What the work actually is
Maintenance is a repeated cycle: read the site, decide, change one thing, measure it. It is not a monthly report, and it is not insurance.
A filled definition
Northline Studio, one client, Cedar and Slate Interiors, 14 day cadence.
included every cycle
- refresh the site and read the findings
- read the search and analytics data for the period
- triage feedback and form responses
- propose the next change, with evidence
- ship up to two approved changes
- record a verdict when a window closes
included on request
- a page rewrite inside the existing design
- an internal linking pass over one section
not included
- new pages, sections or templates
- redesigns, brand work, new integrations
- paid media and campaign management
- work caused by an unauthorised change
- hosting, domain and licence costs
what the client provides
- read-only Search Console access
- read-only Analytics access, when conversion questions exist
- one approver with a name
what the client receives each month
- one written update, by the 5th, with the source on every number
- the queue, readable at any time
The first month, measured
cycles run 2
findings raised 11
shipped 4 two title rewrites, one 404 fix, one form fix
declined with a reason 3
deferred with a date 2
verdicts recorded 1 inconclusive, with the comparison set noted
access gaps 0
That month is the service. Four small changes, one honest verdict, and no argument about what was included.
Acceptance: the definition is honest when
- the cadence is written in days
- the shipped changes have a cap
- the excluded list names at least five items
- the client’s obligations are named, including one approver
- a month of real work can be shown against it
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The client expects constant activity | The monthly update shows only outcomes | Add the cycle count and the declined list |
| Scope creeps | The excluded list is vague | Add the specific item that crept in |
| Nothing gets approved | There is no approver | Name one, in writing |
| Findings pile up unworked | The cap is missing | Cap the shipped changes, and defer the rest |
| The client asks for a guarantee | They want a different contract | Offer the record of what shipped instead |
Limits
Maintenance cannot promise a traffic increase, and a quote that does is a different contract.
A retainer cannot absorb project work. Name the boundary, because the boundary is what keeps the price stable.