1. Confirm backups can actually be restored
List the website files, database, uploaded media and configuration needed for recovery. Record where backups are kept, who can access them and which recent backup has been tested in a safe environment.
A successful backup notification is not a restore test. Agree how much recent data the business could afford to lose and how recovery would be coordinated, then choose a schedule that fits that requirement.
2. Review updates and support status
Identify the website platform, extensions and dependencies. Review available updates and security notices, check compatibility and retain a recovery route before applying changes.
Separate routine updates from a major platform upgrade in the maintenance agreement. A content edit allowance does not automatically include rebuilding an unsupported integration.
3. Test the enquiries and purchases that matter
Submit a controlled enquiry and confirm the authorised recipient receives it. For a store, use approved test transactions to check payment, order notifications and failure handling without creating unwanted customer messages.
Keep a record of the date, environment, expected result and actual result. Check the delivery destination when staff change; a healthy-looking form can still send an enquiry to an unattended mailbox.
4. Check mobile usability and page experience
Review the homepage, a priority service page and the contact journey on a phone. Check menus, field labels, text size, focus visibility and layouts that shift while loading.
Use performance tools alongside real customer evidence. Lab measurements help find problems, while field measurements describe observed experiences where enough data is available. Record the page and device so later comparisons are meaningful.
5. Review access and account ownership
Keep a list of authorised administrators and remove access that is no longer needed. Check the owner of the domain, hosting, analytics and paid services, including the business’s recovery access.
Assign renewal responsibility and use the account security controls appropriate to each provider. Do not share credentials in a public task log or rely on a former employee’s personal account for recovery.
6. Update information that affects the buying decision
Check service descriptions, prices, opening details where published, portfolio links and contact information. Remove or correct claims that the business can no longer substantiate.
For a Kempton Park company serving customers across Gauteng, state the actual service coverage. City pages should not imply staffed offices that do not exist.
7. Record problems, changes and the next owner
Maintain a dated log of incidents, releases, broken links and unresolved actions. Prioritise failed forms or checkout before cosmetic edits, and assign each task to a person who can complete it.
Review the support agreement against the work being requested. Ask which monitoring, updates, restores and response arrangements are included; a monthly fee alone does not define the service.
Useful questions
Is a monthly check enough for every website?
No. Monitoring, backups and urgent security or transaction failures may need more frequent attention. Agree a schedule and incident process that match the site’s activity and risk.
