What Should I Budget for After My Website Goes Live?

What Should I Budget for After My Website Goes Live?

Launching your shiny new website is a big moment – champagne corks popping, high-fives all round, the virtual ribbon officially cut. But what happens next? While the heavy lifting of design and development is done, your website isn’t something you just “set and forget.” Like any good investment, it needs a little TLC to stay fresh, functional and fabulous.

At Sandlebridge, we like to keep things transparent. So here’s a handy breakdown of what to expect in terms of ongoing costs – and how we make it easy to manage them.

1. Hosting & Domains – the Non-Negotiables

Your site needs somewhere to live and a name people can find it by.

• Hosting: If we’re managing this for you, hosting costs are usually billed annually or monthly depending on your arrangement. We work with fast, reliable hosts and handle the relationship on your behalf, so you don’t have to talk to tech support ever again (unless you really want to).
• Domain Renewals: Domains need renewing every year or two. If we manage your domain, we’ll set this to "auto renew" when the renewal date falls due and take care of payments, so you never accidentally lose your web address. We always recharge domains at cost.

2. Content Updates – DIY or Done-for-You

Most clients like to keep their site content fresh – adding new blog posts, updating team bios, tweaking event listings, and so on.

• Do it Yourself: We build sites that are easy to update. If you’re comfortable making content changes, you can do it yourself anytime.
• Done-for-You: Prefer to leave it to the pros? Just raise a ticket in our support portal and we’ll make the changes for you, whether it’s updating copy, adding images, or publishing a new page.

3. Design & Functionality Tweaks

Need to change the look of a page, add a new section, or integrate a new feature? This goes beyond basic content updates, but it’s all part of keeping your site working hard for your business.

We offer two flexible ways to budget for this:

Option 1: Monthly Retainer

Ideal if you want predictable support. You pay a fixed monthly fee and we set aside time for regular updates, tweaks, or improvements.

Option 2: Pre-paid Support Blocks

Perfect if your needs are more “as and when.” You buy hours upfront, use them when needed, and they never expire while we’re your support partner. Support blocks can be used for everything from bug fixes to graphic design, plugin updates, SEO help, or even liaising with your hosting company. Every task is logged in your client portal so you can see exactly how time’s being used.

4. Peace of Mind Built In

All supported clients get access to our dedicated support portal, where you can raise tickets, track responses, and add your colleagues if needed. We also keep your hours balance updated weekly – no guesswork required.

Final Thought:‍

Your website is a living part of your brand. Whether you want to manage it yourself or lean on us when needed, we’re here to keep it running smoothly – and looking sharp.

Want to chat about what setup’s right for you? Let's talk.