Website maintenance covers updates to the software in use, regular backups and monitoring of the website. At SIMPLY CODE SOLUTIONS it costs CHF 30 – 50 per month as website care. For a shop or an application, application care applies at CHF 400 – 650 per month, small changes included. Hosting and the domain are not included and come on top. These are guide prices. We set out the scope in the quote.
Even after launch, the software behind a website receives security updates, browsers change, and at some point a form stops sending without anyone noticing. With maintenance, someone looks regularly.
What does website maintenance include?
- Updates: the content management system and its extensions receive regular security updates. Leaving them out leaves known gaps open.
- Backups: a copy of the website and its data. If something goes wrong, the last state can be restored.
- Monitoring: an automated service checks continuously whether the website is reachable and whether errors occur. When something looks off, we receive an alert and look into the cause.
- Fault fixing: if a form stops sending or the page suddenly loads slowly, we fix it within the agreed scope.
New pages, new features and rewritten texts are not maintenance. We bill such changes by time. Small changes are included in application care. Texts and images you change yourself with the add-on edit the content yourself. The domain and the certificate for the encrypted connection also expire at some point. Settle who keeps an eye on those dates.
What does website maintenance cost per month?
- Website care, CHF 30 – 50 per month: updates, backups and monitoring for a website.
- Application care, CHF 400 – 650 per month: for a shop or an application, small changes included.
- Operations with response times, CHF 1'500 – 2'300 per month: agreed response times and on-call cover.
On top come hosting and the domain, which are not included in the package, any subscriptions for third-party services such as a booking tool or newsletter, and with online payment the payment provider's fees. We state these costs in the quote. All packages are in our overview of operations and support prices.
Three model cases
These are model cases, none of them a client project. They show which package fits which starting point.
Example 1: hairdresser with a small website
A hairdresser has a small website with an embedded booking tool. She does not want to do updates and backups herself, and if the site goes down, someone should notice.
- Package: website care, CHF 30 – 50 per month
- On top: hosting, domain and the subscription for the booking tool
Example 2: specialist retailer with an online shop
A specialist retailer runs an online shop with customer accounts and an integration with accounting. If the integration fails, orders pile up. Every month brings a few small requests, such as a new promotion notice on the home page.
- Package: application care, CHF 400 – 650 per month
- Included: small changes, with the number per month agreed in advance
- On top: hosting, domain and the payment provider's fees per sale
Example 3: practice with a booking system in daily use
A group practice allocates appointments through its own web app. If it fails on a Monday morning, registration stops. The practice needs a firm commitment on how quickly someone responds.
- Package: operations with response times, CHF 1'500 – 2'300 per month
- Included: agreed response times and on-call cover, set out in writing
What moves the price
- The size of the application. A website needs less care than a shop, and every interface is one more place where something can fail.
- The state of the system. Outdated components and missing documentation increase the work, especially at the start. That is why we review the system before recommending a package.
- The number of changes. We agree in advance how many small changes application care includes. More changes mean a larger scope.
- The response time. The shorter it is and the longer the hours covered, the more on-call cover it takes.
Handling maintenance yourself: when that is realistic
For a simple website it is doable. You install updates as soon as they appear, check regularly that a backup really can be restored, and set up a service that emails you when the site goes down. Allow some time every month and considerably more when an update breaks something. For a shop or an application we advise against it, because orders and payments are affected there.
When something else fits better
- If your website runs on a builder, the provider already handles updates and operations, and you do not need a maintenance package from us. What speaks for and against a builder is in the comparison website builder or agency.
- For help with computers, networks or email accounts, an IT service provider is the right address. We look after websites and applications.
- If the changes you want go beyond the agreed scope, a separate project makes more sense.
When your previous developer can no longer be reached
We also look after websites we did not build, after a short review. For that we need access to code, hosting and domain. If access is missing, we first clarify how it can be restored.
The next step
In the project assistant for operations and support you get an estimate with the price range per month. We usually reply within 1 to 2 working days. Which services are included is on the page operations and support for your website. If you are still planning a website, the article How much does a website cost in Switzerland? shows what makes up the build and the running costs.