Your new website might be finished, but keeping it secure, reliable and performing well is an ongoing job. Here's why regular Statamic maintenance matters and what happens behind the scenes to keep your website running.
You've invested in a new website. It's beautifully designed, works across devices, loads quickly and makes managing your content easy.
It's launched, and everything is working exactly as it should.
So that's it, right?
Not quite.
A website isn't something you build, launch and forget about. Behind the scenes, there's software, servers and infrastructure that all need ongoing attention.
And just like the other technology your business relies on, that technology needs to be maintained.
Your website is more than what you see on the screen
When you visit a website, you see the design, images, content and functionality. What you don't see is everything working behind the scenes to make that possible.
At Mity Digital, we design and develop custom websites using Statamic, a modern content management system (CMS) that gives our clients flexibility and control over their content.
Statamic is built on Laravel, a powerful PHP framework that provides the foundation for the website's functionality.
We're proud to be both a Statamic Partner and a Laravel Partner. These aren't just technologies we occasionally work with. They're central to the websites and applications we develop every day.
Together, they provide an excellent foundation for websites of all shapes and sizes.
But even the best software needs looking after.
Your website relies on several components working together:
Statamic: The content management system that lets you manage your website.
Laravel: The underlying framework that powers the website's functionality.
PHP: The programming language that makes it all work behind the scenes.
Additional software: Packages and integrations that provide specific functionality.
Web hosting: The server environment that makes your website available to visitors.
Security: The systems and configurations that help protect your website and its data.
Each of these components evolves independently, with updates released to improve security, fix issues or introduce new functionality.
Keeping everything working together is an ongoing responsibility.
Why do websites need updates?
Technology doesn't stand still.
Software developers regularly release updates to address security vulnerabilities, improve performance, fix bugs and maintain compatibility with other technologies.
Some updates are relatively minor. Others address serious security issues that require immediate attention.
Even if your website appears to be working perfectly, a vulnerability in its underlying software could potentially expose it to security risks.
And applying updates isn't always as simple as clicking a button.
A change to one component can affect others. A major update to Statamic, Laravel or PHP may require additional software or custom functionality to be reviewed and updated too.
That's why website maintenance isn't just about installing updates.
It's about understanding how everything fits together, checking compatibility and making sure the website continues working as expected.
A real example of website maintenance in action
Recently, a serious security vulnerability affecting PHP highlighted exactly why proactive website maintenance is so important.
You might not have heard of PHP, but you've almost certainly used websites powered by it.
In fact, according to W3Techs, PHP powers approximately 69% of websites where the server-side programming language can be identified. That's more than two out of every three websites in that category.
It's used by everything from small business websites to large online platforms, including websites built with WordPress, Drupal, Statamic and Laravel.
So when a serious security vulnerability is discovered in PHP, the potential impact is enormous. It isn't just a problem for a handful of websites. It can affect a significant part of the internet.
And that's why responding quickly matters.
At Mity Digital, we were already across the situation and preparing to apply the necessary updates as soon as they became available.
In fact, some of that work happened in the early hours of the morning.
Being a Laravel Partner also gave us access to valuable information that helped us stay informed and prepared as the situation developed.
We communicated directly with clients whose websites and applications supported critical business operations, keeping them informed about what was happening and the steps we were taking.
For most website owners, none of this was visible.
Their websites continued operating, and they could get on with running their businesses.
But behind the scenes, important work was happening to help keep those websites secure.
That's what good website maintenance should look like. Problems being addressed before they become your problem.
What happens if you don't maintain your website?
In many cases, nothing happens immediately.
Your website might continue working perfectly for months, or even years, without any obvious problems.
And that's part of the problem.
Software gradually becomes outdated. Security vulnerabilities remain unresolved. Compatibility issues accumulate.
Eventually, something that could have been addressed through routine maintenance becomes a much larger problem.
You might find that:
Your website becomes vulnerable to security threats.
A form or important feature stops working correctly.
An integration with another service no longer works.
Your website experiences performance or reliability issues.
A future upgrade becomes significantly more complicated because the underlying software is so far out of date.
The longer maintenance is neglected, the more difficult it can become to bring everything up to date.
Regular maintenance helps reduce these risks before they turn into bigger problems.
What does Mity Digital look after?
We don't believe our responsibility ends when your website launches.
We built your website. We know how it works. And we'll keep looking after it.
Our Statamic hosting and maintenance services are designed to take care of the technical work involved in keeping your website running reliably and securely.
Statamic, Laravel and software updates
We keep Statamic, Laravel and their associated software maintained, applying appropriate updates to address security issues, resolve bugs and maintain compatibility.
As both a Statamic Partner and Laravel Partner, we work closely with the technologies that power your website.
Our experience means we understand how the different components interact, what needs attention and how to approach updates carefully.
It's one of the advantages of working with the same team that designed and developed your website in the first place.
Secure, managed website hosting
Your website needs somewhere reliable to live.
We provide managed website hosting, looking after the server environment, its configuration and the software required to keep your website running.
This includes maintaining server software, applying relevant security updates and keeping the hosting environment in good working order.
You don't need to worry about managing servers, maintaining PHP versions or understanding the technical details of your hosting environment.
We take care of that for you.
Security and monitoring
Security isn't something you configure once and forget about.
New vulnerabilities are discovered regularly, sometimes affecting software used by websites around the world.
We keep an eye on relevant security developments and take action when updates or changes are required.
We also monitor website availability, helping us identify issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
While no website can be guaranteed to be completely secure or available every minute of every day, proactive maintenance helps reduce the risks.
Backups and recovery
Things can occasionally go wrong, even with a well-maintained website.
Regular server backups provide an additional layer of protection and recovery options should a problem occur.
Your website's custom code is also managed through Git, a version control system that allows us to track changes and maintain a history of the software we've developed.
Server backups help protect website data and the hosting environment, while Git helps us manage and recover the website's code.
They're different tools serving different purposes, and together they provide valuable recovery options.
Statamic licensing
Statamic is commercial software, and maintaining the appropriate licence is part of keeping your website properly supported.
We take care of the ongoing Statamic licensing requirements as part of our hosting and maintenance service.
Maintenance isn't the same as making website changes
There's an important distinction between keeping your website running and making changes to it.
Our hosting and maintenance service focuses on looking after the existing website, including its software, hosting environment, security and ongoing technical upkeep.
It's different from adding new pages, designing new sections, developing features or making other content and functionality changes.
Of course, we can help with those things too.
Whether you need a small update, a new feature, an integration with another business system or something more substantial, our team is available to help with additional website development and support.
Keeping these services separate means the focus of maintenance stays exactly where it should: on keeping your existing website safe, reliable and working as intended.
Who's responsible for your website?
This is a question every business should be able to answer.
You might have someone in your organisation who updates website content. You might have an IT provider who looks after computers, email and other systems.
But who makes sure your website's underlying software is up to date?
Who monitors for security vulnerabilities?
Who looks after the server?
And who takes action when something needs attention?
These responsibilities can easily fall between the gaps, particularly when a website has been handed over after launch.
At Mity Digital, we prefer to make that responsibility clear.
We design and develop websites, but we're also here for the long term to look after the technology that keeps them running.
Your website is an ongoing investment
Your website plays an important role in your business.
It might generate enquiries, accept donations, provide information, sell products or give customers access to important services.
Whatever its purpose, you want it to be available, secure and working properly.
Regular maintenance helps protect the investment you've already made, reduces the risk of avoidable problems and gives you confidence that someone is looking after the technical details.
And that's exactly what our hosting and maintenance service is designed to do.
We built your website. We know how it works. And we'll keep looking after it.
If you're looking for an experienced Statamic and Laravel team to design, develop, host and maintain your website, get in touch with Mity Digital.
Michael Scruse
Michael brings a rare blend of technical, web and sales expertise to every project, backed by over 30 years of experience in the IT industry.
He’s also a qualified chef, though these days his culinary skills are mostly reserved for the home kitchen. A self-confessed history buff, Michael is currently deep into researching his own family tree.