# Website maintenance: tasks and costs | BrandHoop Quelle: https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/ See what website maintenance and support cover, how to compare costs, and how to agree responsibilities for content changes and repairs. - [Home](https://brandhoop.at/en/) - [Guides](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/) - [Website](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website/) - Website maintenance and support: tasks and costs [ Website](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website/)Updated 17 October 2026 # Website maintenance and support: tasks and costs Reading time: about 5 minutes for the main text. Use templates and details as needed. [Full version with templates, calculations and further checks](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/full/) The cost of website support starts with the work you want to hand over. Adding a new phone number calls for a different brief from regular updates or repairing a broken form. The word ‘support’ alone tells you little about what is included. Start with the tasks your website needs. Decide what your business can handle and where you need help. You can then give providers the same description and compare their quotes. Look at costs over the same period and establish who will see each task through to completion and check the result. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) **Your plan for this guide** - [Decide which work to hand over](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#core-aufgaben) - [Which support model suits your business?](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#core-modelle) - [What a monthly price actually covers](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#core-preise) - [How to tell whether maintenance is complete](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#core-pruefung) - [Compare quotes for the same year](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#core-budget) - [Prepare a brief that makes quotes comparable](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#core-anfrage) ## Decide which work to hand over Technical maintenance keeps the agreed parts of your website up to date. Updates bring software up to date; backups are saved copies. Content maintenance covers tasks such as correcting a phone number or replacing an approved project photo. The quote should state explicitly whether you need to supply finished content or whether the provider also writes copy. For a WordPress website, the quote should name the components covered. These include the core system and the extensions in use. Record any custom modifications and important forms too. The provider can then explain which parts they check and which they exclude. When taking over an existing website, include known faults in the same description; agree any preparatory work separately. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) Your business remains responsible for approving the factual accuracy of text and images. Check image rights before sharing photos. If the provider is to edit a photo or write new copy, describe this work separately from adding the content to the website. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) A fault needs its own process: you report it, someone investigates the cause and the repair is agreed. An included hour for image changes does not settle this question. Also record whether hosting, the domain and software licences are included or billed separately. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) Each separately billed item has a contracting party. Clarify who manages domain or licence renewals and who can access the customer accounts. For software licences, it also matters whether you hold the licence yourself or use an agency licence. Agree in advance what happens when the contract ends. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) [](https://brandhoop.at/ratgeber-materialien/A12/assets/betreuungsarbeit.png)Original working diagram: routine maintenance, change requests and faults have different triggers. An agreed initial response does not mean a fault has been fixed. New pages and additional features need a separately defined scope. A full [relaunch](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-relaunch-seo-checklist/) is also a separate project. The [distinction between ongoing support and other work](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/full/#umfang) helps you assign tasks to the right category. ## Which support model suits your business? You can look after the website yourself, commission individual tasks or agree an ongoing package. Compare these models against the same tasks. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) Criterion Manage it yourself Occasional help Ongoing package Technical routine You organise maintenance and checks. You book a specific maintenance appointment. You agree the scope and frequency. Content changes You add approved content. You commission individual changes. The quote sets out the tasks and time included. Faults You find out who can step in. Clarify availability and costs in advance. Agree how to report faults, service hours and the scope of repairs. Your own workload You still need the knowledge and time. Preparation and coordination remain with your business. You still supply information and approvals. Access rights should reflect responsibility. For occasional help, grant the specific access needed and revoke it afterwards. For an ongoing package, clarify where documentation is kept and how data and access will be handed over if you change providers. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) If you can confidently change opening hours yourself, you do not automatically need to hand over that task. If technical work regularly gets left undone, compare an ongoing package. Occasional content changes can also be commissioned individually. ## What a monthly price actually covers Two published examples from Lumios & Co. show the difference: ‘Wartung Pur’ costs €34 excluding VAT per month and includes update checks and backups at least weekly. ‘Wartung & Betreuung’ costs €79 excluding VAT per month. It also includes one hour a month for small text and image changes to existing areas. Both packages can be cancelled monthly. [[3]](https://lumiosandco.com/website-wartung-betreuung/) These prices excluding VAT were recorded on 12 October 2026 and read again on 16 October 2026. They are historical examples from a provider, not a market average or BrandHoop prices. The hour for changes does not cover new pages, features or larger design changes. The stated 48 hours apply on working days to qualifying small changes once all materials are available. They are not a general emergency response promise. Hosting as the main service, legal reviews and 24/7 emergency support are excluded. [[3]](https://lumiosandco.com/website-wartung-betreuung/) An update check first establishes whether an update is needed; installing it is a separate task. Compare the service description alongside the price. Further [pricing examples with terms and exclusions](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/full/#tarifbeispiele) appear in the full version. Before commissioning work, check the current quote for your specific website. For a fair comparison, match the items in both quotes to the same tasks. Alongside the frequency of update checks, record who installs updates and checks the result. With an allowance of hours, the activities actually covered matter. An unclear item remains an open question until the provider explains it. Also check whether hosting already includes backups and what additional service the support package provides for them. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) ## How to tell whether maintenance is complete For WordPress, the official documentation recommends making a backup before an update. [[1]](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/updating-wordpress/) A complete backup of a typical WordPress website needs both files and a database. Recovering the website from a backup is called a restore. [[2]](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/backup/) Ask for a description of how often backups are made and how long they are kept. This should also state who restores the website and checks the result. Having a backup does not prove that your website has been successfully restored. If the website is monitored for availability, also specify who receives outage alerts. An alert needs a responsible person and an agreed process if it is to be acted on. The quote should state which repairs are included and how additional work is approved. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) The contact journey is a useful way to check the website after changes: open the service page on a smartphone and send a form enquiry using fictional details. Confirm that it reaches the intended recipient. A success message on the website alone is not enough. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) Working phone links are also part of the mobile contact journey. Agree in advance which pages and features will be checked after a change and who in your business will receive the feedback. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) A maintenance report should list completed work and outstanding issues. For a content change, feedback such as ‘Change added and approved’ is useful. It lets you see whether the requested task is complete or still needs a decision from you. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) When a fault occurs, the initial response is the reply to your report. Resolution is the repair itself. Agree the process for both, including possible additional costs. The [technical checkpoints](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/full/#technik) explain the details. Regular maintenance does not rule out outages or attacks. [[6]](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/hardening/) ## Compare quotes for the same year The following example for a bathroom renovation business is entirely fictional. The amounts are not market prices or a quote from BrandHoop. [[a]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-beispiele) Assume maintenance at €75 excluding VAT per month, hosting and the domain at €180 excluding VAT per year, and annual licences at €120 excluding VAT. Add a one-off setup fee of €100 excluding VAT and, in the first year, two hours of content changes at €90 excluding VAT each. **12 × €75 + €180 + €120 + €100 + 2 × €90 = €1,480 excluding VAT in the first year.** Using a VAT rate of 20%, assumed here solely for the calculation, this gives €296 VAT and €1,776 including VAT. For a real quote, use the tax treatment it states. The €1,776 including VAT works out at an average of €148 including VAT per month. This is not an agreed monthly fee. If annual items are payable in advance, payments will fall differently. The comparison should therefore also show when you pay each amount. If the recurring example amounts stay the same, with no setup fee or additional changes, the following year costs €1,200 excluding VAT. Record the two years separately and compare all quotes consistently, either excluding or including VAT. Note payment dates and advance payments too. The [full calculation](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/full/#jahresbudget) shows the further conversions. ## Prepare a brief that makes quotes comparable Record your website address and the system it uses. Add the work you need and the person who approves content. Ask the provider to answer open questions about the allowance and extra work: do follow-up questions count towards the included time? Does unused time expire? Who approves additional costs? [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) For an initial discussion, you can copy this extract from the template and fill in the missing details: [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) - **Technical routine:** Update checks [enter details]; installation [enter details]; handling urgent security updates [enter details]. - **Checks after changes:** Pages and features to check [enter details]; evidence and feedback [enter details]. - **Content maintenance:** Included tasks [enter details]; allowance [enter details] hours; carry-over or expiry [enter details]; how coordination and corrections count towards the allowance [enter details]. - **Additional work:** Price [enter details]; excluding/including VAT and VAT details [enter details]; billing unit [enter details]; written approval before additional costs by [enter details]. You can leave unanswered fields in the draft until the provider responds. Use the same fields for every quote you request. If a package excludes a task, ask for the cost of commissioning it separately to be shown on its own. [[b]](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/#quellenhinweis-empfehlungen) Also check the contract term, cancellation and the handover when the contract ends. This includes your access rights and the implications for licences in use. The [full quote request template](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-maintenance/full/#leistungsumfang) contains fields you can copy; it helps you agree the work and is not a complete legal contract. You can use this task description to approach a provider of your choice. If you are considering [BrandHoop's services](https://brandhoop.at/en/leistungen/) for website support, you can use it as a basis for discussion too. And you can ask specific questions if a monthly price still leaves a responsibility unclear. Sources carried over from the version dated 16 October 2026; editorially revised on 17 October 2026. Numbers link to sources; letters explain editorial examples or recommendations. Each note states what the source supports. **[b] Practical recommendations.** The suggested processes and decision aids are editorial applications of the principles cited. Their specific effect on enquiries or orders has not been measured here. **[a] Editorial examples.** Content labelled as an example or fictional illustrates possible situations. It does not describe real client cases or demonstrate a measured effect. Sources and context (10 sources) - [Updating WordPress](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/updating-wordpress/) — WordPress.org Confirms the recommendation to make a backup before updating WordPress and the possibility of restoring it if problems occur. It does not establish that this website has been successfully restored or define a standard scope of support. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [Backups – Advanced Administration Handbook](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/backup/) — WordPress.org Confirms that files and the database are separate parts, both needed for a typical complete WordPress backup. A restore is described as recovery from a backup. The backup and form checks in this article are our own suggested procedures, not documented tests of a real website. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [Website-Wartung für WordPress-Websites in Wien](https://lumiosandco.com/website-wartung-betreuung/) — Lumios & Co. Provider's own information on the selected €34/€79 monthly packages excluding VAT, update checks, backups, the hour for changes and terms. Not a market average, a recommendation or a check of actual delivery. The web tool labels the underlying crawl as being from the previous day; no binding quote was obtained. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [WordPress-Update-Service und Wartungsverträge: Wartungspakete und Preise](https://www.wordpress-wartung.at/wartungspakete/) — Livingcreation Provider's own information on monthly prices of €39/€59 excluding VAT with annual payment in advance, plugin limits, update frequency, the €120 setup fee and exclusions. Supports only this offer and its published terms. The web tool reports a crawl from the previous day; neither the contract nor service delivery was checked. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [Features – WordPress.org](https://wordpress.org/about/features/) — WordPress.org Supports the terms CMS, content management, theme and plugin. The product description does not establish any specific maintenance, availability or search ranking. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [Hardening WordPress](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/hardening/) — WordPress.org Describes security as risk reduction and distinguishes hosting responsibilities from application responsibilities. The limit on absolute promises about outages and security is a cautious assessment, not a measured probability of an outage. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [Do You Need an SEO? Tips for Hiring an SEO](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/do-i-need-seo) — Google Search Central Supports only the warning against guaranteed top rankings. No effect of a particular maintenance service or prospect of success for BrandHoop is inferred from it. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [What is Web Hosting?](https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/web-hosting/) — Amazon Web Services Used only to explain the technical terms hosting, shared server resources and managed server maintenance. No recommendation of AWS, prices or general claims about the services in managed hosting packages are inferred. The tool reports a crawl from the previous week. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [What is a Domain Name?](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn_web_development/Howto/Web_mechanics/What_is_a_domain_name) — MDN Web Docs Supports the explanation of a domain as a readable address and its final part as the top-level domain. Does not establish .at prices, transfer of ownership or specific registration terms. Checked: 2026-10-16. - [Transport Layer Security (TLS)](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/TLS) — MDN Web Docs Explains TLS as the successor to SSL for protected network connections and the role of a valid certificate. Does not establish that a website is fault-free or secure overall, or that a certificate is included in a hosting package. Checked: 2026-10-16. About the author Ilian Mykhailets Web projects since 2020 · more than five years of experience We build and improve websites for trades businesses in Vienna and across Austria. Our work focuses on technical setup, content and SEO. [Our services](https://brandhoop.at/en/leistungen/) · [How we work](https://brandhoop.at/en/arbeitsweise/) BrandHoop · English edition for Austria · Practical guide ## More guides [All guides ](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/) - [ Website 8 min read ### Landing page or website: which suits your business? Landing page or website for your trades business? Compare a one-page site, an existing service page and a campaign page to decide what you need. ](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/landingpage-oder-website/) - [ Website 11 min read ### Website costs for trades: comparing prices and proposals Website costs for trades in Austria: provider price examples, ongoing fees and a 12- and 36-month calculation. Compare scope, contract terms and handover. ](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-kosten-handwerker/) - [ Website 9 min read ### Website or social media: which should your business prioritise? Website or social media for your trades business? Compare roles, ongoing work and suitable enquiries, with a decision table and a practical plan to get started. ](https://brandhoop.at/en/ratgeber/website-oder-social-media/)