"Website care plan", "maintenance plan" and "service plan" all describe the same idea: you pay monthly, and someone keeps your website running, safe and up to date. What's actually included varies a lot. Use this checklist to compare plans side by side.
The checklist
Hosting
Is hosting included, or is it a separate bill? How much storage do you get? Is the server shared with lots of other sites or not?
Backups
How often (daily is a good baseline), where are they stored, and how quickly can they restore your site if something goes wrong?
Updates
WordPress, your theme and your plugins all need updates. How often are they run, and does someone check the site afterwards?
Security
Is there a security plugin or firewall, spam protection and an SSL certificate (the padlock in the browser)?
Speed
Caching and image optimization make a site load faster. Are they included and set up for you?
Website checks and fixes
Does someone look at the site regularly and fix problems they find, or only when you notice something broken?
Content updates
Can you send small changes (new hours, a new photo, a price change)? How much time is included each month, and what happens when you need more?
Ownership and leaving
Who owns the domain, the site and the content? If you leave, how do you get your website? Ask this before you sign up, not after.
Questions to ask any provider
- Can I see the full list of what's included, in writing?
- What does each level cost per month, and what's the difference between levels?
- How many minutes or hours of content updates are included?
- Is there a long-term contract?
- Who do I contact when something breaks, and how?
What's included in SU Web's Service Plans
Our Service Plans start at $79/mo and include hosting and maintenance, and we can fully manage your site for you. Every plan includes:
- Fast & secure hosting
- Security plugin, cache plugin and image optimization
- SSL certificate and PHP on the latest version
- Daily backups
- Weekly WordPress/theme/plugin updates
- Weekly website checks and bug fixes
- Content updates
There are four levels:
- Level 1, $79/mo: 10GB SSD storage, basic security, caching and spam protection, and 20 minutes of content updates included
- Level 2, $99/mo: 25GB SSD storage, premium security, caching and spam protection, bot blocking, and 20 minutes of content updates
- Level 3, $149/mo: 65GB SSD storage, everything in Level 2 plus an accessibility plugin, and 30 minutes of content updates
- Level 4, $249/mo: 65GB NVMe storage, daily or hourly backups, and 1 hour of content updates
Additional content update time is available on every level. Need more resources or more time? We can build a custom maintenance plan.
Related reading
- Your web developer is leaving: what to get before they go
- Website hosting vs. maintenance: what's the difference?
- What do monthly website fees actually cover?
SU Web Agency is a Cedar City web design agency serving Southern Utah first and small businesses nationwide. We sell care plans, so we're not neutral, but the checklist above applies to anyone you hire.
