Website improvements and maintenance: edits, bugs, speed
Edits, improvements or ongoing maintenance
A website is not a finished product “once and for all”. Scripts age, the CMS and plugins are updated, new business needs appear. So the work usually falls into a few groups: fixing errors (the cart, a form or payment doesn't work), new sections and features, multiple languages, faster loading, protection from hacking and spam, moving to another host.
Monthly maintenance is a separate thing: the provider updates the system every month, takes backups, watches uptime and reacts fast to problems. For an online shop this is often worth it.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You write one request: the platform, what exactly needs doing, whether you have access details. Web developers and studios reply in the chat with offers: a price or what it depends on, timelines, approach. They see their place among the others and can improve terms. Reviews are visible next to each. You pass your contacts only to the provider you choose.
What to put in your request
- What to do — fix an error, add a section, a language version, speed up the site.
- Platform — WordPress + WooCommerce, OpenCart, Shopify, Laravel or custom development.
- Type of site — landing page, company site, online shop, web service.
- Scope — number of tasks or pages, or hours per month.
- One-off or maintenance — a single improvement or monthly support.
- Access — whether you have access to the admin panel, hosting, FTP and source code.
- Deadline and budget — whether it is urgent and the amount, if you want to name one.
Example: “An online shop on WordPress + WooCommerce, Auckland. I need a cart error fixed, 3 edits on the product page and an “Offers” section added. I have hosting access. Urgent, budget up to $170.”
How to compare offers
For small edits, ask whether the price is fixed or hourly, and with what limit of hours. For bigger improvements, ask for a breakdown: what exactly will be changed, and whether on a test copy or directly on the live site. This greatly lowers the risk of “taking down” your shop.
Before starting, ask the provider to take a backup of the site and database. Check whether you will get a description of the changes, and whether there is a warranty for fixes: for example, if an edit breaks something else. For monthly maintenance, find out what is included each month, the response time and how reporting is done.
Common mistakes
- Giving full access to the admin panel and hosting without a contract or a note of the changes.
- Working on the live site without a copy.
- Not having your own access to the domain and hosting because they are “with the developer”.
- Updating plugins without checking compatibility.
If it is simpler to build the old site again, see website development. For exchange with an accounting system there is accounting software setup and support, and for building things from scratch, programming and IT services. More on the “How it works” page.
