I have produced a short version of our changes and a full long version for you to read.
—-short version—–
Just like your car a website needs servicing, sometimes its a regular check and some times major.
For years now websites have been easy to maintain, once a year when you renew your hosting we’d check for any updates and make them, but over the past 3 years due to the increase of hacking ( mostly nuisance rather then serious ) has made these updates change from yearly to monthly and now weekly sometimes daily.
These external changes now means we have to change, our hosting fee will change only slightly and we have introduced new maintenance packages for you to choose from.
Our recent move to Melbourne servers has allowed us to implement a new structure of website security.
All this will take effect 31st March 2017, we will send you a link to choose the level of maintenance and security you wish with our suggested package for you. The packages will detail what each contains.
As of 31st March all existing packages will cease and no longer be available, this is for your benefit long term, of course if our new proposals do not suit you we will allow you reasonable time to find a new host.
Your existing hosting payment will be prorated into the new package.
thank you for your time
tim connell
—— long version ———–
We have split this reading up into sections so i do suggest you click on the links for expanded knowledge of the subject.
this contains:
- What are the parts of a website?
- But I have antivirus on my computers !
- Why maintenance is needed?
- What do i get for the extra fee?
- My website hasn’t been hacked so why do i need this?
- With this will i now never be hacked?
- More details about hacking
- What if I don’t want maintenance?
- I’ll do maintenance myself.
- Are there any other fees?
- I think I’ll move hosts.
What are the parts of a website?
A website is made up from CORE software, addition software features called “plugins” and they come in Free and Paid, Security Software, Hosting ( the space taken up on the internet [ rent ] ), Backups ( storage of a website copy )
Who pays for the “paid plugins”? , it is built into the original cost of the website, their contracts vary, some you get a lifetime of free upgrades and some are yearly fees to upgrade, up till now those fees have been borne by us and this is up for review.
But I have antivirus on my computers !
You computer antivirus has NOTHING to do with your website security, it stops your computer from being harmed but if it does OR a visitor to your site has, then our security stops that threat.
Why maintenance is needed?
Just like a car your website needs servicing, computer software that runs your website goes out of date quickly also each component has to work with the others without conflict, sometimes this is an easy task but sometimes a conflict occurs and your website STOPS.
if maintenance is not done regularly your website becomes out of date and its more costly to bring it back up to date then maintain it also it leaves you open to hacking attacks
Without proper knowledge it is impossible to bring your website back to life…QUICKLY
We look after all that for you but it is now not viable with just hosting packages.
What do i get for the extra fee?
Maintenance varies on package but as a whole includes software updates, backups and security. Most software code we use is open-source ( free to use without warranty ) Maintenance does not include software that has been purchased, work needed when software conflicts, new features you want to add, change of content, email instillation.
A full list of services is detailed for each package.
My website hasn’t been hacked so why do i need this?
Your website hasn’t been hacked because up till now we have protected it, hack attempts worldwide and australia have increase 400% in the last 2 years, almost every website gets a hack attempt each day, most will fail naturally by not knowing the password but some will cut corners and get in.
With this will I now never be hacked?
NO, and anybody who tells you otherwise is lying !
New hacks are born every minute so we can not protect ourselves from something we do not know about, the software we use has a combination of permissions that need to happen before access is granted, these are compared LIVE to the master site which is constantly updated.
I will say though in 2015 we had over 100 successful hacks on our clients sites, it could well have been yours but we fixed it before you knew, in 2016 we had 2 because of our improved security protocols.
More details about hacking
Would you like to know all we know? click this link and we have detailed many facts figures about the state of hacking right now in the world. READ MORE >>>
What if I don’t want maintenance?
Our base package includes the bare bones security and update items and that is all we will now allow on our servers as 1 rotten website spoils others. literally
Bluntly, maintenance is compulsory.
I’ll do maintenance myself.
Today that is simply impossible,
If your website is small and of little value to your overall business eg: a small business, sole trader just showing a few images and details + contact information and doesn’t change often then the base package would be ok, run the risk and cop a delay of the website coming online again, if it happens then you just pay for the time to restore the website.
We will no longer give access to being able to update anything other then content.
Are there any other fees?
Yes, we have created a pricing menu for most commonly asked work on websites. VIEW HERE >>>
I think I’ll move hosts.
Ok, find your new host and ask them to call me, i’ll give them access to move your website. Before you make the decision to move i suggest you ask them if they will provide the same service as we do.