WordPress Errors & MaintenanceFeb 01, 2023
5 Reasons Why WordPress Maintenance Makes Sense
Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly easier to create a website. Content management systems like WordPress make this possible. Unfortunately, there are still several things to consider when it comes to a website. In light of this, it makes sense to secure a professional maintenance package for a small fee. In this article, I would like to give you a few reasons why it is sensible to enter into a maintenance contract.
Backups for Contingencies
As a developer, I quickly learned one thing - regular backups save you costs, time, and especially nerves. Most clients I talk to about WordPress maintenance think that a backup is only used when a website has been hacked. That is not the case. Just recently, we received a request to restore a website because there were issues during the installation of an update. Without a backup, restoration for online shops and multi-sites is often a much larger undertaking.
You can get excellent maintenance starting at €29/month. Let's compare the costs of WordPress maintenance:
| Cost of WordPress Maintenance: | €50/month | €600/year |
Now let's look at the costs of a WordPress restoration:
| Freelancer: | From €35/hour | 8 hours: €280 |
| Small Agency: | From €75/hour | 8 hours: €600 |
| Medium Agency: | From €120/hour | 8 hours: €960 |
| Large Agency: | From €160/hour | 8 hours: €1,280 |
It should be noted that the 8 hours are based on experience. Depending on the error, the effort may vary. However, the costs for a restoration would be one-time - with maintenance, you are covered for the entire year for €348.
Note: You should definitely ensure that the data is stored on a server in the EU (GDPR). Otherwise, you could face legal issues. Especially with maintenance contracts that specify cloud storage, you should be cautious. If you want to be on the safe side, you can enter into a maintenance contract with us. Our backups are all stored on a server in Germany.
Fewer Compatibility Issues Thanks to Regular Updates
A significant time saver is the updates carried out during maintenance. This ensures that your website always has access to the latest features. Furthermore, updating plugins, themes, and WordPress improves the performance of your website.
I always recommend implementing updates on a monthly basis. This minimizes the chances of compatibility issues. Additionally, it has the advantage that security vulnerabilities are closed promptly.
Completely avoiding updates to keep the website operational is unfortunately not a solution. This is particularly evident now, as many hosts are beginning to discontinue support for old PHP versions (< PHP 8).
Your Website Will Be Safer Than Fort Knox
I already mentioned that regular updates close security vulnerabilities with WordPress maintenance. But there is certainly much more that can be done. If you do not have your own server, it is advisable to install a WAF.
What is a WAF? The abbreviation WAF stands for Web Application Firewall. In short, it is a firewall for your website. Many maintenance packages include a WAF - but there are differences, and you must always ensure that everything is GDPR-compliant.
A firewall must be regularly checked and updated. The rules must also be adjusted. Good maintenance contracts provide a solution for this. Furthermore, a WAF also monitors the login of WordPress and WooCommerce and automatically blocks IP addresses. This makes brute-force attacks more difficult.
During maintenance, individual plugins, WordPress, and theme versions are checked against known security vulnerabilities. As soon as a vulnerability is detected, an update is applied. This prevents hackers and bots from accessing sensitive data from your customers.
Monitoring Website and Server Availability
At first glance, this point may sound rather unremarkable - however, it can quickly become one of the most important aspects of the entire maintenance contract. If you run an online shop, you will surely know what I am talking about.
Let's assume that it is just before Christmas and you are the owner of a lucrative online shop where you sell your homemade chocolate. Christmas is known to be one of the busiest sales times of the year. Orders are coming in continuously, 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 outages because the influx is simply too enormous (yes, your chocolate is that good). However, you don't notice this at first - as you are still busy packing, after all, the chocolate must arrive quickly at the customer's place. Hours go by before you wonder why no new orders have come in. You realize that your online shop is offline. Only after consulting with support and more hours passing is your shop finally back online.
But it's too late - in the meantime, your customers have already ordered from the competition. It can happen that quickly - especially now, when the offerings are growing larger.
Wouldn't it have been great to have a competent partner who would have informed you directly or even taken action to ensure the operation of your online shop? You are probably thinking that it would have been better to have WordPress maintenance. You are right.
Last but Not Least - Technical Support
Yes, technical support is the heart of a good maintenance package. Of course, the basics are covered with backups, updates, and security packages - but who helps when you have questions or simply want to be informed when things like GDPR, cookie opt-in, and imprint/data protection are not implemented correctly? What happens if the display is no longer acceptable after an update or if a plugin throws an error message? Exactly - the agency behind the maintenance contract. The true value of WordPress maintenance is recognized in the technical support, advice, and availability.
There is nothing better than knowing that someone is there if something happens or if problems arise. This way, you can work carefree without having to worry about damaging something.
Conclusion
A good maintenance service is worth its weight in gold. It saves time and nerves and helps with technical problems and questions. Maintenance packages are an affordable alternative for small and medium-sized businesses as well as associations and sole proprietors compared to hiring a full-time IT person. You can get good maintenance starting at €29, which at least covers the basics. Anyone who has to think about entering into maintenance at €29/month should consider how much of their revenue is generated through the website. How loud would the outcry be if the website is no longer accessible or if expensive repairs become necessary? Personally, I recommend everyone to enter into maintenance, especially to improve data security.