Agencies typically will include website maintenance & hosting package that starts after the website is built. Companies may name them differently (Maintenance or Management) but virtually they’re all the same. The focus is on software updates and keeping your site secure.
Standard Maintenance Package ($80 – $250 per month)
- Hosting costs will vary based on site traffic volume and amount of plugins to maintain
- Monthly or weekly software updates
- Daily backups
- Licenses for premium plugins
- Monthly reporting
- SSL configuration
Premium Plugins ($50-150 per plugin)
Typically a one time cost for a plugin that adds functionality to the site
Domain Name ($15-$20 per year)
Registration cost for your chosen URL(s).
*Please note: this list is an example of the services included in the website maintenance plans but not exhaustive.
Business Tip: Never have your agency purchase your domain name and DNS under their account. If you part ways at some point, or they go out of business, it’s a pain to transfer as you’re not the owner with full control.
Additional Factors to Consider in Scope/Cost
Perhaps one of the largest factors on total project cost is the ability, bandwidth, and experience of the client’s employees.
Clients should ask themselves:
What can our team contribute to the project (content, etc.)?
Who on our team will play a role in the project, and what will they do?
Who will be involved in the website post-launch, and how much training is required?
Consider that the involvement of internal staff in the web design project is a two-way street. With more involvement, the need for agency hours may be reduced, and the final product may be more in line with your expectations. However, more eyeballs, nodding heads, and moving parts can lead to a longer overall development period.
Finally, another factor in cost is availability and workload. If a firm is super busy sometimes they may mark up their projects, and on the flip side if they’re not they may give a discount as they need new work.
