A website maintenance service keeps a site's plugins, backups, links and security current on a fixed schedule. Skipping it for a year or more is common, and it's how sites end up hacked or broken without anyone noticing. Plans start at $33 for a 3-hour block.
Most small business websites get built, launched, and never touched again. A website maintenance service exists for exactly that gap. Search interest for "website maintenance service" is real and growing, because more founders are finding out the hard way what an untouched site costs them.
Run all four together. An update without a backup first is the most common way sites break.
Why website maintenance gets skipped
Nobody budgets time for it. The site works today, so it feels safe to leave alone. Then a plugin update breaks the checkout page, or an old theme has a known security hole, and the founder finds out from a customer instead of a warning.
What a website maintenance service actually does
- Updates plugins, themes and core software on a schedule.
- Takes a backup before every update, so a bad update can be undone.
- Checks for broken links, dead pages and failed forms.
- Runs a basic security scan and flags anything unusual.
- Makes small content edits without a developer ticket.
- Checks page speed after changes, not just before launch.
WordPress maintenance vs. Shopify maintenance
WordPress maintenance is mostly about plugins. Each one is a separate piece of software that can break or create a security gap. Shopify maintenance is lighter on updates, since Shopify handles the platform, but still needs content edits, app checks and broken link reviews.
Website management virtual assistant: the day-to-day version
Maintenance is scheduled and preventative. A website management virtual assistant also handles the requests that come up between checks: a new page, an updated price, a swapped image. You can use the same VA for both, so nothing sits in a queue waiting for developer time.
What a website maintenance service costs
A 3-hour monthly block is $33 and covers routine maintenance on a small site. Sites with frequent updates often move to a 12-hour block at $120. Agencies managing several client sites use a full-time dedicated VA at $899 a month.
Website support when something breaks now
Scheduled maintenance catches most problems before they happen. But sometimes a plugin update breaks the checkout page an hour before a launch. Website support for urgent fixes runs on the same hourly plan. There is no separate emergency rate.
Stop finding out about problems from your customers. See the website maintenance service or start for $1.
Frequently asked questions
What should be checked in website maintenance?
Plugin and theme updates, a fresh backup, broken links, contact forms, page speed and basic security scans, done on a set schedule.
How often does a website need maintenance?
Most WordPress sites need a check every 1 to 4 weeks. High-traffic or e-commerce sites often need weekly checks.
How much does a website maintenance service cost?
At MyRemoteVA, from $33 for a 3-hour block, or $5.62/hr on a full-time dedicated plan.
What is doing this yourself costing you?
Doing it yourself: $2,165 a month of your time.
The same hours at our $12/hr pay-as-you-go rate: $520. Dedicated plans start at $5.62/hr.
Simple maths from the numbers you enter. It assumes a VA can take on those hours.
Start for $1Written by the MyRemoteVA team. Search-trend figures come from Google Trends. Prices shown are our current plans. Last updated September 25, 2026. Questions or corrections? Contact us.
Web & Technical
A website maintenance service for WordPress and Shopify sites: plugin and theme updates, backups, broken links, content edits and uptime checks, on a schedule you set.
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