On this page, we try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about web site maintenance.

Why do I need to maintain my web site ?
The Internet is the most up-to-the-minute source of authoritative information currently available. People access a web site, rather than read a brochure because the brochure may be out of date. People access a web site rather than speak to a sales consultant because it saves them time, and they believe the information will be more accurate. To achieve this, it is important that you conduct a programme of ongoing updates to your web site. Room101 will help you achieve this.

My web site won't really need to change much though
People may join and leave your company, you might move office or change phone number, your prices may change, products and services may be launched, rebranded, repriced or withdrawn - it is a rare company which generates no changes of these kinds.

What does maintenance cost ?
Rather than charge by the hour, or haggle over costing on A each change, Room101 has found that for many of our clients, a fixed monthly fee to cover maintenance works best. This means that the client has made a commitment to regular web site maintenance; something which should be happening anyway, but this focuses minds on the task. It also means that we at Room101 can plan to expect certain levels of work in future, and make sure we have the capacity to meet the client's needs, without over-extending ourselves.

How is the level of monthly maintenance set ?
This varies between about £100 and £400 (+ VAT) per month, depending on the frequency and extent of the supplied changes, and what format additional material is supplied in.

But my needs will vary from month to month, surely a fixed fee is too inflexible ?
It is accepted that there will be busy months and slack months, and the level of maintenance is set with this in mind, so that an average value is paid. The level of maintenance charge is re-examined every 3 months, with a view to raising or lowering it. This happens if the volume of work done has consistently been different than originally specified. This arrangement aims to provide the best compromise between fairness and practicality.

Does maintenance cover everything I need done?
No. A maintenance agreement makes provision for keeping existing parts of the web site up-to-date, including corrections, bug fixes, replacing existing photos and images, amendments to existing text, and so on. If your web site is database driven by means of an Access or Excel document containing data, maintenance also covers the upload and checking of such files.
Maintenance does not cover adding new web pages to the site, new web site sections, additional functionality, or substantially changing existing functionality. Room101 will be happy to provide a separate quote for these type of changes.

Are there any ways of reducing the level of maintenance payment I make each month ?
Room101 specialises in "Self-Updateable Pages" - these are specially programmed areas of your site which you can update yourself, with no special training in web publishing techniques. Changes you make take effect immediately. Each section which is made self-updateable, reduces the amount of manual work we have to do on your site, and therefore the maintenance charge can be lowered. Please call us on 08707 300 004 for more details.

How is maintenance invoiced / paid ?
We normally invoice maintenance every month, to be paid according to your standard terms with Room101. We can also accept payment by standing order, for those companies who like to minimise their paperwork trail. In this case, we still issue an invoice each month, but do not chase you up for payment.