Why a finished website still needs looking after
A website is not like a van that you buy once and drive until it stops. Hosting needs paying and monitoring, security certificates renew, software needs patching, and business details change. Most problems on small trade sites are not dramatic hacks. They are quiet failures: an enquiry form that stopped sending months ago, a phone number that changed on the van but not online, or an expired certificate that makes browsers show a security warning.
Each of those costs enquiries without anyone noticing. Regular care catches them early.
What a care plan covers
| Hosting | Fast, UK or EU-based hosting with a valid HTTPS certificate, monitored for downtime. |
|---|---|
| Backups | Automatic backups of files and form settings, kept off the main server, with a test restore at least twice a year. |
| Updates | Server software and any components kept current. Our hand-built sites have very few moving parts, which keeps this light. |
| Form test | A real test enquiry sent each month to confirm the form still delivers to your inbox. |
| Link and error check | A crawl of the site for broken links, missing pages and new errors in Search Console. |
| Content edits | Small changes on request, such as hours, prices, a new review link or photo, within an agreed monthly allowance. |
| Monthly log | A short email listing what was checked, what changed and anything that needs your decision. |
Why our sites need less care than most
Many small business websites run on a content management system with a theme and a long list of plugins. Each plugin is a separate piece of software that needs updating, and each update can break something else. That is where a lot of maintenance time goes.
We build plumbing websites as hand-coded pages with a small, self-contained form handler. There is no database to attack, no plugin list to patch and no page builder to update. That keeps care plans simple and lowers the chance of something going wrong between checks. It also means your site keeps working even if you decide not to take a care plan at all, as long as the hosting is paid.
Keeping your details accurate
Accuracy is part of care. If you add a new registration, change your hours, stop doing a type of work or move base, the website should change the same week. Out-of-date claims can mislead customers. For trade memberships, trading Standards guidance warns businesses to take care when membership lapses or is cancelled, and not to use a logo without authorisation.[1]
We send a short accuracy prompt every quarter asking whether anything about your services, areas, hours or registrations has changed. It takes a minute to answer and keeps the site honest.
Privacy and data handling
Enquiry forms collect personal data, so the way they store and send it matters. Our forms email enquiries to your chosen inbox and do not keep a copy in a database on the website. The privacy notice on your site explains what is collected, why and how long it is kept, which is information the ICO says people must be given at the point you collect their data.[2] As part of care we keep that notice in step with how the site actually works. The enquiry forms guide covers this in more detail.
Hosting on your own account
Some firms prefer to keep hosting in their own name. That is fine. We can maintain a site on hosting you control, as long as we have the access needed to run backups and updates. Either way, the domain stays registered to you. We do not hold domains hostage and we hand over full access if you move on.
What care does not include
Care covers keeping the site healthy and making small edits. New pages, new services, area pages and redesign work are scoped separately so you can see the cost before deciding. If a small edit turns out to be larger than expected, we tell you before doing it.
Questions about care and hosting
Can I cancel a care plan?
Yes. Plans run month to month after any initial term agreed in your scope. If you cancel, we hand over a full copy of the site and the access details.
Do I need a care plan if my site rarely changes?
It is not compulsory. At a minimum, make sure hosting and the domain renew, the certificate stays valid and someone tests the form now and then. A plan simply means someone does that for you and writes it down.
Where are backups kept?
Off the main server, with a provider in the UK or EU. We document the location in your handover pack.
What happens if the site goes down?
Monitoring alerts us and we work to restore it, keeping you informed by email. Our simple builds can usually be restored from backup quickly.
Start with a written scope, not a sales call
Tell us how your jobs come in, where you work and what the site has to do. You get a plain scope back by email.
Sources
- Business Companion (Trading Standards guidance) Membership logos and claims of approval checked 29 October 2026
- Information Commissioner's Office The right to be informed checked 29 October 2026