01 / Website care
Why a website needs care after launch
Even a lean, hand-coded site with no plugins depends on things that keep moving: code libraries and build tools get security fixes, server software and TLS certificates need renewing, browsers change how they behave. On Shopify, apps update themselves, and Shopify ships a new API version every quarter that replaces older ones after roughly a year.
Most emergencies we are called in for are not dramatic hacks. They are skipped updates, an expired certificate, a domain nobody renewed or a backup that never existed. A care plan costs less than one rushed repair.
02 / Website care
What our website care plan includes
The scope depends on whether your site is hand-coded or runs on Shopify, and how often your content changes. These are the parts:
Code and dependencies
On hand-coded sites we keep libraries, build tools and the runtime current. Every update is tested on a copy of the site first, with a backup taken beforehand, and we watch security advisories for the packages in use.
Shopify: apps, theme and API versions
We review installed apps, remove the ones nobody uses and apply theme updates. On Hydrogen storefronts we move Hydrogen and the Storefront API version forward before the old version is retired.
Server and security
Server updates, TLS certificate, security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and HSTS, and logins only for the people who need them. On Shopify the platform runs the servers; we look after accounts and permissions.
Backups that restore
Automatic backups of code, content and any database, stored away from the server. We test regularly that a backup can actually be restored.
Monitoring
Uptime, certificate, domain expiry, load time and the contact form are watched. If something breaks, we see it first.
Small changes
New opening hours, a new team member, an image, a paragraph: small content edits are part of the plan, with no separate quote.
03 / Website care
How much do website maintenance packages cost?
Care plans in the UK market typically run from about £30 to £500 a month, and in Germany and Portugal from about €25 to €300 for small businesses. Where you land depends on a handful of factors, which is why we quote a fixed monthly price after a short call rather than publishing tiers full of asterisks:
| Factor | Lighter | Heavier |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Lean hand-coded website | Large Shopify store with many apps or a custom Hydrogen storefront |
| Changes | A few text edits per quarter | Weekly new content, promotions, landing pages |
| Hosting | Hosting stays with you and runs well | Hosting, domain and email move into the plan |
| Starting point | Current site with clean, documented code | Not updated for years, unknown dependencies, no backup |
| Response | Handled in the normal weekly rhythm | Priority handling when the site is down |
04 / Website care
Website hosting and maintenance together
Maintenance without server access is patchwork, so we offer hosting and care as one package. We set your website up on fast servers in an EU data centre, configure TLS, caching and security headers properly and keep an eye on storage and speed. A data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is in place with the host.
Disclosure: we are a verified Hostinger partner and run our own website on Hostinger. We recommend them because we work with them every day, but you do not have to switch. If your current host is reliable, we maintain the site where it is. If it should move, we handle the website migration without downtime.
05 / Website care
Renting a website versus owning one
Some providers sell websites on subscription: one monthly fee for the site, hosting and edits. It is convenient, but in most of these models you never own the website. Cancel, and the site stays with the provider.
We keep the two apart. You buy the website once at a fixed price and own the code, content and domain. Care is a separate agreement you can end without losing your site. For build budgets, see how much a website costs in 2026.
06 / Website care
What a good website maintenance contract covers
Whoever you choose, these points should be in writing. If one is missing, ask before you sign.
- Scope: which updates (platform, extensions, server), how often, and whether they are tested first
- Backups: frequency, off-server storage, retention period and regular restore tests
- Monitoring and response: what is monitored and how quickly someone reacts to an outage
- Changes: how many small edits are included and how extra work is billed
- Hosting and domain: who holds the hosting contract and who owns the domain, ideally you
- Data protection: a data processing agreement (Art. 28 GDPR) if the provider can access personal data
- Term and exit: notice period, and a guaranteed handover of all logins, the code and a current backup at the end
- Liability: what happens if an update breaks something and who restores the site
07 / Website care
How care starts
- 01
Short call
We go through your platform, hosting and how often things change. You get a fixed monthly price afterwards.
- 02
Health check
We review code, dependencies, server and security, and on Shopify also apps, theme and API versions. Anything urgent we tell you straight away, with the reason.
- 03
Access and backups
We take over the logins, make a first full backup and set up monitoring for uptime, certificate and domain expiry.
- 04
Ongoing care
Updates, backups and small edits run on a fixed rhythm. You send change requests by email.
08 / Website care
Care for websites someone else built
Your agency has stopped replying, your freelancer moved on, or you are not even sure where the website is hosted? It happens more often than you would think. We take over care for hand-coded websites and Shopify stores that someone else built. Our website takeover checklist lists every login you need to collect.
If a site is too old to be worth maintaining, we say so. The signs that a website needs a redesign help you judge for yourself, and our free website audit gives you a second opinion.
09 / Website care
What if your website runs on WordPress?
Then we would rather be clear up front: we do not offer ongoing WordPress maintenance. Everything we build is hand-coded, and online shops run on Shopify or Shopify Hydrogen, so we do not sell plans for core, theme and plugin updates.
What we do: if your WordPress site has been hacked or shows a critical error, we get it back online in an emergency and make sure your data is safe. Our guide on what to do when your website has been hacked covers the first steps you can take yourself. After that we move the content to a hand-coded website, or to Shopify if it is a shop, with a redirect for every old URL (website migration). From then on, care works as described above.
FAQ
Common questions
01How much does website maintenance cost per month?
Market prices for small business care plans run from about £30 to £500 a month in the UK and €25 to €300 in Germany and Portugal, depending on platform, change volume and hosting. We give you a fixed monthly price after a short call.
02What is the difference between website maintenance and website care?
Maintenance is the technical side: updates, backups, security and server. Care usually adds content work such as text and image changes. Our plan includes both.
03Do you offer WordPress care plans?
No. In an emergency we bring a hacked or broken WordPress site back online and secure the data. Then we move it to a hand-coded website or to Shopify, and that is what we maintain from then on.
04Can I keep my current hosting?
Yes, as long as it is reliable and we get access. Hosting with us means we can fix server problems directly, but it is your choice.
05Who owns my website if I end the plan?
You do. Domain, content and code are yours, and at the end of the plan you get every login and a current backup.
06Do you maintain Shopify stores?
Yes, including stores another agency built. Shopify runs the servers and security; we handle apps, theme updates, speed, content and campaigns, and on Hydrogen storefronts the API versions too. Store builds are covered on our Shopify agency page.