Summary: Websites need ongoing care. Here's what a good maintenance plan covers and why it matters for security, speed and SEO.
Launching a website is the beginning, not the end. Without maintenance, sites slow down, break and become security risks.
Core maintenance tasks
- Updates: CMS core, themes, plugins and dependencies
- Security: malware scanning, firewall, login protection
- Backups: daily off-site backups with tested restores
- Uptime monitoring: alerts when the site goes down
- Performance checks: speed and Core Web Vitals
- Broken link and form checks
- Content updates: small edits each month
Reporting
A monthly report should show updates applied, backups completed, uptime, security events and any issues fixed.
Why it matters
Outdated plugins are a common entry point for attacks. A hacked site can lose rankings, leak data and damage trust.
FAQs
How often should a website be updated?
Security updates should be applied promptly; routine updates weekly or monthly.
Can you maintain a site you didn't build?
Yes, after an onboarding health check.
Do static sites need maintenance?
Less, but dependencies, hosting and content still need attention.
