Online store maintenance

I have done online store maintenance for two years. I look after shops that are already running on OpenCart (including old versions such as 1.5 and 2.x) or WooCommerce. I test updates in a test copy first, not in your live shop. The general plan and price are on the website maintenance page; here I cover what is specific to a store.

I am Kernius Zigmantas, SiteSolvo. I work on my own, so you talk to me directly. I start by checking the store and telling you in writing what I would do and what it would cost. This is free.

Request a free check

What I look at in an online store

In a store, one broken payment method or a shipping price showing zero is enough to stop orders, and you may not notice. So during the check I look at what your customers touch:

the cart and the checkout;
payment methods, shipping prices and order emails;
product and category pages;
modules (plugins): whether they still suit the current system and PHP version (PHP is the programming language that WordPress and OpenCart run on);
broken links and, if I have access, the error log (the file where the system records errors).

Cart, payments and shipping

I fix a cart or payment that has stopped working, find out why order emails are not arriving, and repair automatic shipping price calculation. Connecting a new payment method or courier is a separate job (see the full service list).

An example is siuvimomanija.lt – an OpenCart store running since 2010; I updated it, and it has automatic shipping price calculation and card payment; I also worked on its SEO. For two years I have looked after six websites of a long-term client: siuvimomanija.lt, husqvarna-viking.lt, babylock.lt, elna.lt, siuvimomasina.lt and juki.lv. See past work

Updates: how I work safely

An update made directly in a live store can cause errors: a newer system or PHP version may no longer suit an old module, and the cart or payment may stop working. So I work in four steps:

I check the store and tell you what I would do and what it would cost. This is free.
I make a backup copy of the whole website and the database, so I can restore everything if needed.
I test the changes in a test copy, not in your shop. Your shop runs as usual in the meantime.
When everything is checked, I move the changes into your live shop.

For an old OpenCart version, see OpenCart upgrade; for a store that is already broken, fixing errors on your website or online store.

Backups and SSL

Before every change I copy the whole website and the database, which hold your products, orders and customer accounts. During monthly maintenance I make backup copies regularly.

SSL is the certificate that makes your store address start with https:// and keeps the browser from warning “Not secure”. I check its validity and watch for errors.

SEO basics: product and category titles, descriptions, sitemap

SEO is the work that helps search engines find and understand your store. It starts with clear product and category titles, descriptions written for people, and a sitemap, a file that lists all your pages. During maintenance I look after the titles and descriptions of new products and pages, and the sitemap.

Price

The monthly maintenance plan and its price are on the website maintenance page. A bigger job, such as an update, I first assess and send you a price in writing. We agree it before I start, and you pay in instalments. We can issue a VAT invoice.

Questions

What does online store maintenance include?

Every month I update the system and plugins, make backup copies, check the SSL certificate and watch for errors, and look after the SEO basics. I test updates in a test copy first and move them after checking.

How is online store maintenance different from administration?

Maintenance is the technical side: updates, backups, SSL, errors and SEO basics. Administration is the daily work: processing orders and entering products and prices. You or your staff usually do that, and I do the technical side. A larger product upload I do as a separate job, and we agree the price in advance.

Will updates break my cart and payments?

I cannot give a guarantee, so I do the update in a test copy first, not in your shop. If something stops working after the update, for example an old module, I try to fix it before moving the changes; if I cannot, I tell you. I make a backup copy first, so I can restore everything.

Can you take over a store that another company built?

Yes, if the store runs on OpenCart or WooCommerce and I can get access. Usually I need three kinds of access: the admin panel, the files (FTP or SFTP) and the database. I start with a free check.

Which platforms do you maintain?

OpenCart, including very old versions, and WooCommerce (WordPress). I can also work with PrestaShop, Magento, Joomla, Drupal or custom-built PHP if I have access to the files and the database. I do not work on Shopify, Wix or Squarespace shops.

Free check

I start by checking the store and telling you in writing what I would do and what it would cost.