What should a WordPress care plan include?

Updates should come with checks and a recovery route

Ask which components are maintained: WordPress itself, the theme and the plugins your website depends on. Also ask how updates are checked, how urgent security updates are handled and what happens when an update causes a problem. A completed update list does not tell you whether the enquiry form still works.

For a business site, agree the important functions to check. That might include the enquiry form, navigation and key landing pages; a shop may require a more involved checkout process. The appropriate scope depends on the website, so disclose custom functionality before comparing plans.

Understand the backup and restore arrangement

WordPress recovery needs the relevant files and database. Ask how frequently they are backed up, where copies are stored, how long they are retained and who can restore them. Also ask whether restore testing and recovery work are included or separately charged.

Choose the frequency around how much recent data you could afford to lose. A daily backup may fit a relatively static brochure site, while a busy store needs a different recovery discussion. After an incident, restoring yesterday’s database can replace today’s orders or enquiries; that tradeoff needs to be understood before a restore.

Separate monitoring from the response to an alert

An uptime check can flag that a page is unavailable, but it does not prove that every feature works. A security scan can highlight suspicious findings without replacing an investigation. Ask what is monitored, who receives alerts and what the provider does next.

Automated checks can run around the clock while human support has defined working hours. Confirm response expectations, emergency handling and exclusions in writing. “24/7 monitoring” should not be interpreted as a promise of an immediately available developer.

Check what support time and unlimited edits mean

At SiteKnot, Website Care is $149 per month for one website, with one hour of changes in addition to routine maintenance. Unused change time does not roll over. Care + Improvements is $300 per month with unlimited edits within its stated scope, handled one request at a time. These cover content, images, layout adjustments and existing form settings; custom development and larger projects are separately quoted.

• Does routine maintenance count against the edit allowance?
• What kinds of content, layout or form changes are included?
• Do unused hours roll over, and how is additional work agreed?
• Are requests handled one at a time or in parallel?
• Are new features, custom code and rebuilds separate projects?

Agree the starting condition and separate costs

Have the existing website reviewed before the plan starts. An already broken feature, a compromised site or an unsupported dependency can require initial work beyond ongoing maintenance. Confirm how access will be arranged and who owns the hosting account, domain and licenses.

Hosting, domain renewals and third-party licenses are separate from SiteKnot’s displayed plans unless agreed in the proposal. Existing malware cleanup is assessed and quoted before onboarding. Compare the complete arrangement so that a lower monthly headline does not hide work you still need to arrange.

Choose around the help you actually need

If your website changes occasionally, a defined allowance may be sufficient. If you regularly update services, images, layouts or form settings, a plan with ongoing edits may be more useful. A new booking system or a full redesign should be discussed as a project rather than assumed to fit a maintenance subscription.

Ask for a plain-language summary of completed work and any outstanding decisions. The aim is to know who is looking after the website, what they have checked and how to get the next change made.