Website maintenance should have a written scope that separates routine care, support requests and new development. Before choosing an agreement, confirm who handles updates, backups, hosting and content changes, then ask how issues are reported and what happens when work falls outside the allowance.
This guide is for business owners running a WordPress website or a Shopify store. It helps you compare what a support fee actually covers, whether your website was built by the provider or is being handed over from someone else.
Key takeaways: hosting is not a complete maintenance agreement; backups need a defined recovery process; response time and resolution time are different; and new features should have an agreed approval route.
List the accounts and responsibilities first
A website can depend on several services: domain registration, hosting, email, the publishing platform and paid tools. Those services may be managed by different people. A useful support agreement makes that arrangement visible rather than describing everything as “website care”.
Ask who owns the accounts, who pays the renewals and who receives renewal notices. Check where licences sit and what happens if the support arrangement ends. The aim is a practical handover record, not a collection of passwords passed around by email.
For example, a website provider might maintain WordPress while a separate company manages email. If messages stop arriving, the first investigation needs to identify whether the form, mailbox or email delivery service is involved. Clear ownership helps the request reach the right person.
Define the update work and the checks after it
“Updates included” should lead to a more specific conversation. Ask which parts of the website are covered, how changes are reviewed and what happens if an update causes a problem. A routine software update and repairing incompatible custom code may need different scopes.
WordPress’s official update documentation advises backing up the site before updating so it can be restored if problems occur. Your agreement should identify who performs that preparation and any follow-up checks.
For your own review, choose the interactions that matter to the business: an enquiry form, a booking route or a representative purchase. These are suggested checks to agree with your provider. A homepage loading successfully does not establish that every important interaction still works.
Shopify store support has a different boundary from maintaining a self-hosted WordPress installation. Ask specifically about themes, apps, product changes and store settings. Do not compare the two agreements by the number of software updates alone.
Ask what is backed up and how recovery works
A backup statement is more useful when it includes what is captured, how often it happens, where copies are held and who can request a restore. Ask about retention and whether recovery work is included or charged separately. The answers should fit how frequently the website’s data changes.
WordPress’s backup guidance distinguishes website files from the database and explains why both matter to a complete backup. An agreement should name its coverage rather than leave “backup” undefined.
Consider an online shop that receives orders after a backup is taken. Returning the entire database to an earlier point may affect newer records. Ask how recovery would be assessed in that situation and who makes the decision. Avoid assuming that a restore is always a simple replacement of yesterday’s website.
Separate routine care from content and feature requests
Routine maintenance does not automatically include rewriting pages, adding services or building new integrations. Ask whether content edits have a monthly allowance, what counts against it and how unused time is handled. If there is no allowance, ask how small requests are quoted.
A useful distinction is the nature of the request. Replacing an existing image, adding a new landing page and connecting a booking service involve different work. Describe the intended result and let the provider confirm the scope before a change starts.
Also ask what a response commitment means. An acknowledgement, an initial investigation and a completed fix are different events. Third-party dependencies can affect resolution, so the agreement should explain priority handling and escalation without implying every issue has the same deadline.
Agree how completed work is reported
Ask for a proportionate record of work: what changed, which relevant checks were completed and whether anything needs a decision. A short, useful note is often enough for routine care. Larger changes may need a preview and a specific approval step before going live.
Make room for a periodic review of the business information too. Software care will not notice that your opening hours, services or team details have changed unless someone supplies that information. Assign an owner for keeping those details current.
Website maintenance agreement checklist
For each proposal, write an answer beside the following questions. Mark anything unanswered for clarification before comparing the price.
- Platform: which website and store components are covered?
- Ownership: who manages domains, hosting, email and licences?
- Updates: what preparation and follow-up checks are included?
- Backups: what is captured, retained and available for recovery?
- Requests: where do you send an issue or a content change?
- Timing: what response expectations and priority rules apply?
- Allowance: which changes are included and which need a quote?
- Exit: what access and handover information will you receive?
What is website maintenance?
Website maintenance is the ongoing work that keeps a site’s software, content and important interactions usable. It can include updates, backups, checks and troubleshooting; the tasks and responsibilities included should be set out in your website maintenance agreement.
Common website maintenance questions
Does paying for hosting mean the site is maintained?
Only if the hosting agreement explicitly includes the relevant care tasks. Hosting, software maintenance, content changes and troubleshooting can have different owners. Check the written inclusions and exclusions rather than assuming a monthly hosting fee covers everything the website needs.
Can a new provider support my existing website?
They should review the setup first. Access, licences, platform, custom work and unresolved issues affect the scope. An initial assessment helps identify repairs or handover requirements before an ongoing agreement is proposed. Keep those initial costs distinct from the recurring support fee.
Choose care around the website you actually run
At Xeon, the managed website packages describe build and ongoing care options, while existing website improvements cover work on a current site. Our website support and maintenance service sets out the care we can scope. For website maintenance, start with the responsibilities and tasks you need covered. Send your website and support requirements so we can review the setup and define an appropriate scope.