of care for your needs.
So you have an idea, here’s a breakdown of typical costs.
| For small sites (backups & updates once a month) | $20 – $50 / month |
| For normal website (backups & updates weekly) | $70 – $200 / month |
| For large websites (backups & updates daily) | $200 – $400 / month |
That’s what you can expect to pay – most of the time.
Most people reading this will likely fall into the first category. There’s no need to spend $200-$400 a month on maintenance if your site is small and low-traffic. A basic plan is usually enough.
But I also know businesses that do need that level of service. High-traffic sites, eCommerce stores, and companies that rely on their website daily can’t afford downtime or security risks. For them, investing in regular maintenance is a no-brainer.
