1. Hosting and maintenance are distinct responsibilities
Hosting provides the resources your website runs on. Application maintenance may cover checks, updates and work on the code or platform. A provider may cover both, or only one.
Ask who manages the domain, HTTPS certificate, application, database and external services. Ownership and handover should be clear for each important account.
2. Updates need verification
An update can improve security or compatibility while also changing an integration's behaviour. Your plan should state which components are updated and how important functions are checked.
Ask how forms, booking or other business-critical workflows are tested and how the previous version can be restored if a problem occurs.
3. A backup matters when it can be restored
Clarify what is backed up: databases, images, files and configuration may live in different places. Frequency and retention should reflect new information and acceptable data loss.
Ask where copies are stored, who can request recovery and whether restoration is tested periodically. A copy on the same server does not cover losing that server.
4. Support needs concrete terms
Included support does not define working hours, contact channels, prioritisation or emergencies. Response time and resolution time are different commitments.
Agree on out-of-hours arrangements and external dependencies. Email, payment or AI providers have their own incidents and limits.
5. Separate maintenance from new development
SynPleo plans start at €16/month, with exact scope agreed in your proposal. The starting price does not automatically imply 24/7 support, a particular backup schedule or unlimited changes.
A new page, integration or workflow change may need separate development. A clear working relationship explains that before work starts and provides a cost and timeline.