A website care checklist you can actually use

Know what you are responsible for

Start with a simple inventory: the domain, hosting account, website platform, email service and any outside tools connected to the site. Record who owns each account, who receives renewal notices and who can make changes. Store access details securely rather than putting passwords in the checklist.

If another provider maintains the website, ask which tasks are included and which need your approval. A written division of responsibility is more useful than assuming that “maintenance” covers everything.

Walk through the customer tasks

Review the site on a phone and a larger screen. Use the pages as a visitor would, including the links from your business listing and social profiles. Arrange any test inquiries with the person receiving them.

• Check the main service pages, phone link and inquiry destination.
• Review prices, hours, staff details and offers that may have changed.
• Look for missing images, unreadable text and links leading to old pages.
• Note the problem, page address and person responsible for the fix.

Make recovery part of the plan

For a WordPress website, a complete backup includes the files and the database. WordPress’s backup guidance also recommends keeping copies in different locations. Ask where your backups live and how someone would restore them if the website or hosting account became unavailable.

For any platform, document the recovery process and review what your provider can actually recover. A copy that nobody knows how to restore leaves an important question unanswered.

Source: WordPress: Backing up your database and files

Update with a way to check the result

Before changing software or integrations, understand the backup and rollback options. Where a suitable test environment exists, use it to check important changes first. After an update, repeat your short customer-task checklist rather than stopping because the homepage loads.

Keep the routine proportionate to the website. Put recurring reviews on a calendar, record completed changes and flag anything needing specialist help. The aim is a site whose ownership, condition and next maintenance step are clear.