Hey folks! I’ve been thinking about launching a subscription-based WordPress care service for my clients. Basically, I want to handle their site upkeep on a recurring monthly basis instead of doing one-off fixes.
I’m curious if others in this community have tried something similar. How did it work out for you? What tasks do you typically bundle into these packages? I’m wondering about things like updates, backups, security checks, and general troubleshooting.
Also really interested in hearing about pricing strategies. Do you tier your services or keep it simple with one package? Any mistakes you made early on that I should avoid? Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!
the hardest part isn’t the technical work - it’s teaching clients not to freak out over minor issues. started mine last year and i’m managing 40+ sites monthly now. my trick? i throw in a small SEO audit every quarter that always uncovers upsell opportunities. add hosting management if you can handle it - that’s where the real money is.
Been running WordPress care plans for three years - wish I’d started way sooner. The steady income is great, but you’ll need to manage client expectations from the start. I cover the basics: updates, backups, security monitoring. But uptime monitoring is what really saves clients from disasters. What sets me apart? Monthly performance reports with real metrics. None of that ‘everything looks good’ nonsense - I show actual load times and security scan results. Clients love seeing the data. Pricing was trial and error. I don’t do arbitrary tiers anymore. Simple brochure sites get one rate, ecommerce and membership sites cost more because they’re more work. Makes sense. Biggest mistake early on? Not setting clear boundaries around scope creep. ‘Content updates’ sounds innocent until someone wants their homepage redesigned. Now I’m strict about what’s included and upsell everything beyond basic maintenance. Pro tip: automate your reporting and get a proper ticketing system immediately. Manual processes will destroy your margins when you scale.
Started my WordPress maintenance service two years ago - total game changer. The recurring revenue makes cash flow way more predictable than project work ever was. Here’s what I learned: clients care more about peace of mind than technical details. My package includes plugin/core updates, daily backups, malware scans, and basic performance tweaks. I throw in two hours of content updates monthly too - they love that. For pricing, I tried three tiers but everyone picked the middle one anyway. Now I just do two packages: basic maintenance and premium with speed optimization plus priority support. Biggest mistake? Underpricing my time. Don’t just count automated tasks - factor in all the actual hours you’ll spend. Bonus I didn’t expect: it’s made client relationships way stronger. Monthly reports and staying proactive led to tons more referrals and extra projects. Setting up workflows was the hardest part upfront, but now it runs itself pretty much.