What a website maintenance subscription covers

Routine care vs edits

When people say "website maintenance", they usually mean two different kinds of work, and it helps to keep them apart.

Routine care is the checking that stops small problems from piling up. Is everything still loading? Do the forms still reach you? Are the links on your pages still going to the right place?

Edits are changes you ask for because the business has changed: a new price, a new photo, a different opening time, a new page for a service you've started offering.

A small business tends to need a little of the first and a steady trickle of the second. The edits are the ones that quietly get put off, because each one feels too small to hire someone for and too fiddly to do yourself at 9 pm.

A subscription is a way to handle the edits and ongoing website maintenance without starting a new project every time. You pay a flat amount each month, and you send the work as it comes up.

A checklist of common tasks

Not every site needs every item. Use this as a prompt for your own list, then decide who does each one: you, your web host, a developer, or a team you subscribe to.

Check once a month

• Open your main pages on a phone and on a computer. Does anything look broken or out of place?
• Click your menu, your main buttons and your phone number or email links.
• Send a test message through your contact form and make sure it arrives.
• Read your home page as if you were a new customer. Is anything out of date?

Update when the business changes

• Prices, plan names and package details
• Opening hours, holiday hours and your address
• Staff photos, team names and contact details
• Service descriptions, including anything you've stopped offering
• A new page or a new blog post

Fix when you notice

• A broken link
• A form that doesn't send
• A layout that has slipped on a phone
• A typo or a wrong number

Keep an eye on, with whoever looks after your site

• Software and plugin updates
• Backups
• Domain and hosting renewal dates

Those items often sit with your host or developer, so ask them what they cover rather than assuming. If you're not sure who looks after a task, that is worth finding out before something goes wrong, not after.

How to write a good edit request

A request that is missing one piece of information usually needs a round of questions before anyone can start. A short, specific request avoids that. Include:

1. Which page. Paste the web address, not "the services page".
2. What to change. Quote the old text and give the new text exactly, or describe the change in one sentence.
3. Where on the page. "Third paragraph", "the green button under the plans", or a screenshot with a circle on it.
4. Files. Attach new photos or documents, and say which one goes where.
5. When. If it needs to be live before an event or a price change, give the date.

Here is a request that works:

Page: https://example.com/pricing/
Change: In the Standard package box, change the price from CA$120 to CA$135.
Also: Replace the photo at the top of the page with the attached one.
Needed by: Friday, before our newsletter goes out.

It names the page, says exactly what changes, attaches the file, and gives a date. Whoever picks it up doesn't have to guess.

If a change touches several pages, send one request per page or one request with a short list. Don't bury it in a long email chain.

Using Clique for website support

Website support is one of the services in Clique's catalog. It covers page edits, content updates, small fixes, setup help and ongoing website maintenance. Typical requests are things like updating a page, adding a blog post, fixing a broken link or form, or adjusting a layout. You can see the full list on the services page.

Here is how it works:

• You send a request in the Clique app, using a structured request form. You add the details and any files.
• A dedicated account manager coordinates the request and keeps it moving.
• You follow the status of each task in the app, and you can ask for changes to completed work. A revision counts as part of the same task, so it doesn't use up a new one.
• You own the final work.

Every plan includes unlimited requests, the full service catalog and an account manager. The difference between plans is the number of task slots, which is how many requests can be worked on at the same time: 3 on Lite (CA$30 per month), 6 on Standard (CA$55 per month) and 12 on Plus (CA$100 per month). The pricing page has the details, and all prices are in Canadian dollars.

If you're not sure whether something is covered, ask first. You can email [email protected] or message your account manager in the app.

When you're ready to hand off your website to-do list, you can start your subscription in the Clique app.