Hosting: Your Site's Home
Your website's files need to live on a server so people can visit them online. Hosting is the service that provides that server and keeps your site available.
Good hosting should be reliable, secure, and backed up. You shouldn't have to think about it day to day.
Hosting is different from your domain name, the address people type to reach you. The domain is usually registered separately and renewed each year, so make sure you know where yours is registered and that it's in your name.
Maintenance Keeps It Working
Websites rely on software, and software needs attention over time. Maintenance can include updates, security checks, backups, fixing broken links, and testing important forms.
How much maintenance a site needs depends on how it was built. Some sites need regular software updates. Others are simpler and need less.
Backups deserve special attention. Ask how often your site is backed up, where the backups are stored, and how quickly an earlier version can be restored if something goes wrong.
Content vs. Technical Upkeep
It helps to separate two kinds of ongoing work. Technical upkeep keeps the site running: hosting, security, backups, and fixes when something breaks.
Content updates keep the site accurate: new hours, updated prices, fresh photos, a new project in your gallery. Some plans cover both, some cover only one, and some leave content changes to you.
Support for Surprises
Things happen. A form may stop sending, a page may break, or your business details may change suddenly.
A maintenance plan should make it clear who handles these issues, how you reach them, and how quickly they respond. If a plan doesn't say, ask.
Who Owns the Accounts?
Ask who owns your website, its content, and the hosting accounts it runs on. If you ever want to switch providers, owning those accounts makes the move much easier.
Get this in writing before you sign up, and make sure you'd receive everything you need to keep the site running if you cancel.
Questions to Ask First
Before choosing a plan, ask what's included and what costs extra. Are content updates included, and how much time each month? Are new pages or features covered, or quoted separately?
Also ask who you contact when something goes wrong, and what happens to your website if you stop paying for the plan.
Doing It Yourself
A hosting or maintenance plan isn't required for every business. If you're comfortable managing your own website, you can host it yourself and make your own updates.
A plan makes more sense if you'd rather not deal with the technical side, or if you want someone to handle small changes for you.
If you go it alone, set a reminder to check your site every month or two. Make sure it loads, your forms send, and your hours and contact details are still correct.
How It Works at CS Interactive
At CS Interactive, hosting and care are optional. Basic Hosting is $35/month and covers hosting, monitoring, backups, and minor hosting fixes. Website Care is $99/month and adds up to one hour of content updates each month. See the hosting and care plans for the full details.
Either way, you own your website. If you cancel, the site is transferred to accounts you own. For how these monthly costs fit alongside the price of a new site, read what a website costs in Wilmington, NC.
Before choosing a plan, ask what's included, what costs extra, and who you contact when something goes wrong.