Service

WordPress Website Maintenance

Do you need help maintaining your WordPress website?

We manage websites for hundreds of organisations across Australia – including cloud hosting, content updates plus daily back-ups and version update implementation.

Our website maintenance service, SiteCare, is a complete website hosting and maintenance service for a business with an existing website.

Content updates and hosting are included for a fixed monthly fee. No need to learn complex content management systems (CMS), no software to purchase or salaries to pay!

Simply email the changes to us and they’ll be implemented within 24 hours – often sooner! And you can use the update service as often as you like.

UNLIMITED content updates for a fixed monthly fee

24 hour turnaround.

Features

Unlimited content updates

Our service includes updates to the content of your website. There's no need to learn a CMS.

24 hour turnaround

We endeavour to complete all updates within 24 hours. Most updates are completed sooner!

We do it all for you!

No need to learn a CMS. No salaries or design fees to pay. No experience necessary.

Cloud hosting with 24/hr support

We offer cloud website and email hosting with one of the world's most trusted providers.

No long term contracts

The service fee is payable six monthly.

Quarterly newsletter

Our clients receive a quarterly newsletter to keep them abreast of the latest online marketing techniques & technologies.

Site Relocation & Set-up

SiteCare offers unlimited website updates carried out within 24 hours with no long term contracts.

We transfer the site to our servers at the commencement of the service and, if necessary, customize the construction of the site to allow us to update it efficiently. However, your business retains ownership of the site at all times.

After that, your business can enjoy the benefits of having a website that can be actively used in its marketing efforts – and you never have to worry about how to keep it up to date. No longer will your site drive visitors to your competitors because the content is underdone or out of date.

UNLIMITED Content Updates

Once the relocation of your site has been completed, we host and maintain your site for a fixed monthly fee.

For that fee, your business receives website and email hosting and unlimited site updates (conditions apply).

Whenever you wish to change the site e.g. to advertise new products or announce a sale, we update the site without further charge!

The advantages of the update service for our clients are:

Huge saving in time . . . we do it all for you, giving you the time to focus on your business.

If you have an unusually large change, we can quote for the job based on a fixed hourly rate. However, over 90% of our updates are done within our standard charge.

Pricing

For a standard non-ecommerce WordPress site: $125 plus GST per month paid quarterly.

For typical small business Woocommerce site: $150 plus GST per month paid quarterly.

Don't forget, these prices INCLUDE hosting and UNLIMITED updates!

We have tried to keep the decision you have to make simple.

You don’t need to wade through reams of technical stuff to make a decision. But if you ARE interested in the technical stuff, feel free to give us a call.

We have been keeping websites healthy since 1999, so we are well-placed to keep yours working well too!

Frequently Asked Questions about SiteCare

Will my website be secure and protected from hackers and malware?

We take a multi-layered approach to securing WordPress websites, ensuring strong protection from threats. Here’s how we keep your site safe:

Always Updated: We regularly update WordPress core, themes, and plugins to patch vulnerabilities and keep your site secure.
Strong Login Security: We enforce strong passwords, limit login attempts, and use two-factor authentication (2FA) to prevent unauthorized access.
Regular Backups: Your site is backed up frequently, stored securely offsite, and can be quickly restored if needed.
Web Application Firewall (WAF): We use powerful firewalls like SolidWP or Cloudflare to block malicious traffic and common attacks.
Malware Protection: We run regular scans for malware, monitor file integrity, and disable risky WordPress features like XML-RPC.
Secure Hosting & SSL: We choose reputable hosting providers, ensure PHP is up to date, and implement HTTPS encryption.
Safe Database & Plugins: We secure database credentials, change default settings, and only use reputable themes and plugins.
Proactive Monitoring: Security logs and activity tracking help us detect and stop threats before they become problems.

Website security is an ongoing process, and we stay vigilant so you don’t have to. With these protections in place, your WordPress site remains safe, stable, and secure.

Will my website stay online and function properly?

Absolutely! Our hosting solutions are built for maximum uptime and reliability, so you don’t have to worry about your website going offline. We provide enterprise-grade hosting, backed by proactive monitoring and security measures to keep your site running smoothly.

Rock-Solid Infrastructure: We partner with leading data centers and offer redundant systems to ensure continuous uptime.
24/7 Uptime Monitoring: Our team tracks your site in real time using tools like Uptime Robot so we can respond instantly if any issues arise.
Optimised Performance: We use advanced caching technologies, including Redis and Object Cache Pro, to keep load times fast and minimise server strain.
Automated Backups: You’ll always have a secure offsite backup, ensuring quick restoration if needed.
Security-First Approach: Our hosting comes with Web Application Firewalls (WAF), malware protection, and real-time threat monitoring to block malicious traffic.
CDN for Speed and Stability: A global content delivery network (CDN) ensures fast load times and resilience against traffic spikes.
Expert Support: Our team is based in Melbourne and is ready to assist with any technical concerns, optimisations or content updates.

With our hosting, your website remains secure, optimised, and consistently online, giving you peace of mind to focus on your business. Ready to experience reliable hosting that works for you?

How quickly will you respond if something goes wrong?

Server related problems are monitored and fixed 24/7 by our hosting providers. Problems occurring only on your site are addressed by our WordPress team based in Melbourne.

Site-critical problems between 8:30am and 7:00pm receive instant attention when they come to our notice e.g. Uptime Robot sends a notification.

Updates to content are normally completed within 24hrs. Often sooner depending on the work involved.

How much will this cost me?

For a standard non-ecommerce WordPress site: $125 plus GST per month paid quarterly.

For typical small business Woocommerce site: $150 plus GST per month paid quarterly

What exactly is included in your maintenance services?

Our WordPress maintenance service is designed to keep your website running smoothly, securely, and efficiently – so you can focus on your business while we handle the technical side. Here’s what’s included:

Core, Theme & Plugin Updates: We keep your site up to date with the latest WordPress versions, ensuring optimal performance and security.
Daily Backups & Easy Restores: We automatically back up your site and store copies securely offsite, ready for quick restoration if needed.
Security Monitoring & Protection: Our service includes malware scanning, Web Application Firewall (WAF) protection, and security hardening to block potential threats.
Performance Optimization: We fine-tune caching, database efficiency, and speed settings to ensure fast-loading pages for visitors.
Uptime Monitoring & Emergency Support: We track your site’s availability 24/7.
Expert Troubleshooting & Fixes: Got a technical issue? We provide priority support, resolving conflicts, errors, and functionality problems.
Content Management Assistance: Need edits or adjustments? We’re here to help with unlimited content updates upon request.

With our maintenance plan, your website stays secure, updated, and high-performing—all without the hassle.

Do you understand WordPress and my specific needs?

Yes, we know WordPress. We have been dealing with it for over 10 years. We have been dealing with general websites in html and php, and before that asp, for over 25 years.

As for your specific needs, I am sure we can help. We have sites that need to communicate with a CMS like Hubspot. Or an ERP system. Or forms need to send an SMS. Or supply data to Google shopping ads. Tell us your need and I am sure we can find a way to help you.

Who will be working on my website?

Our WordPress team is based in Melbourne and some members of the team have been with us for over 10 years. We are available by email or phone during Melbourne business hours.

What happens if I'm not happy with the service?

We don’t require any long term contracts so essentially you are free to leave at any time.

How easy is it to get started and communicate with you?

To get started, just give us a call on 9467 3599 or send an email to info@jdstride.com.au.

The transfer of your site to our server is a little more complicated. We need, as a minimum, full admin access to the existing site so we can see what you are wanting us to manage.

Ideally we can get access to site files via Cpanel or equivalent (in case there are non-WordPress files needed on the site) and also access to Mysql via Phpmyadmin to take a copy of the database. Alternatively, we can add a plugin via the Admin panel and migrate the site to our server.

Have you considered a NEW website?

If you’re thinking about hosting for an older site, it might be a good time to look at the issue from a broader perspective.

Is the current site actually working the way it should for your business?

A lot has changed in web design and technology over the years, and an outdated site can sometimes hold you back more than you realize.

For example, is your site loading quickly, especially on mobile? A slow website can frustrate visitors and even hurt your search rankings.

Also, does it reflect your current branding and business goals? If your company has evolved but your website hasn’t, it might not be giving the right impression to potential customers.

Security is another big factor. Older sites can be more vulnerable to attacks, and upgrading could mean better protection for both you and your customers. Plus, if you’re using integrations like payment gateways, CRMs, or automation tools, newer sites support these far more efficiently.

We can certainly get your existing site hosted smoothly, but it might be worth exploring whether an upgrade would benefit you.

Get great value with a NEW site from JD Stride!

Do you do ecommerce websites?

Yes we do. We have done ecommerce sites with just a product or two, e.g. selling a single book, in a custom PHP site to sites with hundreds of products using WordPress and WooCommerce.

Some of the WordPress sites are quite complicated. Apart from many tiers of discount pricing and 50+ shipping rules, we can have a distributor login with discounts varying by both quantity and class of membership.

We find that no two shops are the same.

Some common simple customisations we see are:

some products have specification sheets and others have videos
a temporary special flag is requested on selected products, for example, for the next 2 weeks
some products are POA (Price on application) which need an enquiry form in place of the cart button.
some products have special shipping requirements e.g. oversize and need a particular courier
multiple payment gateway options

Whatever your ecommerce application, we can build you a fit-for-purpose solution.

Quality hosting at scale saves you money

The cloud hosting we provide is at scale. We have hundreds of websites which we need to maintain and host securely. This means we can give your site the best hosting available for a price way cheaper than it would normally cost for a single site.

For example, hosting on a Google cloud located in Sydney would cost a single site owner around $A50 a month.

We can include such high quality hosting in our standard fee because of our large number of hosted sites.

How our lifetime licences save you money

We understand that budget is a key consideration, and we’re committed to providing cost-effective solutions.

One way we achieve this is by leveraging our access to exclusive discount opportunities on premium themes and plugins.

Over time, we’ve secured lifetime and unlimited-site licenses for various valuable tools, allowing us to build robust websites without incurring the full retail cost for each client.

We’re happy to pass these savings directly on to you, reducing your overall project expenses and ensuring you receive high-quality resources without the premium price tag.

Why a quality theme is important to you

Choosing popular, well-supported WordPress themes offers significant advantages for your website’s success. Popular themes are well-documented and frequently updated, ensuring compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and security patches.

It is most disappointing to see a site with a theme that is no longer supported by the developer. It happens quite regularly and always involves extra costs for the client.

Unless a theme can cope with the latest WordPress core changes, plugins cannot be updated and security is compromised. Popular themes make economic sense for the developer to support them because they make sales! With a popular theme you join the virtuous circle!

Incidentally, we can create ANY site design using one of our favourite themes.

If the theme can’t do an idea out of the box via the WordPress customiser, or the idea is out of the range of the pagebuilder and a plugin is overkill, we will look for a hook and add custom code to the functions file in the child theme. In other words, we will find a way to do what you want!

Nor is it necessary to buy an industry theme e.g. ‘construction’ theme for a building company, on a theme marketplace. Usually the images in a pre-made theme are not appropriate anyway.

Any sites you like, in your industry or not, can give us the idea we need to create a site you will like.

Have we created a site in your industry?

We hear this occasionally. The technical skills used in creating a website are applicable to a site for any industry. Over 25 years, we have created sites in a wide range of industries and don’t see any real advantage in having done an earlier site in a particular industry.

Yes, there are industries with special software commonly used by participants but it usually independent of the website. We can connect your website to anything that has an API.

As web designers, we will never expect to know a client’s industry better than the client who is immersed in it every day. Rather, we bring widely applicable marketing skills to every project and work with a client to complete a site that meets their needs within their budget.

Why use a child theme?

The main theme is the foundation of your website, providing the basic structure and design. A child theme acts as a safe and efficient way to modify an existing theme without risking the integrity of the parent theme’s core files. This means future updates to the parent theme won’t overwrite your changes.

Ultimately, a child theme allows designers to create a unique and personalized website while maintaining a clean and update-friendly codebase. This ensures the long-term stability and ease of maintenance of the website.

What plugins do we use?

We strive to use as few plugins as possible. The more plugins on the site or unused themes, the more overhead to slow the site for visitors or to provide openings for hackers. However, the more complicated a website is, the more plugins will be used. There is no way around it.

What then becomes important is the quality of the plugins used. We try to use well-known plugin developers that have a family of plugins that are designed to work together. A plugin that is no longer supported can take a site offline when a new WordPress update comes through requiring theme and plugin changes.

Experience is a great teacher in this area. You enjoy the fruit of that experience when we build a site for you.

Do you need to link your site to a CMS?

It is not uncommon for a business to want form submissions to forward directly into some form of Customer Management System. Whether it is HubSpot, Pipedrive or another system, we can readily customise the necessary connections.

Are content updates very important?

Perhaps you are thinking “Once I get my site live, I won’t need to change the content. Just need theme and plugins updated”.

We see that occasionally and it is disappointing. The business will suffer because of misguided cost-cutting.

Google’s algorithms are designed to provide users with the best possible search results. They consider factors like:

Freshness of content: Google wants to show users the most up-to-date information, so websites with recent updates are often favored.
Technical SEO: This includes things like website speed, mobile-friendliness, and security, all of which are often improved through updates.
User experience: Google tracks how users interact with your website. If people are quickly leaving your site (high bounce rate), it suggests they’re not finding what they’re looking for, which can negatively impact your rankings. By monitoring your website and making changes we can maximise the return on your website investment.

Finally, your site reflects your brand: An outdated website can make your business look unprofessional or out of touch. Regular updates help you maintain a modern and consistent brand image.

So UNLIMITED content updates are AMAZING value!

Can you create a WordPress Multisite?

Yes, we can. They are not common but we have created one recently with over 50 sub-sites.

For anyone not familiar with Multisite a quick explanation is in order. Instead of setting up a separate WordPress installation for every new website, Multisite allows you to create a network of sites under one roof. Think of it like an apartment building where each apartment is a unique website, but the building manager (you!) controls the overall structure, plumbing, and common amenities (themes and plugins).

A single WordPress installation that can power dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of individual websites, all managed from one central dashboard.

Problems we see on outside websites when they need help

One service we have been offering for a long time is SiteCare. In this service, we offer to take over the maintenance and update of a WordPress site hosted elsewhere and not created by JD Stride.

At the start of the process we ask for login details so we can view various aspects of the site.

If you think about it, it is not surprising we find problems a-plenty. Why would they be asking for our help otherwise?

Some of the problems we see are:

a theme that has not been updated for some time. Often we find the theme is no longer supported so updates are not available.
a large number of plugins, sometimes approaching 50, have been installed. Many may be of doubtful quality and many are not even activated.
images have not been optimised and are causing slow download speed
forms do not work
no child theme
custom code in the main theme
a large number of admin users that presents a security problem

By engaging JD Stride to build and maintain your WordPress site, you avoid these problems and more.

You will have a technically sound, fast and secure website updated with the latest material you wish to publish. In other words, the website will do its job!

Do you do ecommerce websites?

Yes we do. We have done ecommerce sites with just a product or two, e.g. selling a single book, in a custom PHP site to sites with hundreds of products using WordPress and WooCommerce.

We find that no two shops are the same.

Some common simple customisations we see are:

some products have specification sheets and others have videos
a temporary special flag is requested on selected products, for example, for the next 2 weeks
some products are POA (Price on application) which need an enquiry form in place of the cart button.
some products have special shipping requirements e.g. oversize and need a particular courier
multiple payment gateway options

Whatever your ecommerce application, we can build you a fit-for-purpose solution.

Quality hosting at scale saves you money

For example, hosting on a Google cloud located in Sydney would cost a single site owner around $A50 a month.

We can include such high quality hosting in our standard fee because of our large number of hosted sites.

How our lifetime licences save you money

We understand that budget is a key consideration, and we're committed to providing cost-effective solutions.

One way we achieve this is by leveraging our access to exclusive discount opportunities on premium themes and plugins.

Over time, we've secured lifetime and unlimited-site licenses for various valuable tools, allowing us to build robust websites without incurring the full retail cost for each client.

We're happy to pass these savings directly on to you, reducing your overall project expenses and ensuring you receive high-quality resources without the premium price tag.

Why a quality theme is important to you

Choosing popular, well-supported WordPress themes offers significant advantages for your website's success. Popular themes are well-documented and frequently updated, ensuring compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and security patches.

It is most disappointing to see a site with a theme that is no longer supported by the developer. It happens quite regularly and always involves extra costs for the client.

Incidentally, we can create ANY site design using one of our favourite themes.

If the theme can't do an idea out of the box via the WordPress customiser, or the idea is out of the range of the pagebuilder and a plugin is overkill, we will look for a hook and add custom code to the functions file in the child theme. In other words, we will find a way to do what you want!

Nor is it necessary to buy an industry theme e.g. 'construction' theme for a building company, on a theme marketplace. Usually the images in a pre-made theme are not appropriate anyway.

Any sites you like, in your industry or not, can give us the idea we need to create a site you will like.

Have we created a site in your industry?

We hear this occasionally. The technical skills used in creating a website are applicable to a site for any industry. Over 25 years, we have created sites in a wide range of industries and don't see any real advantage in having done an earlier site in a particular industry.

Yes, there are industries with special software commonly used by participants but it usually independent of the website. We can connect your website to anything that has an API.

As web designers, we will never expect to know a client's industry better than the client who is immersed in it every day. Rather, we bring widely applicable marketing skills to every project and work with a client to complete a site that meets their needs within their budget.

Why use a child theme?

The main theme is the foundation of your website, providing the basic structure and design. A child theme acts as a safe and efficient way to modify an existing theme without risking the integrity of the parent theme's core files. This means future updates to the parent theme won't overwrite your changes.

What plugins do we use?

Experience is a great teacher in this area. You enjoy the fruit of that experience when we build a site for you.

Is a custom theme a good idea?

We must make a distinction here.

By 'custom theme' we mean creating the header.php, footer.php and any number of included files that provide the theme's functionality.

This is not the 'look' of the site. It is the framework behind the look.

We are not a fan of custom themes in the 'framework' sense.

Why?

Because it takes extra time for another developer to understand the code. When PHP is upgraded or a new version of WordPress is published, it takes time to fix any problem.

When a well-known developer group is maintaining your theme, it is one less problem area to fix.

So if your web developer says he is going to create his own theme just for you, think twice. It is not really a 'plus' for you.