SERVERKODE / LAUNCH AND ONGOING CARE
What does website maintenance include after launch?
Launching makes the website available. Keeping it useful requires clarity about who checks the features, updates the content and steps in when something stops working.
The key point
A maintenance agreement should explain what is checked, how often, by whom and how problems are handled. Hosting and maintenance are different responsibilities, even when the same provider handles both.
Clarify access and ownership at handover.
List the domain, hosting, code, email accounts and connected tools. Record whose name they are under, who can access them and how they can be transferred if the person maintaining the website changes.
Document renewal dates and who receives the notifications. Use individual accounts where the system supports them and keep recovery details in a secure place. Handover should include enough guidance for the changes your own team expects to make.
Agree the backup and restore process.
A backup needs to cover the parts required to restore the website: files, configuration and the database, if there is one. A copy of the code does not automatically replace order data or content stored in another system.
Agree the frequency, storage location and retention period around how often the website changes. Periodically check that a restore works. A presentation website that changes occasionally has different needs from a shop taking orders every day.
Match updates to the actual technology.
If the website uses a CMS, extensions or external services, decide who follows updates and checks compatibility. Changes that could affect key features should be reviewed before they reach the public website.
A static website still needs attention to hosting, the domain, forms, links and the services it relies on. Test that a real enquiry reaches its recipient; a page loading or a button appearing does not prove that the journey works.
Keep content and measurement accurate.
Opening hours, teams, services and projects change. Assign someone to flag those changes and define how they reach every language version. Before removing a page or changing its address, check the links that rely on it and plan any necessary redirects.
Periodically review the information you have chosen to measure: successful enquiries, form errors and searches that bring visitors. Keep phone and email clicks separate from confirmed submissions. Measurement points to areas to investigate; it does not guarantee business results.
What the agreement should make clear
- The checks included and how often they take place.
- Which content changes are included and how new requests are estimated.
- Who takes backups and who tests restoration.
- How to report a problem and when support is available.
- Response time, distinguished from resolution time.
- Renewal costs, licenses and third-party services.
- The handover process if the working relationship ends.
From our projects
Catering content needs to stay current
MeZemer Catering presents events, menus and contact information. These are areas the business should revisit when its offer changes. This example illustrates the need for content care; it does not describe the client’s maintenance agreement.
Explore the project