Website Maintenance — Why "It Still Works" Is the Most Expensive Answer
A website isn't a piece of furniture. What happens after two years without care, which work is genuinely necessary, and how to spot an overpriced package.
A website is often treated like a piece of furniture: bought once, then it just stands there. Technically it's closer to a vehicle. It keeps running even when nothing is done — until suddenly it doesn't.
What actually happens without maintenance
Security holes in systems and extensions are publicly documented as soon as they're known. Automated attacks scan for them indiscriminately, regardless of how small your business is. A hacked site usually isn't visibly defaced — it's quietly used for someone else's purposes, until Google flags it as harmful.
Then there's the slow decay: contact forms silently sending into nowhere, expired certificates, broken links after a third party restructures, outdated opening hours.
The most expensive moment is when someone calls to say the form hasn't worked for weeks.
What should be done regularly
- Apply updates — for the system, extensions and server, promptly after release.
- Verify backups — a backup that has never been restored isn't a backup.
- Test forms — submit one at least monthly and check the message actually arrives.
- Check error pages — broken links appear constantly, often because a third party changed addresses.
- Watch load time — it degrades gradually as content accumulates.
How to spot a sensible package
A good maintenance offer names specifically what gets done and how often. If it only says "care and support" without listing services, there's no basis to judge it. And you should have access to your own credentials and your own backups at all times — that isn't an extra, it's a precondition.
If you're unsure when your website was last updated, we're happy to check, no obligation.
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