Separate maintenance, monitoring and improvements
| Work | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Routine maintenance | Software updates, backups and checks for the agreed platform. |
| Monitoring and support | What is watched, who receives alerts and how an issue is reported. |
| Content changes | Which edits are covered and how any time allowance is counted. |
| New development | New page layouts, redesigns and integrations usually need a separate scope. |
A backup needs a recovery plan
Ask which files and data are included, where copies are stored, how often they are made and how restoration is handled. A brochure site updated occasionally and a shop receiving orders every hour have different recovery needs.
WooCommerce stores keep data in files and the database. Restoring an older copy can affect recent orders, so a store needs an agreed process rather than an assumption that “backed up” means no possible data loss.
Response time is not the same as resolution time
Ask which working hours apply, what counts as an initial response and how an urgent problem is escalated. A third-party payment problem may need a provider’s involvement even when a support request is answered promptly.
Keep account owners and licence details up to date. Your provider needs the right access, and the business should understand what happens if a subscription expires or a hosting payment fails.
How the published CodingPie care plans differ
The care plans start at £29 per month. Higher tiers add tasks and content-update allowances; the pricing page is the complete feature comparison.
All care plans are rolling monthly with no minimum term. Cancel any time with 30 days’ notice. UK hosting is included on every plan. Unused content update hours do not roll over. Care plans cover maintenance, support and small changes, not new page builds or redesigns, which are quoted separately.
A website-build package has a different included care period: the monthly agreement covers its 24-month term, while the one-off package includes 12 months. Maintenance after the monthly build term is optional, not a new automatic build commitment.
Before changing maintenance provider
- List the domain, hosting, CMS and third-party accounts and their owners.
- Confirm the last backup, current versions and any unresolved issues.
- Agree whether a site-health review or remedial work is needed first.
- Document the new support channel and who can authorise changes.
- Plan the handover so the previous arrangement does not end before the replacement is ready.