Website care
What happens after your website goes live
Launch is the start, not the finish. Here is what a website actually needs each month to stay safe, fast and findable, and what that costs in New Zealand.
Published 28 September 20266 min read
What does a website actually need after launch?
Four quiet jobs keep a website healthy: secure hosting, daily backups, software updates and small content changes. None of them are glamorous, and all of them protect the enquiries your site brings in.
Skip them and the decline is slow but certain. Software falls behind, links break, content goes stale, and Google and AI engines quietly reward the practices that stay current.
How much does website maintenance cost in New Zealand?
Basic hosting for a small business site typically runs $20 to $80 a month. A full care plan with hosting, backups, security, monitoring and content changes included sits between $67 and $147 a month.
Our care plans are month to month with no lock-in contracts, and you can cancel with 30 days' notice. Every plan includes hosting, SSL and daily backups, so there is no separate hosting bill.
Can I maintain the website myself?
Yes, for the visible work. Text edits, swapping photos and adding a news post are all doable without touching code, and every site we build includes a handover so you can do them confidently.
The invisible work is different. Security patching, uptime monitoring and speed tuning are easy to forget and costly to ignore, which is why even hands-on practitioners often keep a care plan running quietly behind them.
What happens if the site is left alone?
Nothing dramatic at first, then a slow drift. Pages take longer to load, the copyright year goes stale, a booking link dies after a platform update, and nobody notices until enquiries dip.
Search engines and AI tools notice too. Both favour sites that stay fast, current and clearly structured, so a neglected site loses visibility well before it visibly breaks.
What does a care plan include?
Our Support plan at $67 a month covers managed hosting, daily backups, security monitoring, uptime alerts and 30 minutes of content changes each month. Momentum at $97 adds speed tuning and Search Console monitoring, and MultiClinic at $147 supports multi-practitioner clinics with a staging site.
Larger redesigns and new features are quoted separately at $120 plus GST per hour, so you always know where the plan ends and a project begins.
Quick answers
Questions people ask about this
How much should I budget to maintain a website?
From $30 a month for basic hosting to $150 or more for a full care plan with content changes, monitoring and support included.
Do your care plans have lock-in contracts?
No. Plans are month to month and can be cancelled with 30 days' notice.
Is hosting included in a care plan?
Yes. Managed hosting, SSL and daily backups are part of every plan, so there is no separate hosting bill.
See how your own website scores
The free scorecard rates seven areas of your site in two minutes, and you get the plain-English breakdown whether or not we work together.
Rate my website in 2 minutes