The monthly cost of website maintenance is a crucial aspect of any business, yet it is frequently disregarded. Maintaining a site involves a significant amount of work, not to mention the associated website maintenance costs UK and services.
It also requires regular updates with fresh content to ensure smooth operation and prevent any downtime. In this guide, we will discuss some of the best ways to maintain your website either by yourself or by professionals.
What is a Website?
A website is a collection of web pages that are accessible on the internet. A web page is a document that is formatted in HTML and can be viewed in a web browser - a website can be static or dynamic.
=> A static website is a collection of web pages that are stored on a web server. The web pages do not change unless they are updated by the webmaster.
=> A dynamic website is generated by a web application. The web application retrieves the website's data from a database and generates the web pages on the fly.
Website Load Time
- Choosing the best WordPress hosting is critical to managing website maintenance costs effectively.
- A good website should load within 1-3s and have 0.05s [50 milliseconds] to make a notable first impression or site visitors end up on to the competition.
- Regular maintenance, updates, security checks and performance improvements, ensures that your website functions smoothly & meets customer expectations.
NOTE: Web design and SEO are not about just having a pretty website, it's more about building trust, confidence, and credibility with your audience. To achieve all the above and keep the website and business running smoothly, web maintenance is an essential part of any website.
What Does Website Maintenance Include?
It's keeping your website up-to-date, error-free, and optimized for search engines and users, which are all key aspects of a comprehensive website maintenance package. Usually done by website maintenance agencies or by website development freelancers
Website maintenance tasks:
- Plugin updates
- Website builder & software updates
- Security patches and updates
- Website backup & restore processes
- Performance optimization
- Content updates and management
- Database optimization & cleanup
- OnPage SEO optimization
- Domain name registration & renewal
- Link/URL monitoring for broken links
- Website hosting monitoring
- and more
Also, as your business grows, you might need to add new features to your website or make changes to the existing ones. All these changes require web maintenance that can be time-consuming and costly if you don't have the right tools, web designer by hand or the right knowledge.
Always assess the scope of work required before you make any changes and reach out to a freelance website designer or a web design agency in London for a quick quote or solution.
How Much Does Website Maintenance Cost?
The website maintenance cost depends on the type of site and factors like the size of your website - the number of pages - the intent, the complexity of the design, and whether you need to make any changes to the existing website or add new features.
- Depending on your website platform and needs, you may select from monthly maintenance packages or opt for one-off services.
Every agency and designer has different rates and services, so we took the TOP 10 agencies like Fit Design to sum up the website maintenance fees:
1. One-Off or Ad-Hoc service:
PRICES start from £50/h - £70/h
Great option for personal website, small businesses or self-employed for average website maintenance needs like troubleshooting, speed, performance, SEO, content update, site analysis etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Monthly Retainer Costs:
PRICES start from £200/month
Perfect for businesses that need ongoing maintenance support and want peace of mind knowing their website is being looked after regularly within a set website maintenance budget.
=> SMALL WEBSITE:
Up to 15 pages, web maintenance costs around £200 - 300/month
- Monthly report
- Analysis
- Backup
- Update of plugins and web builders
- Security scan
- Website speed check
- Website downtime monitoring
- Basic SEO audit
- +3h Designer work [content upload, troubleshooting of errors, small design changes]
=> MEDIUM WEBSITE:
With up to 30 pages, web cost vary £500/month
- All the above
- +5h Web Designer or Web Developer [website redesign within the time frame, create website content]
=> LARGE WEBSITE:
30+ pages or eCommerce businesses, site plans may cost £1,000/month
- All the above
- +10h Designer/Developer [tailored to the complexity of the website type]
IMPORTANT TO KNOW
- * Ensure that the website maintenance pricing meets your current website traffic.
- * Check if social media posts, and Google GMB updates are include in the monthly site maintenance package.
- * Opt in for thorough technical SEO & site analysis that assesses the effects of website maintenance and SEO efforts.
- * Keyword research, report of current website traffic levels and backlink building opportunities [may influence the cost].
Detailed Costs Of Monthly Website Maintenance Fees
The following website costs are to be considered before you commit to hiring a web designer in London or building a website yourself. Website maintenance service costs are on a monthly basis & some are based on annual website maintenance fees.
1. Domain Name & Renewal Cost
ANNUAL PRICE: £9.99 to £24.99 [Registrar fee]
The domain name is the web address of your website, like "fitdesignldn.com" or "mhaccounting.org.uk". Once you have registered your domain name, it's yours for as long as you renew it. The cost varies depending on how long choose to extend your domain name [2, 4, 6, 8 years].
Popular domain providers:
- Namecheap: Create your online identity cheaply and with confidence.
- Ionos: Another well-known premium domain registrar with great offers.
- GoDaddy: Reliable domain and web hosting plan provider that has been around for a while.
2. Website Hosting Costs
MONTHLY PRICE: £2.99 to £30 per month [annual plans have discount]
Web hosting is a service that stores your website files on a dedicated server and makes them available to be viewed on the Internet. Once you have registered your domain name, you will need to find a web hosting service to host your website.
Popular web hosting providers:
- DreamHost
- Bluehost
- Hostgator
- Ionos
- Krystal
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Security & SSL Certificate
ANNUAL PRICE: £0 to £100+
An SSL certificate "Secure Sockets Layer" is a digital certificate that encrypts the data exchanged between your website and its visitors. It is important to have an SSL certificate if you want to accept payments on your website. An SSL certificate typically comes FREE in a bundle with web hosting, but you may need to purchase it separately if you need premium website security.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Email Hosting
MONTHLY PRICE: £1.99 to £6 per month [Optional]
Email hosting is a service that provides you with an email address for your website. eg. if your domain name is "fitdesignldn.com", you can have an email address like "info@fitdesignldn.com". Email hosting typically comes bundled with web hosting, but you may need to purchase it separately with some providers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. WordPress Plugins
ANNUAL PRICE: £0 to £100+ || Life Time Price: from £129+
Plugins are small pieces of code that add functionality and features to your website. They can be purchased from third-party vendors or downloaded for free, depending on the plugin functionality and features needed.
Popular plugins:
- Yoast SEO
- WooCommerce
- JetPack
- WP Super Cache
- Elementor Pro
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Website Builder
MONTHLY PRICE: £8 to £35 for Basic Plans || £20+ for Premium Plans
Some popular website builders within this price range are Wix, Squarespace, and Webflow. These platforms offer a range of features including customizable templates, drag-and-drop tools, e-commerce functionality, and customer support. Users can choose from basic plans with limited features or opt for premium plans with additional tools and resources.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Website Theme / Template
ONE-TIME PRICE: £15 to £100
A website theme or template is the design of a website. It includes all the styling, images, colours and layout. You can buy or download free themes from various sites such as Themeforest, Webflow Marketplace and Template Monster. Themes come in different packages - some include additional features like shopping carts and contact forms while others are purely for customisation purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Analytics & Reporting Tools
MONTHLY PRICE: £0 to £80
To monitor your website's performance and track user behaviour, you may need to invest in analytics and reporting tools like Google Analytics or Hotjar. Most of the tools provide free basic data, but for more advanced features and in-depth analysis, you may need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Popular reporting tools:
- Google Analytics
- Hotjar
- SEMrush
- Ahrefs
- Moz Pro
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. SEO Website Cost
MONTHLY COSTS: £100 to £1000
SEO services help improve your website's visibility on search engines and drive organic traffic. You should start with on-page SEO [meta title, tag, alt text] and continue with off-page SEO that includes back-link building. Additional costs may include keyword research, content creation, technical website optimization, and ongoing monitoring and reporting.
Popular S E O platforms:
- Surfer SEO
- SpyFu
- NeilPatel
- SEObility
Web Agency vs Freelance Web Designer Average Costs
When it comes to web design and maintenance, there are a few different options available to businesses. Option one is to hire a web design agency in London and option two is to hire a freelance website designer.
1. Web Design Agency
£300/month+
Will come with a team of web designers and developers who can manage all aspects of your site from WordPress website maintenance service, website analytics, and domain registration to functionality and security updates.
Agency Benefits:
- You will have a team of experts that can work on any type of website
- When it comes to monthly website maintenance fees, you will get a more comprehensive service
- Web design agencies can offer a more holistic approach to web development, design and maintenance
- Great communication and time-efficient service that meets website needs
Agency Drawbacks:
- Professional website maintenance costs vary
- Web agencies prefer to work with long-term clients 3, 6, 12+ months
- Some development or design work will have to be scheduled
2. Freelance Web Designer
£40-£100/month
These web designers work independently and are usually available to be hired for short-term web design projects. They offer similar website maintenance plans as an agency, which include technical maintenance, domain name renewal, WordPress maintenance service, and so on, tailored to ensure your website is hosted securely and runs smoothly.
Freelancer Benefits:
- Affordable website maintenance service provider
- Faster turnaround time compared to a website maintenance company
- Higher website maintenance flexibility with their working hours
Freelancer Drawbacks:
- May not have the same level of expertise as a web agency
- Doesn't have access to premium design/development tools
- May not offer comprehensive services associated with website maintenance
- Website maintenance packages are limited to many website builders, but they're essential for keeping your small business website up-to-date.
How Often Should You Do Website Maintenance Services?
Business website owners should be aware of the importance of website maintenance. Not only is it necessary to keep your site looking fresh and up-to-date, but it's also important to ensure that your site is functioning properly and providing a positive user experience.
- While there is no hard and fast rule, we recommend performing a site audit at least once a month. This will help you identify any areas that need improvement and make sure that your site is running smoothly.
Also, with the right tools like GTmetrix and Google Analytics in place, you can keep an eye on your website performance and make sure that it is meeting your goals.
- If you want to rank higher and optimize your web pages SeoObility and SEOTester are great tools to check ranking, on-page SEO strategy and many more.
According to the KPMG survey about online shopping, there is a huge global arena of consumers ready to spend US$1.9 trillion online. So, it's worth tapping into this market by ensuring that your site is up-to-date and user-friendly.
Steps To Lower The Cost To Maintain A Website?
Check out the following website maintenance services list and see how you can take matters into your own hands and keep website maintenance costs down.
1. Review the website goals and objectives
Before you start making changes to your site, it's important to take a step back and review your website's goals and objectives.
- What is your site trying to achieve?
- What are your target customers looking for?
By understanding your goals, you can ensure that any changes you make will help you achieve them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Check for broken links
One of the most important aspects of website maintenance is checking for broken links. Broken links can frustrate users and damage your credibility, so it's important to fix them as soon as possible.
- You can use a tool like BrokenLink or DeadLinkChecker to scan your site for broken links.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Update your content
Another important step in website maintenance is updating your content. Outdated content can make your site look stale and unprofessional, so it's important to keep it fresh.
- You should aim to update your content regularly by adding new blog posts, products, and pages as needed, which is a crucial part of a website maintenance package for a small business website.
- Many great AI tools are out there to help you without any knowledge or writing skills. If you have a content management system (CMS), you can make updates yourself. If not, you may have to hire a freelance web designer in London or a web development agency to help you.
Updating your content doesn't have to be a huge undertaking. Even small changes, like fixing typos or updating your About page, can make a big difference.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Optimize search engines
If you want your site to be successful and rank high on search engine results pages [SERPs] you have to make sure your site has search engine optimization [SEO] at its fullest.
- This means ensuring that your site is well-designed, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly.
- Make sure that your content is keyword-rich and informative and has all the necessary on-page website's SEO elements to reach good search engine rankings.
There are several ways to improve your site's SEO, but it's important to start with the basics.
- You can use tools like Outranking, Marketmuse and Surfer to create content, and optimize your site's keyword, title, and meta tags. If you need a free audit, reach out to Fit Design for full report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Monitor your site's performance
Make sure to monitor your site's performance regularly. This includes things like checking your web server's error logs, uptime monitors and analysing your website traffic. Doing this will help you identify any potential problems early on and fix them before they cause major issues.
FAQ - Website Maintenance Guide For Beginners
=> HOW OFTEN DO I NEED WEBSITE MAINTENANCE SERVICES?
It depends on your website and business. If you have an eCommerce website, you'll need to update your product inventory regularly. If you have a personal blog post website, you'll need to add new content regularly. If you have a static website, you may only need to make changes occasionally - once a month or quarterly.
=> HOW MUCH DOES WEBSITE MAINTENANCE COST?
The cost of website maintenance varies depending on the size and complexity of your site, as well as the frequency of changes. You can expect to pay anywhere from £100 to £350 per month for website maintenance services.
=> WHAT IF I DON'T DO WEBSITE MAINTENANCE?
If you don't maintain your website, it will become outdated and may no longer function properly. This can frustrate users, damage your credibility, and hurt your business. So it's important to keep your site up-to-date and running smoothly with regular website maintenance services.
=> WHO SHOULD PERFORM MY WEBSITE MAINTENANCE SERVICE?
You can perform website maintenance yourself if you have the time and knowledge to fix website crashes. If not, you may want to hire a web designer or web development agency to make sure your website running smoothly.
Conclusion
The cost of maintaining a website can seem daunting, but it's important to keep your site running smoothly and looking its best. If you want to achieve success online and make sales, you have to make sure your site is well-designed, fast-loading, and mobile-friendly. You should also update your content regularly and optimize your site for SEO.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your website is always up-to-date and running smoothly. And if you ever need help, don't hesitate to reach out to our bespoke web design agency in London. We're always happy to help! Our services include regular maintenance, web design, web development, SEO, eCommerce solutions and digital marketing campaigns.
