After the handover
Who updates
and looks after
your site?
Before handover, agree who can edit the site, who provides hosting and what help is included. Everyone should know what to do when something changes.
Give everyday changes an owner
A service description needs updating. Someone has left the team. Your opening hours have changed. Decide which edits your staff should make and which need help.
The handover should show the nominated person how to use the agreed editing method. If you prefer to request changes, the care arrangement should explain how to do that and what work it covers.
Write down the less visible responsibilities
A domain name, hosting account and connected service each need an owner. Record who holds access, who pays any provider charges and who can authorise a change.
For a private tool, also decide who adds and removes users. Backup, recovery and maintenance responsibilities need to reflect the system that is actually being used.
Know what to do when something goes wrong
Your arrangement should identify the contact route, the information needed to report a problem and the support availability you have agreed. Response times depend on that arrangement.
A fault, a content edit and a new feature can require different work. Defining the coverage helps everyone understand what happens next and when a separate estimate is needed.
Review the next change before adding it
If a new branch, product range or working process affects the website, describe the change first. We can then consider its effect on existing pages, permissions and connections.
Tell Darren what you run today, who looks after it and where the uncertainty lies. The next step is to agree a care plan suited to that situation.
Discuss ongoing care