Why Your Website Needs a Maintenance Plan (and What It Should Include)

Many owners treat a website like a printed brochure: build it once and forget it. But software ages. Dependencies need patches, certificates expire and hosting servers need attention.

What maintenance should cover

• Security updates for the framework and its packages.
• Backups that are tested, stored off the server and restorable.
• Uptime monitoring so you hear about downtime before customers do.
• Bug fixes when something breaks, such as a payment error after a provider change.
• Performance checks for speed, which affects both conversions and Google rankings.
• A set number of hours for small content and feature changes.

What skipping it costs

Outdated software is the most common way sites get hacked. Recovering a compromised or crashed site, with no backup, usually costs far more than a year of maintenance. A slow or broken site also quietly loses customers.

Maintenance is separate from the build

A fair structure is a one-time project price to build, plus an optional monthly fee afterwards. At BlackCodeLabs our care plans start from KES 3,500 per month for a website, and you can cancel with 30 days' notice. See the details on the pricing page.

How to judge a plan

1. It lists exactly what is included and how many hours you get.
2. It states response times.
3. There is no long lock-in contract.
4. You keep ownership and access to everything.

Questions about keeping your site healthy? Contact us for a quick review.