A good WordPress maintenance plan covers updates with checks afterward, daily backups stored off your server, security and uptime monitoring, malware cleanup if something gets through, and real support from people who answer. It should also give you a clear answer to one question most buyers forget to ask: who makes your website changes?
If you’re comparing two or three providers, their plans probably sound alike. These 12 questions will help you tell them apart.
Download the checklist (PDF) →
The buyer’s checklist
Experience and hosting
1. How long have you been doing this?
A good answer: years of steady work, with clients who have stayed. You’re trusting someone with your website, so you want them to still be around next year.
2. Can you move my site to your hosting, and who does the work?
A good answer: “We’ll handle it.” Moving a site should be part of getting started, not a separate project you have to manage, and it shouldn’t depend on reaching your old designer.
3. Where is my site hosted, and who manages the servers?
A good answer is specific: which servers, where they are, and who fixes problems when something goes wrong. If the company hosts your site but can’t fix server issues itself, problems will bounce between them and someone else.
Updates and backups
4. How often are updates done, and does anyone check the site afterward?
A good answer: WordPress updates are applied promptly, plugins and themes are updated on a regular schedule, and the site is checked after each round. Updates without checks are how a broken contact form goes unnoticed for weeks.
5. How often are backups made, where are they stored, and how long are they kept?
A good answer: daily backups, stored somewhere other than your server, and kept for weeks, not days. A backup stored on the same server as your site doesn’t help if that server has a problem.
Security and support
6. Is malware cleanup included, or is it extra?
A good answer: included while you’re on the plan. Some plans monitor for hacks but charge separately to clean them up.
7. How is uptime handled?
A good answer: your site is monitored, someone acts quickly if it goes down, and the servers can recover on their own from common problems, like a sudden flood of traffic from a bot attack. Big uptime percentages are worth a closer look, too. The real question is what happens in the minutes after your site goes offline.
8. How fast is support, and who actually answers?
A good answer: same-day help when something breaks, from a real person who knows WordPress. Not a ticket that sits in a queue for days.
Changes and requests
9. Are content changes included, or billed separately?
This is the question most buyers skip. Most maintenance plans keep your site safe but don’t include changes, like a new blog post, updated hours, or a new team member. Find out exactly how those are handled and what they cost. (More on this below.)
Terms and access
10. Is there a contract or a setup fee?
A good answer: month-to-month, with no setup fee. A provider confident in its service shouldn’t need to lock you in.
11. What happens if I leave?
A good answer: you get what you need to move your site, including access and a backup, without a fight. Your site and your domain should always be yours.
12. How do you access my site?
A good answer: you invite them as their own user, and you can remove that access anytime. Be wary of anyone who asks for your password. (Here’s how to give someone access safely.)
What usually isn’t included
Even a good maintenance plan has limits, and an honest provider will tell you up front. Usually not included:
- Redesigns and new websites
- New features or custom development
- Large content projects
- Email hosting
Those are typically quoted as separate projects.
Red flags
- “Unlimited” anything. There’s always a limit somewhere. Find out where.
- Annual contracts. Especially when there’s no trial period or easy way out.
- Updates with no checks afterward. Automatic updates alone aren’t maintenance.
- Vague support promises. “Fast support” means nothing without a real timeframe.
- Your password, requested by email. A professional will ask you to add them as a user.
How we answer the checklist
| Question | MaintainPress |
|---|---|
| How long in business? | Since 2009 |
| Site moves | Handled by our team, usually with just your WordPress admin and domain access |
| Hosting | Servers we manage ourselves, on providers like DigitalOcean, UpCloud, and Vultr, in the US, UK, and Australia. Included for most small business sites |
| Updates | WordPress the same day, plugins and themes twice a week, with automated checks after each round |
| Backups | Daily, stored off your server, kept for 30 days |
| Malware cleanup | Included while you’re on a plan |
| Uptime | Monitored on every plan. Our servers restart and recover on their own when needed, like during a bot attack, and we fix server problems directly |
| Support | Same-day technical support from our team |
| Content changes | Billed at $85/hour in 15-minute increments on Website Maintenance; 2 hours a month included with Website Care |
| Contract and setup fee | Month-to-month, no setup fee |
| Leaving | We provide access and a backup, and coordinate with your new host |
| Access | Your own user accounts, never shared passwords |
The question most buyers skip: who makes your changes?
Maintenance keeps your site safe, and every WordPress site needs it. But your site also needs to stay current: new hours, new staff, this month’s blog post. If your maintenance plan doesn’t cover those, they end up on your list, or billed one at a time.
That’s the difference between a maintenance plan and a care plan. Website Care includes everything above, plus a team that handles your website changes, with 2 hours a month included. You just send the request. (Here’s how care plans and maintenance plans compare.)
FAQ
Is malware removal usually included in a maintenance plan?
It depends on the provider, so always ask. Some include cleanup, and others only monitor for problems and charge to fix them. At MaintainPress, malware cleanup is included while you’re on a plan.
Do maintenance plans include hosting?
Some do. At MaintainPress, hosting is included for most small business sites, and you’re also welcome to keep your current host.
How do I know updates were actually done?
A good provider sends a regular report. Ours is a monthly summary of the updates, backups, and checks we ran on your site.
Can I send change requests on a maintenance plan?
Yes. With Website Maintenance, changes are billed at $85/hour in 15-minute increments. If you’ll be sending changes regularly, Website Care is the better fit, since 2 hours a month of requests are included.
