Website maintenance covers working features, updates, backups and accurate information. Paying for hosting does not, by itself, tell you who performs those tasks. For a business, the main test is practical: can a customer find the information they need, and does their enquiry or order reach the right person?

Maintenance, hosting and new development

Hosting makes the website available online. Maintenance looks after its condition and operation. Adding a language, booking system or new section is separate work unless your agreement explicitly includes it.

Before comparing packages, ask for the tasks and their owners. A company website that rarely changes has different needs from a store taking orders every day. Our hosting guide helps separate server responsibilities from website responsibilities.

A schedule that fits the business

The following is a suggested starting point, not a standard for every website. Add checks after changes and increase their frequency when downtime affects sales or bookings. An urgent security update should not wait for the monthly review.

During everyday operations

For sites receiving daily orders or enquiries, assign someone to check notifications and unresolved cases. An uptime monitor can warn that a page is unavailable, but it does not prove that a form delivers email or a payment works.

Weekly and after changes

  • Send a test enquiry and check that it reaches the right inbox, including the ability to reply to the customer.
  • Try the menu, telephone, email and main action on a real phone.
  • For stores, check the cart and ordering process; use the provider’s payment tests after payment changes.
  • Review security alerts and whether backups completed successfully.

Monthly

  • Review opening hours, contact details, services, products and seasonal information.
  • Check important links and new errors in Google Search Console.
  • Measure representative pages on mobile, especially after adding images or features.
  • Remove access that is no longer needed and review upcoming renewals.
  • Record what changed, what was tested and what remains unresolved.

Periodically and before major changes

Schedule a recovery test in an isolated environment and review emergency contacts. Keep a renewal calendar with advance reminders for the domain, hosting and other services. Update the billing address and payment method when they change.

A backup needs a working recovery process

Ask what is saved, where it is stored, how long it is retained and who can restore it. A typical WordPress site needs both files and its database, as explained in the official backup documentation. For other systems, check content, uploaded files and connected services separately.

Illustrative example: a store’s latest backup was made at midnight and it receives orders during the morning. Restoring the whole database at noon could remove those new orders. Before restoring, the responsible person must preserve and reconcile orders and payments created in the meantime. A daily backup alone is not a sufficient recovery plan for every store.

Decide how much data loss and downtime the business can tolerate. Set backup frequency and recovery procedures accordingly. Keep at least one copy somewhere that does not depend on the same website account, with restricted access.

Update with a way back

Before a major change, record the current state and confirm the backup. Test in a separate environment where possible, then check core functions again after going live. Disable real outgoing customer emails and live payments on a test copy.

For WordPress, the official security guidance covers updates and protecting the installation. For other sites, ask the developer which components need updating. Having no administration panel does not remove the need to check domains, forms and external services.

Look after content that brings visitors

An older article can still be accurate and useful. Update information that has changed and keep its address when the topic stays the same. If a page moves, use a permanent redirect to its relevant replacement; Google explains how redirects are handled.

Do not redirect every removed address to the homepage. Check that the new destination answers the visitor’s original need. Our 10 business website mistakes also provide a review from the customer’s perspective.

What to ask for in a maintenance agreement

  • Included work: checks, updates, backups, recovery and content changes.
  • Hours and emergencies: when requests are read, how to report downtime and what happens outside working hours.
  • Response and resolution: a response time is not necessarily a repair deadline.
  • Responsibilities: who manages the domain, server, email, payments and third-party services.
  • Reporting: date, issue, change, completed test and outstanding work.
  • Handover: how you receive access and data if you change provider.

Example report entry: “Contact form — notification was not arriving — corrected the recipient — test message arrived and could be replied to — also checked on mobile.” This records the work more clearly than “website checked”.

When something breaks: what to send

Record the page address, time, device, steps taken and error message. For an order problem, provide its identifier through the agreed support channel, without passwords or card details. Explain which customers or functions are affected and what changed before the issue.

Avoid simultaneous changes by several people. Assign one person to coordinate the fix and another to check the result. Afterwards, record the cause and the check that could detect a recurrence early.

Frequently asked questions

Is maintenance included in hosting?

It depends on the agreement. Ask separately what the server service covers and what the provider does for the application, content, forms and recovery.

Does a simple website need maintenance?

Yes. A presentation website still has contacts, links, renewals and often forms or external services. Its plan may be smaller, but someone needs to own it.

What determines the cost?

The number of systems, frequency of changes, orders, support hours and included work. Compare those details alongside the price and require agreement before extra work begins.

Explore our maintenance service or send us your website address and the problems you encounter. For a new store, also read how to start an online store in Albania.