A WordPress website is not finished when it goes live. WordPress, the theme, plugins, PHP and the hosting environment continue to change. Without clear ownership, small warnings can develop into poor performance, security problems or a website that suddenly stops working.
A good service agreement is therefore not just permission to press “update”. It should explain what is checked, how often, who responds and what happens if an update causes a fault.
1. Backups that can actually be restored
Files and the database should be copied automatically. A backup only has value when it is complete, stored safely and can be restored. The agreement should state how often backups run, how long copies are retained and whether restoration is included.
2. Controlled updates
WordPress core, plugins and themes should be kept current, but not blindly. There should be a fresh backup before important changes, followed by checks of critical functions such as forms, login, shop and payment. Complex websites may require a staging environment.
3. Security and clean-up
A responsible agreement includes checks of administrator accounts, suspicious changes, obsolete components, spam and unnecessary plugins. Access should be limited, and administrators should use strong passwords and preferably two-factor authentication.
4. Uptime, faults and a clear contact route
It must be clear how problems are detected and how the customer reports an issue. Monitoring can identify a total outage, but not always a broken form or failing checkout. The agreement should therefore define the important functions that need checking.
5. Hosting, PHP and compatibility
Hosting and maintenance are connected. An old PHP version may become more expensive and no longer receive security fixes. A new PHP version can expose themes or plugins that rely on obsolete code. Upgrades should therefore be prepared, tested and documented, especially on older WordPress websites.
6. Performance, SEO and forms
A fast website matters to users and search visibility. Maintenance should watch caching, image sizes, database clutter and errors, while making changes carefully. Sitemaps, indexing, redirects, metadata and contact forms should also be checked so the company does not silently lose traffic or enquiries.
What is the difference between a health check and an agreement?
A WordPress health check is a defined review of the current condition and most important problems. A maintenance and hosting agreement is the ongoing responsibility afterwards. Many clients begin with the health check so the agreement starts from a documented baseline.
What should the agreement state specifically?
- which websites and environments are covered;
- the frequency of backups, updates and checks;
- which functions are tested;
- response time, contact route and out-of-hours work;
- what is included and what is billed separately;
- responsibility for licences, hosting, domain, DNS and email;
- the procedure for hacking, outages and restoration.
BarnerDesign provides hosting, backups, security updates and practical WordPress support for businesses that prefer one accountable contact instead of managing the technical work themselves.
