Taking over existing websites
We take over ongoing maintenance during an agency handover, address overdue updates or support your internal team.
Our initial assessment covers the condition of the system and outstanding work, ordered by urgency. We can start with individual fixes or agree ongoing maintenance. Major upgrades and new features are planned separately.
Website handover checklist
During the handover, we review the following documentation and access with you. We fill gaps in the documentation as part of the initial assessment.
- Source code and publishing: code repository, software versions, custom extensions and the process for testing and releasing changes.
- Access and responsibilities: CMS, hosting, domains and connected services, with the relevant contacts and permissions.
- Backups: which files and databases are backed up, where copies are stored, how long they are retained and when a restoration was last tested.
- Business-critical functions: for example, enquiry forms, login, search or transfer to a customer system, and how they are currently tested.
- Integrations and scheduled tasks: data imports, background processes, email delivery and dependencies on other applications.
- Outstanding work: known defects, security advisories, end-of-support dates, licence renewals and changes already agreed.
How we handle an incident
Priority depends on which functions have failed and which business processes rely on them. We handle incidents within the agreed service hours and response times.
Identify the cause
We review error logs, affected functions and recent releases. If the issue involves hosting or a connected service, we bring in the responsible provider.
Restore service
Depending on the cause, we fix the defect, roll back a change or agree a workaround. Actions affecting data or availability require approval; affected functions are checked after the change.
Plan follow-up work
We document the change and outstanding issues. If a workaround has restored service, we estimate and prioritise the permanent fix.
Updates, monitoring and ongoing development
We review updates and security advisories for the systems and extensions in use. Before release, we test changes in a separate environment, including key functions and integrations. For substantial changes, we plan how to restore the previous state if needed.
We agree which availability, error and loading-time signals to monitor and who responds to alerts. With your team, we prioritise recurring defects, software approaching end of support, accessibility barriers and technical SEO issues, and estimate the work involved.
Long-standing relationships
We have worked with Austrian Lotteries since 2014, DONAU Versicherung since 2017 and ORF-Enterprise for more than 15 years. At Marinomed, the website project also developed into an ongoing support relationship.
Related services
- TYPO3Upgrades and development of complex websites
- WordPressMaintenance and takeover of existing websites
- Craft CMSUpdates and ongoing development
- Neos CMSTechnical support for existing websites
- Web applicationsCustom applications and integrations
- Legacy modernisationRenew older applications in stages
- AccessibilityNavigation, forms and accessible web applications
Questions about handover, response times and costs
How quickly do you respond to an outage?
Binding response times are agreed in advance in a Service Level Agreement (SLA). It also defines service hours, reporting channels, priorities and contacts. Response time describes when work starts; resolution time depends on the cause and other providers involved. Without such an agreement, we first check our availability when you contact us.
Can you take over a website you did not build?
Yes. We first review the source code, system condition and available access. This identifies missing documentation or unsupported extensions. You receive an assessment of what we can maintain immediately and what preparation is required.
Do we have to change hosting providers?
We can usually work with your existing provider. We check whether the environment meets the technical requirements of the application and explain our recommendation if a move is needed. You hold hosting and platform contracts directly with the provider; access and data remain under your control.
What does maintenance cover, and what is quoted separately?
Recurring checks, updates and support are defined in the agreed scope. Major version upgrades, new features and substantial integration changes are planned and estimated separately. Custom extensions, connected systems, testing requirements and service hours influence the effort.