The fear isn’t really about breakage — it’s about having nobody to call, and the fix is a plan with a written list and a stated response time rather than a promise of “lifetime support”. Six items make a plan real; a price with no list against it isn’t one.
Why the fear is well founded
“Post sale no one listens” appears in complaint records in different words repeatedly. The reason is arithmetic rather than character: at the lower end of the market there’s no margin in the price for twelve months of small changes, so it doesn’t happen.
Which means the reassurance you want isn’t a promise from a nice person. It’s a scoped, paid arrangement — or a deliberate decision to go without one.
The six items a plan must list
Ask for these specifically. A quote that says only “maintenance — ₹X” isn’t assessable.
1. Backups. Taken automatically, stored somewhere other than the same server, and restorable. Ask where they’re kept and how old the newest is.
2. Software and plugin updates, done regularly. This is the main thing preventing a compromise — and cleanup for a hacked WordPress site in India typically runs ₹20,000–50,000 or more, frequently exceeding what the site cost to build.
3. Uptime monitoring, so somebody knows the site is down before you do.
4. A stated number of content edits — a phone number, a price, a photograph. Expressed as a monthly allowance or hours.
5. A response time. “Within one working day” is a commitment. “We’ll look into it” isn’t.
6. SSL renewal and basic technical hygiene.
If a quote covers all six, the number is fair to judge. If it covers two, you’re paying for a subscription to being answered.
What it should cost
| Site type | Reasonable monthly | Reasonable yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Static 5-page brochure | ₹1,000–2,500 | ₹12,000–30,000 |
| Site edited monthly | ₹2,500–5,000 | ₹30,000–60,000 |
| Store with orders and payments | ₹5,000 upward | ₹60,000 upward |
The annual figures match what the Indian market commonly charges for small business AMCs — roughly ₹15,000–30,000 a year. A quote well above that for a simple brochure site deserves an itemised explanation.
What a plan doesn’t cover
Being clear, so you’re not surprised twice:
- New pages or new features. That’s a project, quoted separately.
- A redesign.
- Content writing beyond the edit allowance.
- Recovery from something you deleted, unless a backup exists — which is why item 1 matters most.
- Traffic or marketing. Different purchase entirely.
The free version, if you’d rather not pay
Legitimate for a genuinely static site, and it’s the honest alternative rather than a compromise:
- Download your own backup after launch and keep it somewhere you control. Not only on the server.
- Set two calendar reminders for domain and hosting expiry, with 30 days’ notice, and turn on auto-renew with a current card.
- Do the CMS updates yourself — clicking update in WordPress once a month, after taking a backup.
- Set a quarterly reminder to open your own site on your phone and read it as a customer would.
- Keep one developer’s number and agree a per-change rate in advance, so you’re not negotiating during an emergency.
That’s most of a plan for nothing. It requires you to actually do it, which is the usual failure point.
The three things that matter more than any plan
Whatever you decide about maintenance, these determine whether breakage is a crisis or an afternoon:
A backup you hold. With a backup and your domain, almost any developer can restore you quickly. Without either, you’re rebuilding.
The domain in your own account. So a quiet vendor doesn’t take your business name with them.
Hosting in your own name. So a new developer can act without anyone’s permission.
Hold those three and the fear behind this question largely resolves, because you’re no longer dependent on one person answering.
The question to ask before final payment
After launch, what’s your response time for a small change, what does it cost, and is there a monthly plan with a written list of what’s included?
Ask before you pay the final instalment, while you still have leverage. A vendor who names a time and a rate has given you something enforceable; one who says “anytime, just message me” has given you goodwill, which is what evaporates in month eight.
What to do this week
- Ask for the six-item list against any maintenance quote.
- Ask what was actually done on your site in the last twelve months.
- Download your own backup and store it off the server.
- Put both renewal dates in your calendar with auto-renew on.
- Agree a per-change rate in advance, whether or not you take a plan.
If you want it done the certain way
We price maintenance against the six-item list with a stated response time — and if your site genuinely doesn’t need a plan, we’ll say so and charge per change instead. Backup, both renewal dates and all logins handed to you at launch either way. WhatsApp us; we reply in about five minutes between 9am and 7pm.
Related reading
- What is website AMC and do you need it?
- My website is down and I have nobody to call
- What’s a fair monthly maintenance amount?
- Does a backup of your website exist?
FAQ
What should a website AMC cover?
Backups stored off-server, regular software updates, uptime monitoring, a stated number of content edits, a committed response time, and SSL renewal. A price with no list against it isn’t a maintenance plan.
What does website maintenance cost in India?
Roughly ₹1,000–2,500 a month for a static brochure site and ₹2,500–5,000 for one edited regularly. Annual contracts for small business sites commonly run ₹15,000–30,000.
Can I maintain my website myself?
For a static site, largely yes: keep your own backup, set renewal reminders with auto-renew on, do monthly CMS updates after a backup, and check the site quarterly on your phone. Agree a per-change rate with a developer in advance for anything you can’t handle.
