Website maintenance: what it includes and what happens without it

2 September 2026 · 3 min

A website is not a poster you hang up and forget. It is software running on a server, with a certificate that expires, a domain that needs renewing, forms that depend on external services and content that ages. Maintenance is the almost invisible work of keeping all of that running — and the right question is not “do I need maintenance?” but “who deals with it when something fails?”.

What maintenance includes, in practice

Hosting and domain. The space where the site lives and the name the customer types. Renewals on time, correct DNS, e-mail that arrives.
SSL certificate. The padlock in the browser. When it expires, the browser shows a security warning — and visits vanish that same day.
Backups. A recent copy of the site and its data, stored away from the server and tested now and then. Without it, an error or an attack means starting from scratch.
Updates. Security fixes for the platform, plugins and libraries. The part nobody sees and that prevents most automated attacks.
Small content changes. Opening hours, prices, a new photo, a corrected text. It is what gets asked for most during the year — and what is left undone most often when nobody is responsible.
Monitoring. Knowing the site is down before the client calls. An automatic alert when the page stops responding or the form stops sending.

What happens without maintenance

Nothing — for a few months. Then, almost always in the same order: the certificate expires and the browser shows a warning; an outdated plugin opens a door and the site starts serving spam without anyone noticing; the contact form stops sending because the e-mail service changed its rules; the opening hours on the site are no longer the real ones. Each of these problems costs customers silently, because nobody calls to say “your website looks odd”. They simply go next door.

Static websites need less — not nothing

A simple site, with no database and no plugins, has far less attack surface and hardly needs security updates. It still needs a domain, a certificate, a backup, monitoring and the content changes. That is why maintenance plans vary: a static business website needs far fewer hours a month than an online shop with payments and stock.

With or without a plan

When I hand over a website, the files belong to the client and can be managed by whoever they choose — no lock-in. Those who would rather not think about it choose a maintenance plan between CHF 95 and 290 a month, depending on the site’s complexity: it covers hosting, SSL, backups, updates, monitoring and the small changes over the year. Monthly plans can be cancelled with 30 days’ notice, no penalties. Those without a plan get the site ready to manage and a clear list of what to renew and when.

Three questions to ask whoever looks after your site

When was the last backup made, and has it ever been restored to check that it works?
Who gets the alert if the site goes down at 11 pm on a Saturday?
How long does it take for a change of opening hours to be online?

If the answers are “I don’t know”, “nobody” and “it depends”, the site is not being maintained — even if someone is being paid for it.

Do you have a website and no idea who looks after it? I do a free assessment within 48 hours and tell you what is at risk and what is fine — get in touch.