What's included
Hosting, domain renewals, SSL certificates, software/CMS updates, plugin maintenance, security monitoring, automated backups, uptime monitoring, and small content edits.
On more comprehensive plans: SEO monitoring, analytics reviews, monthly performance reports, and a set number of edit hours.
Typical ranges
Basic ($30–$100/mo): Hosting, domain, SSL, backups, occasional updates. DIY content edits.
Professional ($100–$400/mo): Everything above plus active monitoring, monthly updates, security patching, small content edits, and a real human to call when something breaks.
Complex/automated ($400–$1,500+/mo): Multi-site portfolios, ecommerce stores, integrated CRM/automation stacks, SLA-backed support.
What you can DIY safely
Domain renewals (set auto-renew). Basic content edits if your CMS is friendly. Adding new blog posts.
What you should not DIY: WordPress core/plugin updates without a backup strategy, security configuration, anything involving payment or customer data.
Hidden costs to plan for
Premium plugin/app subscriptions ($100–$1,000/yr depending on stack).
Email deliverability tools (often $10–$30/mo for transactional email).
CRM and automation tools ($30–$300/mo).
Annual security audits if you handle sensitive data.
FAQ
Do I need maintenance?
Yes — unmaintained sites break, get hacked, or fall behind in search.
What happens if I skip updates for a year?
Higher chance of getting hacked, broken plugins, slow performance, and a much harder/more expensive update job when you finally do it.