🎧 Podcast · Pavel
A website runs on software that is constantly updated: WordPress, plugins, the theme, PHP on the server. The recent PHP2Shell vulnerability showed clearly that an unpatched site is a risk. Here is a simple checklist of what proper maintenance includes.
Every week
- Security updates. Critical fixes go in immediately, not once a month.
- Backups. Automatic backups at least daily for a store and weekly for a regular site, stored on a separate server.
- Uptime monitoring. If the site goes down, someone should know before your customers do.
Every month
- WordPress, plugin and theme updates, first on a test copy and then on the live site.
- Testing contact forms and checkout: do the emails arrive?
- Speed checks in Google PageSpeed and image optimisation.
- Checking broken links and 404 errors in Search Console.
- Removing unused plugins and old user accounts.
Every quarter
- A test restore from backup.
- Checking the PHP version and hosting.
- Reviewing access and passwords.
- A short report: what was done, what the issues are, what we recommend.
What happens without maintenance?
Usually nothing in the first year. Then a form stops working, the site slows down or strange content appears in search results. Fixing a hacked site usually costs several times more than a year of maintenance.
How to choose a maintenance partner
Ask exactly what the monthly fee covers, how fast they respond to problems and whether you get a monthly report. A good partner shows the work done, not just the invoice.
Our WordPress maintenance includes everything above, with a monthly report in English, Estonian or Russian.