Web site management
Website maintenance is critical. Let’s find out together why.
A website, like all “technological things” constantly needs to be updated, because starting from the technologies that host it (the servers) to the search algorithms that “make you find it” (Google) are constantly being updated. Programming languages and even simple HTML are also being updated. Why? Simple, because technology is a mirror of the human being and as such improves with the passage of time.
What does website maintenance consist of?
It depends a lot on the technology with which the website was developed. From a technical point of view, if it is, for example, a static site in HTML, CSS and Javascript then it will definitely have less need for updates because it does not communicate with a database and requires less server power. A basic hosting plan is enough to get it running properly. On the contrary, however, if it needs to be updated in terms of content, images or SEO, then there the matter changes, because it requires the exclusive intervention of insiders. An HTML site has to be edited exclusively by code, and if you don’t know the language well, you risk doing serious damage to the whole site.
My site is made with WordPress or otherwise a CMS, what changes?
If your site was made for example with WordPress, then the matter is slightly different, because this platform like any other CMS, is constantly updated, as well as the plugins that are installed on it, and also the Theme that gives its graphic style!
Updates should never be done in bulk. Technically it is not difficult to do them, because you just click on the appropriate button and automatically the magic happens. The difficulty lies in the fact that before making any update it is always advisable to make a backup of the site and thus have a minimum of familiarity with phpMyAdmin, or know how to use the backup tools provided by the Hosts. This is so as not to run into possible technical problems arising from the updaters. Have you ever happened to update an App on your phone and afterwards realized that maybe it was working better before? Well, on the phone you wait for the next update in the hope that it will solve the problems, on a website this you cannot afford, because a site that works badly means: loss of visibility on Google and dissatisfaction of the users browsing it and therefore probable loss of customers.
How much does it cost to maintain a website?
As far as I’m concerned I basically give 2 packages
WordPress site maintenance for one year, including updates, backups, hosting and domain: € 240.00
E-commerce (WordPress) site maintenance for one year, including updates, backups, hosting and domain: € 360.00
Obviously these are just basic plans that I provide with the implementation of a site, then it is clear that it depends a lot on the size and scope of the website. If for example you own an e-commerce with thousands of products and you need to maintain, or grow the position obtained on the search engines then the discourse ambia, because 1 you will need a dedicated Hosting plan and 2 you will need constant expedients that relate to SEO, so the quote should be formulated according to the real needs of the customer.
The type of CMS should also be considered. If you choose to have a site with PrestaShop, the costs in this case increase, because while PrestaShop is a very powerful platform for e-commerce, it also requires more expenses and accouterments for module, template and platform updates.
Recap: expenses to consider for website maintenance.
Hosting
Generally the cost is around 50.00 Euro per year in the case of a small website up to over 2,000 Euro if it is a large website; but generally this type of hosting are for multinational companies that need to store quite a lot of data.
The cost of hosting depends on both the type and the company providing it. For years I have been leaning on Netsons’ multi-domain plans, which therefore allow me to put multiple domains/websites within a single hosting, so if you have a small business the hosting I provide is included in the regular annual maintenance plan. Should your website needs grow over time, I will be the one to suggest the most appropriate plan for your needs.
Domain
The cost of a domain is around 10 euros per year, then it can change a little bit depending on the extension (.it or .com just to be clear), but as with the hosting talk, I will also provide the domain for you. Of course, the domain registration will have all your tax information, so you will always be the owner of that domain and not me!
Security updates and backups
If we are talking about a showcase or e-commerce site built in WordPress, all the updaters are included in the basic package. Differently if we are talking about PrestaShop we also have to calculate the costs for module and theme updaters, which are generally almost never free as it is for WordPress.
Website visibility
The visibility of the site depends on:
(a) SEO strategies adopted: there are many SEO techniques to improve site ranking and positioning, so an ad hoc plan should be created based on the type of site and industry.
b) SEM strategies: when we talk about SEM we mainly refer to advertising campaigns on Google Ads and the cost (borne by the client) of the ads varies according to the daily budget set.
c) Social strategies: social of course also plays its part. Running a Facebook or Instagram page properly is no small matter, and among other things, paid advertisements can also be made on social. So it is necessary to make a proper assessment in order to declare a price.
d) Duration of services: SEO, SEM and Social services have monthly durations that usually start from 4 months up to 12 months, so I think you can perfectly understand that the price also varies according to the duration.
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