Website Care

Website care that keeps the site working long after launch.

Most small business websites are finished once and then quietly drift: a form stops delivering, a phone number goes stale, a platform update breaks a layout. A care plan is a standing arrangement for the small, regular work that keeps a site trustworthy.

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Free: one focused review per business, sent in writing within 3 business days. No call, no obligation.

A developer checking a website on a laptop and phone beside a maintenance checklist

Concrete Scope

What website care covers

Here is what the work covers in practice, agreed upon in writing before we begin.

  1. Platform and dependency updatesFramework, plugin, and package updates applied on a schedule, then checked.
  2. Uptime and certificate monitoringAlerts when the site is unreachable or a security certificate nears expiry.
  3. Content and photo changesUpdated hours, services, staff, and recent job photos within the monthly scope.
  4. Plain-English monthly summaryWhat changed, what was fixed, and what deserves attention next.
  1. Backups and restore checksRegular backups, with a restore tested rather than assumed.
  2. Form and inquiry testingTest submissions sent through your real form so a broken inquiry path is caught early.
  3. Search Console and analytics checksIndexing and traffic reviewed so problems surface before they cost inquiries.
  4. Credentials and handover on exitAccess, documentation, and a written handover if you move on.

The monthly record

What you actually receive each month

Care is only worth paying for if you can see what was done. Each month ends with a record like this one: the checks, what was found, what was changed, and what it means for your customers.

Website care · sample monthly record

One month · five checks

Five checks this month

2 fixed2 clear1 waiting on you

  • Platform and dependency updates
  • Inquiry form test
  • Backup restore check
  • Uptime and security certificate
  • Content and hours

  1. Platform and dependency updates

    2 updates pending0 pending
    Found
    Two pending package updates were outstanding.
    Action
    Applied both, then re-checked layout, navigation, and forms.
    What it means for you
    The site stays current without you tracking versions.

  2. Inquiry form test

    Test 1: not receivedTest 2: arrived
    Found
    A test submission did not reach the inbox.
    Action
    Corrected the mail handler and sent a second test, which arrived.
    What it means for you
    The next inquiry reaches you instead of disappearing.

  3. Backup restore check

    Restore test: passed
    Found
    Latest backup restored cleanly to a staging copy.
    Action
    No action needed.
    What it means for you
    There is a working copy if anything is ever lost.

  4. Uptime and security certificate

    0 downtime · certificate valid
    Found
    No downtime recorded; certificate valid, renewal not due this month.
    Action
    No action needed.
    What it means for you
    No surprise 'not secure' warning in front of a customer.

  5. Content and hours

    Winter hours showingCurrent hours live · holiday week to confirm
    Found
    Winter hours were still showing from last season.
    Action
    Published the current hours; asked you to confirm the holiday week.
    What it means for you
    Customers see the hours you actually keep.

The summary you receive

  • 2 checks needed work and were fixed.
  • 2 checks were clear.
  • 1 item is waiting on your confirmation.
A person at a laptop with floating holographic tiles for updates, email, backups and security checks
Updates + backupsForms + uptimeSmall edits

What a care plan actually covers

Care is not a vague support retainer. It is a short written list of the things that genuinely break or drift on a small business website, and what happens when they do.

In practice that means platform and dependency updates, backup checks, uptime and certificate monitoring, test submissions through your real inquiry form, and small content changes such as new service details, updated hours, or a photo from a finished job.

Hands holding a phone with its screen on, a holographic clock above it
Request receivedIncluded workExtras quoted first

Response times, and what counts as included

Every plan states two things up front: how quickly a request is acknowledged, and which work the monthly fee covers. Small text, photo, and hours changes are included. New pages, redesigns, and new features are quoted separately, so care never becomes an open-ended build contract.

If a request falls outside the agreed scope, you hear that before any work starts, not on the invoice.

A person at a laptop reviewing a website, a holographic magnifier branching to a repair path and an audit path
Platform reviewDirect repairOr audit + plan

Sites built somewhere else

Care usually begins with a site I built, because I already know how it is put together. A site built elsewhere can also be looked after, but only after a short review of the platform, hosting, and update path.

If the platform makes every change a risk to the layout, the honest answer is that a rebuild usually costs less over two years than paying someone to work around it. That is what the review will tell you, in writing.

Hands holding a folder and a set of keys, a holographic house outline with a key above them
Domain + accountsCode + contentFinal record

Ownership, and leaving

You keep the domain, hosting, code, content, and accounts, exactly as at handoff. A care plan is a service, not a lock-in.

If you stop, you keep everything, receive the current credentials, and get a short written handover so the next person is not starting from guesswork.

Transparent Process

How projects run from start to finish

You work directly with me from the first focused review to final launch. The findings, priorities, deliverables, and costs are explained before any paid work starts.

  1. Step 1 of 4

    Share your business information

    Provide your business, website, and contact information.

  2. Step 2 of 4

    Choose a review

    Select design, technical performance, search visibility, or digital presence.

  3. Step 3 of 4

    Receive written findings

    I review the selected area and send the important findings and priorities by email.

  4. Step 4 of 4

    Choose the next step

    You may make the changes independently or ask TapTheWeb for a written proposal.

Need a new website instead? You get a free written scope and fixed price within 3 business days. Most builds take 4–6 weeks. Start my website

Your business keeps control.

The website, domain, content, and Google accounts belong to you. The written scope explains the setup, handoff, and any optional ongoing service arrangements with zero proprietary lock-in.

Explore the full process

Questions Worth Answering

Frequently asked questions

Common considerations for business owners planning website and search improvements.

What is the difference between website care and website development?

Development is the project that builds or rebuilds the site. Care is the standing work afterwards: updates, checks, and small changes. They are separate agreements, and either one can exist without the other.

Do I have to sign a long contract?

No. Care runs month to month and can stop at the end of any month. You keep the website, domain, hosting, and accounts, and you receive the credentials plus a short handover note.

What if I want to make changes myself?

That is a good outcome. I will show you how to edit the pages you change most, and care can shrink to updates and monitoring only. A site you can maintain yourself is cheaper to own.

Can you look after a site someone else built?

Sometimes. I review the platform, hosting, and update path first. If it can be maintained safely, care can start after that review. If every change risks breaking the layout, I will say so and explain what a rebuild would cost instead.

Does a care plan improve search rankings?

Not on its own. Care keeps the site working and protects the visibility you already have. Ranking work is a separate engagement, described on the SEO and digital marketing page.

Next step

See whether website care should be your next priority.

Tell me what is limiting your website. You receive a clear, written review with practical priorities — no call required to start.

Get my free reviewStart my website

Free: one focused review per business, sent in writing within 3 business days. No call, no obligation.