TL;DR
- Yes. A business website has ongoing costs, even in months you don’t touch it.
- Hosting and a domain keep it online. Without them, your website isn’t available to the public.
- Care keeps it secure. Updates, backups, and security monitoring come with WordPress Support Services.
- Premium plugins renew too, and you pay for them in your own name.
What You Keep Paying For
- Hosting: where your website’s files are stored.
- Your domain: your web address, renewed with your registrar.
- Website care: updates, daily backups, security monitoring, and 24-hour repair if you’re hacked. On our servers, hosting comes with WordPress Support Services. See How Much Does WordPress Support Cost Each Month?
- SSL certificate: the certificate behind the “https” in your web address. It’s included only when you pay for WordPress Support Services yearly.
- Premium plugin licenses: one-time, monthly, or yearly, depending on the plugin.
- Paid business email: if you have it, billed per user.
What’s Required and What’s Optional?
- Required to stay online: hosting and your domain registration.
- Required for sites we host: WordPress Support Services, because that’s your hosting and your security.
- Optional: the Webmaster Retainer, for content changes each month.
What Happens If You Stop Paying?
- Your domain registration lapses: your website and email go down. We’ve seen it happen to a client whose registrar login was tied to a former staff member’s email.
- A plugin license lapses: its updates stop, and outdated plugins can become security holes. See Do Premium WordPress Plugins Need to Be Renewed Every Year?
- Care stops: updates and backups stop. No one can keep a site 100% secure, but an unmaintained site is an easy target.
What Webmaster For Hire Recommends
- Keep the domain login with your business. When someone who manages it leaves, make sure they hand it over.
- Choose one-time plugin purchases when a good one exists.
:: Common Questions ::
When Does WordPress Support Services Start?
At launch. That’s when your new site goes onto hosting and needs care.
Can I Keep My Current Host?
Yes. See Do You Host Websites, and Is Hosting Included in My Plan?
Want One Plan That Covers the Essentials?
See our WordPress Support Services, or request a consultation.
