When it comes to maintaining your home, it’s often apparent when things need attention. Carpets wear down, paint peels, and appliances break, prompting us to take action. However, when it comes to your website, the signs of wear and tear aren’t always as obvious. To the untrained eye, everything might appear up-to-date, but behind the scenes, issues could be lurking, waiting to disrupt your digital presence. Neglecting these issues could lead to glitches, the infiltration of malicious viruses, and even hacking.
Website Framework
Think of your website’s framework like your smartphone’s operating system. Just as your phone occasionally prompts you to update your software, your website’s framework requires updates for optimal performance and security. Ignoring these updates can lead to decreased functionality, or worse, a complete breakdown. Ensuring that your website runs on the latest version is crucial to maintain its performance and security.
Plugins and Extensions
If the web framework is your website’s core, think of plugins and extensions as its apps. Like smartphone apps, they also require updates when new versions are released. Neglecting to update these components can result in suboptimal website performance and security vulnerabilities. Keeping them up-to-date is essential.
If you were to address these website framework and plugin extensions issues on an ad hoc basis, it would be a time-consuming endeavor that could incur substantial costs. Assuming quarterly updates, each taking at least an hour (and often more due to potential issues), this could easily amount to an annual cost of £100.
Backups
Accidents can happen, and sometimes they are beyond our control. This is where backups become invaluable. Regularly backing up your website is like having an insurance policy in place. Imagine the distress if your website were to fall victim to a virus or hacking, and you had no backup to restore from. The loss of content and the effort needed to recreate it would be a nightmare. Moreover, knowing how to properly restore these backups in case of an emergency is a skill in itself.
If you were to hire professionals to restore a hacked or broken website from a personal hosting package, the cost could easily exceed £200, depending on the extent of the work required.
Hosting, Domain Name, and SSL Certificate
Your domain name and SSL certificate need annual renewal. An SSL certificate, in particular, is crucial in today’s internet landscape, as it provides a secure environment for data transmission and demonstrates trustworthiness to your website visitors. Domain name costs vary depending on its desirability, ranging from around £4.99 to £100 per year for .co.uk, and slightly more for .com.
Website hosting prices also vary widely, with shared hosting on the more affordable end, costing as little as £3 per month, but potentially exposing your site to the actions of other websites sharing the server. On the other hand, dedicated hosting can cost around £200 per month.
By entrusting us with the management of your website’s maintenance, you not only save money but also gain peace of mind knowing that your digital presence is in capable hands. Our all-inclusive monthly fee ensures that your website remains secure, up-to-date, and optimized for peak performance, allowing you to focus on what truly matters – your content and your audience.