Maintenance plans that pay for themselves

Why maintenance matters

Websites do not stay stable on their own. Content changes. Systems update. Third-party scripts change behaviour [4]Source 4 . Forms break quietly.

Maintenance is not polishing. It is risk reduction, performance protection, and keeping enquiries flowing [1]Source 1 [2]Source 2 .

What maintenance protects you from

• Lost leads from broken forms and email delivery failures.
• Slowdowns from page weight creep and uncontrolled third-party scripts [4]Source 4 .
• Accessibility regressions from content and component changes [7]Source 7 [8]Source 8 .
• SEO drops from broken internal links, missing redirects, and accidental noindex mistakes [5]Source 5 .
• Security problems from unpatched software and weak configuration [6]Source 6 .
• Emergency invoices for problems that were detectable earlier.

What a good maintenance plan includes

Monthly checks

• Test key journeys end to end. Contact, donate, book, buy, sign up.
• Check forms for spam, validation issues, and delivery to the right inbox.
• Check for broken links, missing pages, and redirect issues [5]Source 5 .
• Review Core Web Vitals indicators and key templates for regression [2]Source 2 [3]Source 3 .
• Run quick accessibility checks on key journeys. Keyboard navigation, focus, forms, headings [7]Source 7 .
• Confirm backups, or confirm hosting snapshots, depending on the platform.

Quarterly checks

• Audit third-party scripts. Remove anything that does not justify its cost [4]Source 4 .
• Review analytics and tracking events. Confirm they still fire and still map to goals.
• Review content for stale information, outdated offers, and dead campaign links.
• Review performance budgets and page weight budgets, then adjust content guidance if needed [2]Source 2 .

Ad hoc support

• Small content changes and corrections.
• Fixes for bugs and broken components.
• Small improvements that reduce friction, such as improving a form journey.

What a weak plan looks like

• Vague language such as we keep your site updated, with no itemised checks.
• No mention of forms, email delivery, or key journeys.
• No mention of accessibility or performance [2]Source 2 [7]Source 7 .
• No evidence of work completed, no change logs, no monthly summary.

What to ask before you buy

• How many hours are included per month, and what happens when you go over.
• Response times. What counts as urgent, and what does not.
• Whether security updates are included, and how they are applied [6]Source 6 .
• Whether accessibility and performance checks are part of the plan [2]Source 2 [7]Source 7 .
• What reporting you receive each month, including what was checked and what changed.

How maintenance pays for itself

Maintenance saves money when it prevents problems that cost more to fix under pressure. It also protects speed and usability, which protects conversion [1]Source 1 .

• A broken contact form can cost weeks of enquiries.
• A slow landing page can waste paid traffic budget [1]Source 1 .
• An accessibility regression can block users and increase legal risk [7]Source 7 .
• A dependency issue can turn into urgent work [6]Source 6 .

How to choose the right level

The right plan depends on how often your site changes, and how much your website matters to income.

• Low change sites need monthly checks and occasional fixes.
• Regular change sites need active QA, budgets, and faster response [2]Source 2 .
• Campaign driven sites need pre-campaign checks and quick turnaround.

Next step

If you want predictable costs, maintenance formalises work that otherwise becomes surprise problems. Start with a basic plan that covers forms, performance checks, accessibility checks, and rapid fixes for issues that block enquiries [2]Source 2 [7]Source 7 .