Website warranties and support after launch

A new website is not finished the day it goes live. In the first weeks you will find a typo, a form that sends to the wrong inbox, or a page that looks odd on someone's phone. Good support after launch means faults like those get fixed quickly and without argument, small changes are easy to get, and someone keeps the site online and safe. Before you pay for a site, find out exactly which of those you are getting, for how long, and what happens after.

Faults versus changes: the distinction that matters

Most disagreements after launch come down to one question: is this a fault or a change?

A fault is something that does not work as agreed. The contact form does not send. The phone button dials the wrong number. A page you were promised is missing. The site breaks on a common phone. Faults should be fixed free, because they are part of what you paid for.
A change is something new or different from what you approved. New hours, a new service, a different photo, a new page. Changes may be included or may be charged, depending on the agreement.

Ask the provider before signing how they tell the two apart. A fair provider will treat anything that does not match the agreed site as a fault. An unfair one calls everything a change.

What a fair fix period looks like

Many web designers offer a fix period after launch, often a few weeks to a few months, during which faults are corrected at no charge. Some call it a warranty; others just say "post-launch support". Whatever the name, check:

How long it lasts, starting from when: launch, final payment, or your approval?
What it covers: only faults, or small changes too?
How fast they respond. "Within two working days" is a real promise. "As soon as possible" is not.
How to report a problem: email, phone, a ticket system.

After the fix period, faults that were there from the start should still be fixed. If the contact form never worked, discovering it in month five does not make it your problem. Say so politely and in writing.

Support that should continue as long as the site runs

Some things cannot have an end date if your site is to keep working. Find out who is responsible for each:

Keeping the site online. If the site goes down, who notices and who fixes it?
Security updates. Sites built on WordPress and similar systems need regular software updates and plugin updates, or they become easy to break into. Simple fixed-page sites need much less. Website security basics explains the difference.
Backups. Who keeps a copy of the site, how often, and how fast can it be restored?
The security certificate, which puts the padlock in the address bar. It renews automatically on most modern hosting, but someone should be checking.
The domain renewal. If the domain is in your name, the renewal reminder comes to you. Make sure the email address on the account is one you read.

Your contact form and email: test them early

The most common silent fault after launch is a contact form that sends messages nowhere. The site looks fine, the form says "thank you", and the message goes to an old address, to spam, or vanishes. Because nobody complains about a message they think you received, it can go unnoticed for months.

Also check that your business email still works both ways after the site goes live. Send an email to your business address from a personal account and reply to it. If the website change touched your domain's settings, email can break; keeping your email working during a website change covers what to look for.

Small changes: how they should work

You will need small changes for as long as you have the site. A good setup gives you at least one easy route:

Make them yourself in a simple editor or panel, for hours, prices, photos and short texts. Ask for a short demonstration before launch, and try one change yourself while the designer is still on hand.
Ask the provider, with a clear price or an included number of changes per month or year.
Ask anyone else, because you own the site and can give access to another helper.

Get the answer to "what does a small change cost and how long does it take?" in writing.

What support should not cost you

Watch out for support that is really a way to keep you paying:

A required monthly care plan just to have faults fixed.
Fees to get your own login details.
Fees to transfer your domain or get a copy of your site when you leave.
"Emergency" fees for problems the provider caused.
Support that is only available by a premium phone line.

Questions to ask before you pay

If something does not work after launch, how long do I have to report it, and how fast will you fix it?
How do you decide what is a fault and what is a change?
Who keeps the site online, updated and backed up, and is that included?
What does a small change cost after the fix period?
Can I make simple changes myself? Will you show me how?
If you stop trading or I want to leave, what do I get?

What to do in the first month after launch

In week one, test the contact form, the phone button, the map and every menu link on your phone.
Check your business email both ways.
Read every page out loud for typos and wrong facts, and send all faults in one list.
Make one small change yourself, if you can, while help is still free.
Write down who to contact for problems and keep it with your website logins.

If your current site has no one standing behind it any more, you can see your site rebuilt first and ask for changes on the preview before deciding whether to keep it.