Website Care Plan (Monthly): What to Include and How to Offer It
When you hand a website to a small business owner, the work is not quite over. Hours change. A phone number changes. A domain name needs renewing. A contact button stops working and nobody notices for a month. Many owners do not want to deal with any of that. They want a person to call.
A monthly website care plan is a simple answer: a small service you offer after the site is live, so the owner has someone who looks after it. This guide explains what a care plan is, what to put in one, what to leave out and how to talk about it honestly.
I have run a marketing agency for 15 years and worked with 100+ agency clients. I will not tell you what to charge or what you might earn. You set your price. What I can do is help you describe a clear, fair service.
What a care plan is
A care plan is an ongoing service that keeps a finished website working and up to date. The owner pays a regular fee, usually each month, and you do a short list of agreed tasks.
It is not the same as building the site. Building is a one-time job. A care plan is a promise to keep showing up. That is why you should only offer one if you can keep the promise.
Care plans go by other names: website maintenance, website support, a retainer. The idea is the same.
Why owners may want one
Think about the owner's week. They run a business. They are not going to log in to a domain account every few months to check a renewal date. Without a plan, small problems pile up.
A care plan gives the owner:
- One person to ask. "Can you change my hours?" has an answer.
- Fewer surprises. Someone checks that the page still works.
- Less to remember. Renewals and small updates are handled.
Not every owner wants this. Some will say no, and that is fine. Offer it as a choice, not a requirement.
What to put in a monthly care plan
Keep the list short and concrete. Choose only things you will actually do. Here are common items:
- Domain and hosting upkeep. You keep track of renewal dates and make sure the site stays online. Say who pays the renewal fees and when.
- A monthly check. Open the site on a phone. Tap the call button. Send a test message through the contact form. Make sure nothing is broken.
- Small content changes. Hours, a phone number, a new service or a new photo. Say how many changes per month are included, for example "up to two small changes."
- A saved copy of the site. Keep a backup of the site files so you can put it back if something goes wrong.
- Basic security habits. Strong passwords, up-to-date accounts, and the site served over a secure connection (the padlock).
- Email or phone support. Say how to reach you and how fast you usually answer. Be honest about it.
What you include depends on how the site was built and hosted. A one-page site that you built with Claude and put on a simple host needs less than a large online shop. Match the plan to the site.
This table shows each item in the plan and what to say about it.
| Plan item | What you do | What to state clearly |
|---|---|---|
| Domain and hosting upkeep | Track renewal dates and keep the site online | Who pays the renewal fees and when |
| Monthly check | Test the call button and the contact form on a phone | What you will check |
| Small content changes | Update hours, a phone number or a photo | How many changes per month are included |
| Saved copy of the site | Keep a backup you can restore | Where the copy is kept |
| Support | Answer by email or phone | How to reach you and how fast you usually answer |
What to leave out
Be careful about promises that you cannot keep or that nobody can keep:
- Search rankings. No one can promise a page one result. Do not offer it.
- More customers or more calls. A care plan keeps a site working. It does not promise results.
- Anything you do not know how to do. If you cannot do a task, do not list it.
- "Unlimited" anything. Unlimited changes sound generous and then eat your whole month. Set a clear number.
- Big new work. A new page, a redesign or a photo shoot should be quoted separately.
Write the "not included" list down next to the "included" list. Owners respect clear lines.
How to describe it to an owner
Use plain words. Here is a short example. Names are made up, and the brackets are for you to fill in.
Once your site is live, I can look after it for you each month. That covers keeping your web address renewed, a monthly check that everything works on a phone, a saved copy of the site, and up to [number] small changes such as new hours or a new photo. Bigger changes are quoted separately. It's [your price] a month, you can cancel at any time with [number] days' notice, and the site and the web address stay yours either way.
Notice the last part. A good plan is easy to leave. The owner keeps the site and the domain either way. If the owner feels trapped, you will lose trust. See how to hand over a website to a client for how to keep ownership clear.
Setting your price
I am not giving a number, because the right one depends on your area, your time, your costs and what you include. A few things to think about:
- Your real costs. Domain, hosting and any tools you pay for are real money.
- Your time. A monthly check and a few changes take real minutes. Add them up honestly.
- What you promise. More tasks and faster answers should cost more.
- What you can keep doing. Pick a price you are happy to honor in month six, not only in month one.
You set your price. Step 6 of how to start a web design business with no experience can help you think about pricing in general. Put the care plan price in your proposal on one line. Web design proposal for small business shows where it fits.
How and when to offer it
The best time is when the owner says yes to the site, or when you hand it over. At that moment they are thinking about what happens next. Offer it once, plainly, and let them decide.
Do not hide it. Do not make the site depend on it. Do not push a second time if they say no. Owners who decline often come back later, and an easy "no pressure" makes that more likely.
Keep it simple on your side too. Use a short written agreement, a calendar reminder for each client and a small log of what you did each month. A log is your proof that you kept the promise. I am not a lawyer, so ask one to look at any written agreement before you rely on it.
Risks to be honest about
Recurring work has real downsides. Know them before you offer it:
- It is a long promise. If you move, get busy or lose interest, the owner still depends on you.
- Small tasks add up. Ten clients each asking for "one quick change" is a real workload.
- Billing takes effort. You need a way to collect payment each month and to keep records.
- Not everyone will pay. Some owners will decline, and some will cancel. Nothing here promises income.
If these sound like too much, you can sell sites as one-time jobs and teach the owner how to handle the basics. That is a fair choice too. For a wider look at what the work involves, read side hustle selling websites.
Where SiteRevive fits
SiteRevive does not run care plans, host websites or bill your clients. It helps you find the businesses and start the conversation. You pick a trade and a U.S. state. SiteRevive finds local businesses with old or missing websites, checks each site, and takes the owner's email from the business's own website. With Run with your AI, you paste one prompt into your AI. It builds a one-page preview site for each business and drafts or sends a short note from your own inbox. You can choose "drafts only."
What you offer after a yes, including a care plan, is up to you. SiteRevive plans start at $97 a month, plus your own AI plan, which the AI company bills you for. Any domain or hosting you buy for a client is extra. There is no setup fee and nothing to install. There is a 7-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. It does not promise replies or sales. SiteRevive's servers never send email; your own AI sends from your own account, or saves drafts.
For the whole path, read how to sell websites to local businesses. To see how the sites get built, read build websites with Claude for clients. You can also visit the SiteRevive home page or try the free website check.
Frequently asked questions
What is a website care plan?
A website care plan is a monthly service that keeps a finished website working and up to date. It usually covers renewals, a regular check, a saved copy of the site and a small number of content changes.
What should a monthly website care plan include?
Domain and hosting upkeep, a monthly check, a limited number of small changes, a saved copy of the site, basic security habits and a way to reach you. Include only what you will really do.
How much should I charge for a care plan?
You set your price. It depends on your costs, your time, your area and what you include. This guide does not give a rate or promise any income.
Does a care plan guarantee better Google rankings?
No. Nobody can promise rankings. A care plan keeps the site working and current. It does not guarantee more customers, calls or search results.
Can the owner cancel a care plan?
They should be able to. Offer month to month terms with a short notice period, and make sure the owner keeps the site and the domain either way.
Does SiteRevive offer care plans for my clients?
No. SiteRevive finds the businesses and, with Run with your AI, has your own AI build a preview site and draft or send the first note. What you offer after a yes is your choice. SiteRevive's servers never send email; your own AI sends from your own account, or saves drafts.