5 reasons why WordPress maintenance makes sense

Nowadays it is getting easier and easier to create a website. Especially content management systems like WordPress make this possible. Unfortunately, despite everything, there are some things you have to keep in mind with a website. Given this, it makes sense to get a professional maintenance package for little money. With this post, I want to give you a few reasons why it makes sense to sign a maintenance contract.

Backups just in case #

I, as a developer, have learned one thing quickly – a regular backup saves you money, time and most of all nerves. Most clients I talk to about WordPress maintenance think that backup only ever comes into play when a website has been hacked. But this is not the case. Just the other day we received a request to restore a website because of problems with the installation of an update. Without a backup, a restore is often a major undertaking for online stores and multi-sites.

You can get excellent maintenance for as little as 29 € / month. Let’s just compare the cost of WordPress maintenance:

With the cost of a WordPress recovery:

It must be said, however, that the 8 hours are empirical values. Depending on the error, the effort may vary. However, with a recovery, the cost would be one-time – with maintenance, you’re covered for the entire year at €348.

Note: You should make sure that the data is stored on a server in the EU (DSGVO). Otherwise, you can get into legal trouble here. Especially with maintenance contracts that specify cloud storage, you should be careful. If you want to be on the safe side, you are welcome to sign a maintenance contract with us. Our backups are all stored on a server in Germany.

Fewer compatibility problems thanks to regular updates #

A huge time saver are the updates performed in a maintenance. This ensures that your website always has access to the latest features. Furthermore, updating plug-ins, theme and WordPress will improve the performance of your website.

I always recommend to install the updates in a monthly interval. This results in compatibility problems in the fewest cases. It also has the advantage that security gaps are closed promptly.

Unfortunately, doing without updates altogether to keep the website running is not a solution either. This is evident right now as many hosters are starting to discontinue support for old PHP versions (< PHP 8).

Your website will be more secure than Fort Knox #

That with a WordPress maintenance through regular updates security gaps are closed, I had already mentioned. But, of course, you can do much more. If you do not have your own server, it is a good idea to install a WAF.

What is a WAF ? The abbreviation WAF stands for Web Application Firewall. So, in short, it is a firewall, for your website. Many maintenance packages include a WAF – but there are differences here, too, and of course you always have to make sure that everything is DSGVO-compliant.

A firewall must be checked and updated regularly. The rules also need to be adapted. Good maintenance contracts contain a solution for this. Furthermore, a WAF also monitors the log-in of WordPress and WooCommerce and blocks IP addresses automatically. This makes brute force attacks more difficult.

During maintenance, the individual plug-in, WordPress and theme versions are also checked against known security vulnerabilities. As soon as a security vulnerability is detected, an update is applied. This prevents hackers and bots from accessing your customers’ sensitive data.

Monitoring website and server availability #

At first glance, this point sounds rather unspectacular – however, it can quickly become one of the most important aspects of the entire maintenance contract. If you run an online store, you will surely know what I am talking about.

Let’s just assume that it’s close to Christmas and you’re the owner of a lucrative online store where you sell your homemade chocolate. Christmas is known to be one of the busiest times of the year. Orders are coming in non-stop and you are busy preparing the goods for shipping. Due to the increased number of visitors (your chocolate is known to be the best) there are now server downtimes because the rush is just too enormous (yes your chocolate is that good). But you won’t notice any of this for the time being – because you’re still packing, after all, the chocolate has to reach the customer quickly. So it happens that hours pass before you are surprised that no new orders have arrived. Surprised, you now realize that your online store is offline. Only after consulting with support and more hours dragging into the country, your store is finally back online.

Well, but too late – in the meantime, your customers have already ordered from the competition. That’s how fast it can go – especially now, when the range of products on offer is getting bigger and bigger.

Wouldn’t it have been great to have a competent partner here who would have informed you directly, or even taken direct action to ensure the operation of your online store? You’re probably even thinking to yourself now that it would have been better to have WordPress maintenance after all. You are right.

Last, but not least – the technical support #

Yes, technical support is the heart of a good maintenance package. Of course you cover the base with the backups, the updates and the security packages – but who helps if you have questions or just want to be informed when things like DSGVO, cookie opt-in and imprint/data protection were not technically implemented properly? What happens if the display is no longer acceptable after an update or if a plug-in throws an error message? That’s right – the agency behind the maintenance contract. By the technical support, advice and accessibility you can see the true value of WordPress maintenance.

There is nothing better than knowing that someone is there if something ever happens or if there is a problem. So you can work carefree without fear of damaging anything.

Conclusion #

Good maintenance is worth its weight in gold. It saves time and nerves and helps with technical problems and questions. For small and medium-sized companies as well as associations and self-employed people, maintenance packages are a cost-effective alternative to a permanent IT employee. For as little as €29, you can get good maintenance that covers at least the basics. If you have to think about taking out maintenance at 29 € / month, you should think about how much of your revenue is generated by the website. How great would be the outcry if the website is no longer accessible or if expensive repairs become necessary. I personally recommend everyone to complete a maintenance, especially to improve the issue of data security.

Why don’t you take a look at our maintenance packages? We have the right package for every need. Click here for WordPress maintenance.