Hosting and Maintenance

1 Post Launch Support from Acton BV

We offer a 30 day post launch support period from the date your website goes live. During this time, we will:

• Address any bugs or technical issues that arise
• Provide support on the configuration of website features
• Assist with the initial setup and familiarisation

After this period, ongoing maintenance and security will be your responsibility or that of your chosen provider.

1.1 Software Licences

To maintain website security and functionality, we recommend that you purchase valid licences for the following software, which we have used in the website build:

• Defender Pro (Security) https://wpmudev.com/project/wp-defender/
• Akismet (Spam protection) https://akismet.com/pricing/
• Complianz (GDPR compliance) https://complianz.io/pricing/?currency=EUR
• SMTP2Go (Transactional email delivery) https://www.smtp2go.com/pricing/
• Gravity Forms (Form builder plugin) https://www.gravityforms.com/pricing/
• Kadence Bundle – Theme and premium plugin suite https://www.kadencewp.com/pricing/

Minimum requirement: Kadence Plus
Recommended: Kadence Full Bundle (for full compatibility with all modules used in your site build)

If you wish to replace any of these with alternatives, please notify us at the onboarding stage of your project.

1.2 Backups and Restoration

Why this matters: Regular backups are essential in case of accidental changes, hacking, or server failure.

Recommendations

• Frequency
  • Daily backups are ideal
  • Retain a minimum of 30 days of backup history
• Types of backups
  • Full backups including database and files
  • Test backups periodically to ensure restorability
• Restoration plan
  • Ensure your hosting provider includes a one click or rapid restoration option
  • Document who is responsible for managing and initiating a restoration if needed

1.3 Maintenance Tasks

Routine maintenance ensures your website stays secure and functions properly. We recommend setting a monthly or bi weekly schedule that includes:

• Updating WordPress core to the latest stable version
• Updating plugins and themes, checking compatibility before updates
• Security scanning at least monthly
• Spam management for comments and form entries
• Performance checks using tools such as GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights
• Broken link checks using free tools or plugins
• Form testing to ensure submissions and emails are working correctly
• Licence renewals for any premium plugins on an annual basis

1.4 Security Best Practices

Even with third party hosting, protecting your website should be a priority:

• Install a reliable firewall and security plugin such as Defender Pro
• Use strong unique passwords and enable two factor authentication
• Limit login attempts and monitor user logins
• Choose a host with DDoS protection and active server monitoring

1.5 Email Deliverability

WordPress generated emails such as contact forms and order notifications are often blocked by mail servers. Using a service like SMTP2Go ensures delivery and provides tracking and analytics.

1.6 Website Monitoring

Consider setting up uptime monitoring services such as UptimeRobot or Jetpack Monitor to alert you if your website goes offline. This allows you to take action quickly and minimise disruption to your users.

1.7 Support and Future Work

Please note that ongoing support, content updates, or feature changes are not included once the 30 day post launch period has ended. However, we are happy to assist with:

• Content editing billed at our standard hourly rate
• Technical troubleshooting
• Security audits or reviews
• Website redesigns or feature enhancements

Feel free to contact us at support@actonbv.com or schedule a call with one of the team if you require further assistance.

1.8 Consider a Care Plan

Managing a website independently requires regular attention and technical oversight. To simplify this for our clients, we offer comprehensive Care Plans that include:

• Secure high performance hosting
• Ongoing maintenance and monitoring
• Premium software licences
• Expert support when you need it

If you would prefer to have these responsibilities professionally managed, we would be happy to provide details of our Care Plans and help you choose the right option for your organisation.

Please contact us if you would like to explore this further.