WordPress maintenance in Jacksonville, FL.
Core, plugin and theme updates checked before and after they go live, scheduled backups you can actually restore, security monitoring, uptime checks and small content edits for WordPress sites across Northeast Florida. Handled by a local team, on the hosting you already have or on ours.
WordPress is software. Software needs updates.
A WordPress site is not one program. It is WordPress itself, a theme and a stack of plugins, each written by a different developer and each releasing updates on its own schedule. Those updates fix security holes, keep the site working with newer versions of PHP and browsers, and sometimes change how a feature behaves.
Skip them and nothing happens at first. Then an automated scanner finds a plugin with a known vulnerability, or the host upgrades PHP and an old theme throws errors, or a form quietly stops delivering email. Our post on what happens to an unmaintained WordPress site walks through that timeline month by month.
Apply them carelessly and you get the opposite problem: an update that conflicts with another plugin and breaks the layout or the checkout. WordPress maintenance is the routine that sits between those two failures. This page covers the WordPress-specific work. For hosting, domains, DNS and migrations, see our main website maintenance and hosting page.
What our WordPress maintenance covers.
WordPress core updates
Security and maintenance releases applied promptly. Major version upgrades are tested first, because they are the ones that change how things work.
Plugin updates
Every plugin kept current, with changelogs read before updating anything that touches forms, payments, SEO or caching.
Theme and page builder updates
Theme, child theme and builder updates for Divi, Elementor, block themes and custom themes, with layouts checked afterward.
PHP and server compatibility
We check the site against the PHP version your host is moving to, before the host switches it for you.
Backups with restore tests
Scheduled backups of files and database stored off the server, plus periodic test restores. A backup nobody has restored is only a hope.
Security monitoring
Firewall and login protection, malware scans, alerts for known plugin vulnerabilities and cleanup if something gets through. See website and application security.
Uptime, form and SSL checks
Monitoring for downtime, expiring certificates and contact forms that stop sending.
Small content edits
Hours, staff, photos, notices, a new testimonial or a swapped banner, done by people who already know the site.
The update routine, step by step.
1. Back up first
A fresh backup of files and database is taken before anything changes.
2. Update on staging
For sites with stores, bookings or complex layouts, updates run on a private copy of the site first.
3. Check what matters
Key pages, forms, checkout, logins and tracking are checked after updating, on a phone and on a desktop.
4. Apply to the live site
Updates go live at a quiet time for your business, not in the middle of your busiest day.
5. Roll back if needed
If something breaks, we restore the previous version and work out the conflict away from the live site.
6. Log it
Each update is recorded, so there is a history when someone asks what changed and when.
No routine removes all risk. A plugin author can ship a bad release. The point of the routine is that a problem is caught by us, quickly, with a way back, and not by a customer a week later.
Taking over an existing WordPress site.
Most sites we maintain were built by someone else. Before we update anything on a site that is new to us, we run a short audit so we know what we are responsible for.
Plugin inventory
What is installed, what is active, what has been abandoned by its developer and what overlaps with something else.
Licenses
Which premium themes and plugins have current licenses, and in whose name. An expired license means no updates.
Admin accounts
Who has administrator access, which accounts belong to former staff or old vendors, and which should be removed.
Backups that exist today
Whether there is a working backup right now, where it is stored and whether it can be restored.
Customizations
Edits made directly to theme or plugin files that an update would overwrite, moved into a child theme or a small custom plugin.
A priority list
What is urgent, what can wait and what is fine as it is, written in plain language.
WooCommerce, page builders and other WordPress setups.
WooCommerce stores
Updates tested against checkout, payments, shipping and tax settings and order emails. Store updates always go through staging. See WooCommerce development.
Divi and Elementor sites
Builders update often and can shift layouts. We check templates, global elements and mobile views after each builder update.
Booking, membership and course sites
Logins, renewals and scheduled emails are checked after updates, because these tend to fail quietly.
Multi-location sites
Location pages, maps, schema and store hours are checked together, so one office does not fall out of date.
Sites with custom plugins
Custom code is reviewed against new WordPress and PHP versions and patched when it needs it.
Older sites
Sites that are several major versions behind are brought current in stages, not in one jump.
Are automatic updates enough?
WordPress can update itself, and for minor security releases of WordPress core that is a good default. Automatic plugin updates are a mixed case. They close security holes quickly, which matters. They also apply every update the moment it ships, with no backup taken first, nobody checking the result and no rollback.
For a simple brochure site with a handful of well-known plugins, automatic updates plus a reliable backup may be all you need, and we will tell you so. For a site that takes payments, bookings or the leads your business depends on, someone should look at it after it changes.
Automatic updates also do nothing about abandoned plugins, expired licenses, PHP versions, failed backups or forms that stop sending. Those are the things maintenance exists to catch. If you want a quick read on where your site stands, start with our free website speed and SEO report.
Reporting, ownership and what is not included.
A regular report
What was updated, backup status, uptime, security events and anything that needs a decision from you.
Your accounts, your licenses
Hosting, domain, WordPress admin and plugin licenses stay in your business’s name. We are added as a user.
Any reasonable host
We maintain sites on the hosting you already use. If the host is the problem, we will say so and can move the site.
People who know the site
You email or call the team that works on it, not a ticket queue.
Help when something breaks
If the site goes down or is hacked, we already have the access, backups and history needed to act.
What is scoped separately
New pages, new features, redesigns and large custom-code changes are quoted as projects. See WordPress web design in Jacksonville and website redesign.
WordPress support from a Jacksonville team.
Our office is at 12620 Beach Blvd, Suite 3, Jacksonville, FL 32246. We build and look after WordPress sites for home service companies, builders, healthcare and wellness practices, professional firms and schools across Northeast Florida.
Maintenance is done remotely, so where your business sits does not limit it. What being local changes is the conversation. We are in your time zone, we can meet when a decision needs a real discussion, and we know how businesses here use their sites when a storm is coming or a busy season starts.
Rated 5.0 on Google from 33 reviews.
10+ years in business and 100+ websites and apps launched. Our own site scores in the 90s on Google’s mobile PageSpeed test. WordPress builds in our portfolio include Rainier Inc., Kish Enclosures, Cowford Can Co. and Poop Free Jax.
FAQ
What does WordPress maintenance include?
Updates to WordPress core, plugins and themes, checked before and after they go live; scheduled off-site backups with restore tests; security monitoring and cleanup; uptime, SSL and form checks; and small content edits. Larger changes such as new pages or features are scoped separately.
How often should a WordPress site be updated?
Security releases should be applied promptly. Routine plugin and theme updates are fine on a regular cycle that fits how complex the site is. A store or booking site gets more frequent attention than a five-page brochure site.
Are automatic updates enough?
For a simple site with a few well-known plugins and a reliable backup, they can be. For a site that takes payments, bookings or important leads, someone should check it after it changes. Automatic updates also do not catch abandoned plugins, expired licenses, failed backups or broken forms.
Will an update break my site?
It can, which is why we back up first, test updates on a staging copy for complex sites and check key pages and forms afterward. If something breaks, we roll back and fix the conflict away from the live site. No one can promise an update will never cause a problem.
Can you maintain a WordPress site you did not build?
Yes. Most of the sites we maintain were built elsewhere. We start with an audit of plugins, licenses, admin accounts, backups and custom code, then fix the urgent items first.
Do I need to move my hosting to you?
No. We maintain WordPress sites on the host you already use, as long as we have the access needed for backups and staging. If the hosting is causing problems, we will explain why and can move the site if you choose.
Do you maintain WooCommerce, Divi and Elementor sites?
Yes. Store updates are tested against checkout, payments and order emails on staging. Page builder updates are followed by layout checks on templates, global elements and mobile views.
My WordPress site was hacked. Can you clean it?
Yes. We remove the malware, restore clean files, reset passwords and keys, close the hole that was used and request a review if Google flagged the site. Contact us right away. The sooner cleanup starts, the less damage there is.
How much does WordPress maintenance cost?
It depends on the size of the site, how many plugins it runs, whether it has a store or bookings, and how many content edits you need. Every project is scoped individually; request a quote.