Website Maintenance
Above: You Spent Thousands on a Website. Now Watch It Get Hacked
Website maintenance is the ongoing behind-the-scenes actions required to keep a website functional and secure. It includes actions such as backups, updates, content & graphic optimization, and search engine optimization. Contrary to what you may have heard in the past, maintaining your website is absolutely a budget line item and should be a part of your business plan.
The cost of monthly website maintenance can vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and complexity of your website and the level of support and services required. My rates start at $67.50/mo. Above and beyond a standard package, I am able to customize services & schedules to suit a client’s specific requirements.
It’s important to keep in mind that investing in monthly website maintenance can provide a number of benefits, including improved website security, regular software updates, content updates, and analytics reporting. Keeping a website maintained benefits site visitors, increases the website’s security, can help to reduce page load time, reduces the number of software bugs & vulnerabilities in a website, and helps boost your site’s appearance in search engines.
Let’s Talk Graphics is your go to webmaster. Each and every day of the week (weekends too!), you can count on the following ongoing services:
Updates
Update plugins & core software for the best visitor experience.
Backups
Regularly-scheduled backups in case of catastrophe.
Security
Website Security: Malware scanner and firewall prevent unauthorized access.
Technical Issues?
I’m your personal webmaster. Your problem is my problem.
Business Consulting
Maximize the effectiveness of your website in day-to-day business.
Pricing
Varies based on level and types of service in your personal plan: $67.50-450+
Updates
WordPress websites in particular require regular maintenance. Maintenance includes updating core WordPress files, plugins & extensions. Updates to plugins occur often; daily in some cases. Plugin updates generally include minor bug fixes, but some include security fixes for critical vulnerabilities. It is important for website owners to differentiate between important and critical and apply updates accordingly. (For example, you do not want to apply updates during the height of the day when your site may have active visitors. And if you are on a shared hosting plan, you can’t always rely on so-called ‘automatic’ overnight updates.)
Backups
We’ve all been there. Your computer crashes and you lose your data. You soon realize that you didn’t back it up, or maybe did, but that was a year ago. Hosting companies sometimes offer backups as an addditional service, but if you didn’t opt in, you may be out of luck.
Security
Website Security: Malware scanner and firewall prevent unauthorized access.
Technical Support
Web development companies develop your website, but will they help you if you have questions? I answer your call, take time to understand your question, and then do my best to provide answers & quick resolutions.
Content Modifications
Core cornerstone content doesn’t change, however it’s important to keep it updated and relevant. You know more about your business than anybody else, so you are the perfect copywriter for your website. Or, hire Let’s Talk Graphics to do your copywriting for you!
Account Monitoring
Hosting account, email account, ICANN confirmations, domain name renewals, on-file credit card expirations – the list of things easily forgotten is lengthy. Unfortunately, forgetting could spell loss-of-control over your website. I monitor your accounts and keep you apprised of upcoming renewals and important administrative-level tasks.
Technical Issues?
The last thing anybody wants to hear is ‘sorry, I can’t help you with that problem’. I’ve been working in web & software development since 1990, and on computers in general since 1982. There isn’t much in this arena that I can’t help with, or at least find answers to through research.
Business Consulting
What good is a website without instruction? Each month I look over a myriad of website visitor reports and give you ideas on how to improve the online presence part of your brick-and-mortar business.
Color can impact purchasing decisions by up to 85%? Strategic use of color isn’t just aesthetic; it’s a powerful psychological tool that influences how we feel and what we buy. Ironically, a graphic designer’s website might seem completely neutral in color to serve as a versatile, unobtrusive canvas that allows their diverse portfolio of colorful and varied client work to stand out and be the focal point.