A website is not finished when it goes live. Software gets updates, certificates expire, forms stop sending and plugins break after an update. This guide explains what website maintenance is, what the WordPress documentation says about it, a monthly checklist you can run yourself, and what a care plan costs if you would rather not.
We sell care plans, so our prices are in this article. The facts about updates and backups come from the official WordPress documentation, linked at the end. Where something is our opinion, we say so.
Prices and rules in this article were checked on 26 October 2026 and can change. Check the linked pages before you decide.
What website maintenance means
In practice it is four jobs:
- Updates. The platform (for example WordPress), the theme and the plugins all release updates, many of them security fixes.
- Backups. A copy of the site you can restore if an update or a hack breaks it.
- Monitoring. Knowing the site is up, the forms deliver and the checkout works, before a customer tells you it does not.
- Small changes. New opening hours, a new price, a new photo.
What the WordPress documentation says
The official WordPress documentation on updating says:
- You should always update WordPress to the latest version, and you will see a message in the admin screens when a new one is available.
- Before updating, back up your website, so you can restore it if something goes wrong.
- Since WordPress 3.7, most sites can apply minor and security updates automatically in the background. Major feature releases still need you to click "Update Now".
- One-click updates work on most servers. If one fails, it is usually a file-permission problem, and there is a manual update procedure.
That documentation covers WordPress itself. Plugins and themes are updated separately, and a plugin update can conflict with another plugin. This is why a backup before updating matters.
What the Dutch government says about security
The Dutch government's business portal (business.gov.nl) tells new webshop owners that their website must be secure and points to the guidance "Mijn website veilig" from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC, in Dutch). It also tells shops to protect their systems against cybercrime and fraud.
A monthly checklist you can run yourself
The frequency below is our suggestion, not a rule.
| Task | How often | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Install pending updates for WordPress, theme and plugins | Monthly, security updates sooner | Updates fix security problems |
| Take a backup first, and test restoring one now and then | Before every update batch | A backup you have never restored is a guess |
| Send a test message through every contact form | Monthly | Forms fail silently |
| For a shop: place a test order through each payment method | After every update | A broken checkout loses sales without an error message |
| Click through the main pages and menu on a phone | Monthly | Layout can break after an update |
| Check that the SSL certificate is valid and has not expired | Monthly | Browsers warn visitors about an expired certificate |
| Remove user accounts and plugins you no longer use | Quarterly | Less software means less to keep updated |
| Look at your uptime and, in Search Console, at any new errors | Monthly | Problems show up there before they show up in sales |
If this takes you an hour a month and you do not mind doing it, you do not need a care plan.
What a care plan costs
These are the care plans listed on our web development page on 26 October 2026. All can be cancelled at any time. If you cancel, your site keeps running and we simply stop maintaining it.
| Plan | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress care | €59 per month, or €590 per year | Updates, backups, uptime checks and up to 30 minutes of small content changes each month |
| WooCommerce care | €109 per month, or €1,090 per year | Everything in WordPress care, plus payment and checkout testing after updates so the store keeps taking orders |
| Custom code care | €149 per month, or €1,490 per year | Ongoing checks and developer support for custom-coded sites, where fixes need hands-on work |
Our page says you do not need a care plan to launch, and that managing the site yourself is completely fine. If you need more than 30 minutes of edits a month, or the site is bigger than one we built, we scope a plan instead of guessing. One-time fixes on an existing site cannot be priced without seeing it.
How to compare any maintenance offer
Ask each provider:
- What exactly is included, and what counts as "a small change"?
- Who restores the backup if an update breaks the site, and is that included?
- How do they test a contact form or a checkout after updating?
- Can you cancel, and what happens to the site when you do?
- Who owns the hosting and the accounts? They should be yours.
A low monthly price that excludes restoring the site is not cheap.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need website maintenance?
Every website needs updates and backups. Whether you pay someone or do it yourself is up to you. The checklist above shows what it involves.
How much does website maintenance cost?
There is no single price. It depends on the platform, whether it is a shop and who does the work. Our own care plans are listed above. For any other provider, ask for the list of what is included.
Does WordPress update itself?
For most sites, minor and security updates are applied automatically in the background, according to the WordPress documentation. Major feature releases, plugins and themes need attention. See the documentation for the details.
What if an update breaks my site?
Restore your latest backup. This is why the documentation recommends a backup before updating.
Want us to look at your site?
Not sure what your site needs? Our free Website X-ray checks a site for the basics. A 30-minute consultation costs €30, and we tell you honestly whether a care plan makes sense or whether you can manage it yourself. If you are still choosing a platform, read WordPress, Shopify or Wix, and for what a new site costs, website cost in the Netherlands.
Sources
All sources were read on 26 October 2026.
- WordPress documentation: Updating WordPress (last modified 15 September 2024)
- Business.gov.nl: Checklist for starting a webshop
- NyxWorks: web development page, prices as listed on 26 October 2026
Prices and rules change. Check the linked pages before you decide.
Next step
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