Many small businesses discover the need for maintenance the hard way: a form stops sending enquiries, a plugin breaks the layout, or a security problem takes the site offline. The point of maintenance is that these things get caught early, or never happen.
What website maintenance covers
- Backups, so you can recover if something goes wrong.
- Security monitoring and updates, so known weaknesses do not become problems.
- Small content edits, such as a new price, a changed phone number or a fresh photo.
- Performance and health checks, so the site stays fast and nothing quietly breaks.
- SEO upkeep and reporting, so you can see whether the site is still bringing in visitors.
- Support, a real person to ask when something looks wrong.
What GDS care plans cost
- Foundation Care, from R350 a month. Hosting where it is included, monthly backups, minor text changes, security monitoring, app updates and email support.
- Structure Care, from R750 a month. Two hours of edits, a monthly SEO report, website health checks, priority support, monthly backups and image optimisation.
- Skyline Care, from R2,000 a month. Unlimited small edits under fair use, a monthly strategy call, SEO improvements, landing pages, performance monitoring and priority support.
Care plans are optional. They cover backups, security monitoring and small edits, so those jobs are handled without you having to ask. See the full pricing for what each website package includes.
Costs people forget
- Domain renewals, usually once a year.
- Your website plan, which covers hosting and security on a platform such as Wix.
- Extra tools, such as email marketing or booking add-ons, which may have their own monthly fees.
Questions to ask any provider
- What exactly is included each month, and how many hours of edits?
- How quickly will you respond if the site goes down?
- Where are backups kept, and how fast can the site be restored?
- Can I cancel any time, and do I keep my site and logins if I do?
For the full picture of what a website costs to build and run, read how much a website should cost in South Africa.
How much does website maintenance cost in South Africa?
Costs vary with the size of the site and what is included. GDS Care plans start at R350 a month for Foundation sites, R750 for Structure and R2,000 for Skyline, each with a clear list of what is covered.
Do I really need website maintenance?
Every site needs backups, security and updates. A care plan means it gets done consistently, and a person is on hand when something breaks.
What is included in a website care plan?
Typically backups, security monitoring, updates, small edits, health checks and support, with higher plans adding SEO reporting, priority support and strategy calls.
Who makes changes to my website?
We do. Tell us what to change and we make the change, so you never need to learn an editor or touch code. A care plan covers small edits every month.