What should website maintenance include?
I'd want a maintenance plan to say what gets checked, what happens when something fails and which work costs extra. A line saying 'updates included' leaves a lot unanswered.
Ask what the fee covers
Hosting pays for the environment that runs the site. Maintenance is the work of keeping the software and functions in order. A supplier may bundle them, but the agreement still needs to explain both.
Ask which platform, plugins and custom code the plan covers. Check whether the price includes small content changes, repairs after an update or only the work of applying the update itself.
A backup needs a restoration plan
Find out what is copied, how often copies are made and how long they are kept. For WordPress, the files and database both matter. An old copy of a shop may also be missing recent orders.
I would ask who restores the backup, what that work costs and when a recovery was last checked. A backup-success email does not show that the restored site can receive an enquiry or complete an order.
Check the things a customer uses
A homepage loading is a useful check, but it does not tell you whether a form reaches your inbox. Your maintenance list should include the routes that bring the business work.
That might mean an enquiry form, booking request, download, checkout or connection to another system. Agree how tests will be carried out so they do not trigger unintended payments or messages.
Define what happens after an alert
Monitoring can report a problem. Somebody still needs to investigate it. Ask about the hours covered, how you report a fault and when an urgent issue is likely to receive attention.
A response time and a resolution time are different commitments. The cause might involve another provider, an expired licence or a larger repair. I would put the actual expectations in writing before taking on the plan.
Keep your access and renewal list
Maintain a list of domain, hosting and paid-software renewals with the business contact attached. Give suppliers the access needed for their work and keep a way to recover the accounts.
If you want me to assess an existing site, send the address and explain what it does for the business. We can separate the immediate repairs from a maintenance arrangement that makes sense afterwards.