Shopping for website management is harder than it should be. Every agency packages and labels their service differently, and it's often surprisingly tough to work out what you're actually being sold.
We're a web design and management agency based in Aberdeen, and we've been doing this since 2003, so we'll cut through the confusion. This post is about helping you decide whether you need website management at all, what level is right for you, and how to pick a provider you won't regret.
The short answer
Website management is an ongoing service where a provider looks after your site for you. It includes the technical maintenance (security, updates, backups) but goes further, adding the strategic work that helps your site grow, like SEO, content and conversion rate optimisation.
You probably need it if you don't have the in-house resource or knowledge to keep your website secure, up to date and actively generating enquiries. Most B2B companies don't. If you only want someone to "keep the lights on", a basic maintenance arrangement will do. If you want the site to grow your business, you need full management.
In this post:
What website management actually means
Spend any time searching for website management services and you'll quickly realise nobody agrees on what the service should cover.
Some providers treat it as purely technical: hosting and uptime monitoring, security patches, plugin updates, on-demand support when something breaks. Others include ad-hoc updates too, like publishing news stories or blog posts, building new page templates, or refreshing on-page content. And a handful use "website management" to mean any work that grows your digital footprint and brings in leads, from writing content and filming video through to redesigning your UX or building landing pages for a PPC campaign.
The honest distinction is between day-to-day maintenance and the hands-on management needed to actually grow a website. Maintenance keeps the site alive. Management makes it work harder. If you just want to understand the technical upkeep side, our guide to what website maintenance includes breaks down every task in plain English, so we won't repeat it all here.
As a full-service agency with in-house designers, developers, writers and videographers, we can provide any combination of the above, from full SEO strategies through to the simple stuff like upgrading plugins and reviewing your site's security. But the question that matters isn't what we can do. It's what you actually need.
What level of management do you need?
To work out the level of service that fits, answer these nine questions honestly:
- Do you need someone to keep your CMS up to date?
- Do you need help with site security?
- Do you need someone to keep your site speedy and responsive?
- Do users regularly run into issues on your site?
- Do you need help updating or maintaining your content?
- Do you need someone to build and publish brand new pages?
- Do you wish you had someone to improve the UX of your website?
- Do you need help generating more traffic?
- Do you need help turning more visitors into customers?
If you answered yes to all nine
You need a full-service digital agency with a broad range of in-house capabilities. It can be tempting to split this across several specialists, and some businesses do make that work, but ultimately you're dealing with a single project with a single goal. It's far more efficient to rely on one provider for everything, from optimising individual landing pages through to setting up PPC ads or running conversion rate optimisation on key content.
If you answered yes to questions 1 to 6
You need proper website management from a reliable partner, someone who can handle the technical updates that keep your site running and the on-page work that keeps it attractive and user-friendly. Maybe you've got a marketing team in-house, or an existing provider, that lacks the technical chops to fix broken links, build new templates or redesign clunky forms. Either way, pick a partner who knows your CMS inside out, otherwise you're paying them to learn the ropes on your time.
If you answered yes only to questions 1 to 3
This is basic or "light" maintenance: the bare minimum to keep a website up and running. Plenty of freelancers and small firms can provide this at a reduced cost, but make sure that's genuinely all you need. It's tempting to treat a B2B website as a static brochure that just reassures people who already know you, but the truth is every B2B website can drive new business. There are potential customers Googling what you offer right now, and a site that's optimised properly can reassure, persuade and convert them. Don't sleepwalk into "keeping the lights on" when your site could be a real business asset.
If you answered yes only to questions 7 to 9
You need a growth-focused digital marketing agency. This is common if you're a medium to enterprise business with an in-house IT team or an existing provider handling the day-to-day. When you're shopping, look for an agency focused on growth and revenue, not vanity metrics like visits or likes. And remember there are often time and cost savings in finding one partner who'll handle routine maintenance alongside the growth work, because you can't market a site well without also tweaking its design, load speed and layout. Our guide to building a lead generation website covers a lot of this ground.
What does website management cost?
We'll be straight with you, because most agencies won't be. If you just want someone to keep things running smoothly, we'd do that for around £750 a month. If you want to actively grow your website, build your digital footprint and turn visitors into customers, you're looking at a £2,000-plus retainer for the detailed, strategic work needed to move the dial.
For comparison, hiring a single full-time website manager in the UK would cost £30,000 to £40,000 in salary alone, without the breadth of skills an agency brings across development, design, content and SEO. We've broken the numbers down properly in our guide to how much website management costs in the UK, and if you want to understand the model itself, our explainer on digital marketing retainers covers why we work this way rather than selling off-the-shelf packages.
How to choose a website management agency
It's tempting to turn this into a puff piece about how brilliant we are, but we'll keep it objective.
First, make sure they actually know the platform your site is built on. Web dev skills are largely interchangeable, and there are plenty of platform-agnostic agencies out there (we're one of them), but every CMS has its quirks. We'd happily jump on a WordPress, Joomla or HubSpot site, but we'd be more cautious about a Magento build, because that platform needs deep knowledge of the underlying code. If you're weighing platforms yourself, our piece on choosing between HubSpot and WordPress is worth a read.
Second, pick a provider who's honest about what they can do. It's fine to promise uptime monitoring and same-day updates. It's not fine to promise they'll get you to position one of Google for a competitive keyword, because nobody can guarantee that.
Third, and this is the big one, find out whether they outsource your work. We've got our own in-house team of developers, designers and marketers, but some agencies quietly hand your work to white-label third parties without telling you. That's fine if they're upfront about it and set your expectations accordingly. It's a problem when they're not. So ask the question directly, and ask to see examples of past work and recommendations from existing clients too. This matters most if you're paying for growth, because those projects take time and real investment. The same logic applies to any specialist work, which is why it's worth reading up on whether digital marketing agencies are worth it before you commit.
If you do want a reliable, proven partner, we've been at this since 2003 with a solid track record of helping B2B clients maintain and grow their websites, and we're small enough to get properly invested in your business. If that sounds like a fit, come and have a chat. No hard sell, we promise.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need website management?
You need it if you don't have the in-house resource or expertise to keep your website secure, up to date and generating enquiries. Most B2B companies don't. If you only want someone to handle basic technical upkeep, a light maintenance arrangement is enough. If you want your website to actively grow your business through SEO, content and conversion work, you need full management.
What is the difference between website maintenance and website management?
Website maintenance is the technical upkeep of your site, covering software updates, security patches, backups and bug fixes. Website management is broader and includes maintenance, but also adds strategic work like SEO, content creation and conversion rate optimisation to help your site grow. Maintenance keeps your site running, management makes it work harder.
How much does website management cost in the UK?
Basic website management covering updates, backups, security and uptime monitoring starts at around £750 per month. Growth-focused management that adds content strategy, SEO and analytics typically runs from £2,000 per month. For comparison, a single full-time website manager would cost £30,000 to £40,000 a year in salary alone, without the range of skills an agency provides.
Should I outsource website management or handle it in-house?
It depends on the resource and expertise you have. Outsourcing gives you access to specialists across development, design, content, SEO and analytics for less than the cost of a single junior hire. Some businesses take a hybrid approach, keeping content updates in-house while outsourcing the technical and strategic work to an agency.
How do I choose a good website management provider?
Check they know the platform your site is built on, because every CMS has its quirks. Ask whether they have an in-house team or outsource to white-label providers, as some won't volunteer this. And ask to see examples of past work and references from existing clients. A good management partner should cover development, design, content and SEO, not just tick a basic maintenance checklist.
