When people look at my webmaster pricing page, the most common follow-up question is: “How do I know which plan to choose?”

It’s a reasonable thing to wonder. You don’t know exactly what’s coming every month, and neither do I. But there are some reliable patterns based on site type and activity level that make this easier to figure out.

What the hours actually cover

First, a quick clarification. Your monthly hours cover hands-on work on your website: content updates, plugin and theme updates, speed fixes, page edits, new pages, form changes, image optimization, security adjustments, and email or phone support related to your hosting, domain, or site.

They don’t cover things like building a full new website from scratch, large-scale redesigns, or major platform migrations — those are scoped separately.

The 3-hour plan ($210/month)

This works well for sites that don’t change much. If you have a relatively static site — a service business with a few pages, a professional portfolio, a restaurant with a standard menu — and your main need is keeping things updated, secure, and monitored, three hours covers it comfortably in most months.

It’s also a good starting point if you’re not sure what you need. You can always upgrade.

The 6-hour plan ($390/month)

This is the most popular option for active small businesses. If you publish content somewhat regularly, run seasonal promotions, update staff information, add new service pages, or have a site that gets touched a few times a month — six hours gives you room to breathe without paying for hours you won’t use.

The 9-hour plan ($540/month)

Right for busier sites: e-commerce stores with regular product updates, businesses with a blog they actually post to, or anyone who tends to have a running list of things that need doing. Nine hours gives you flexibility to tackle bigger projects within your monthly allocation without extra conversations about scope.

The 12-hour plan ($720/month)

This is for sites where the work is ongoing and consistent. If your website is central to how your business runs — regular content publishing, frequent product or service changes, ongoing technical improvements — twelve hours gives you the most room and the most predictable monthly coverage.

What to do when you’re not sure

Here’s what I’d suggest: think back over the last few months and count up everything you either did on your site, wanted to do but didn’t get to, or paid someone else to do. If that list is mostly occasional updates, start with 3. If it’s more regular and you have a backlog, go with 6 or 9.

You can also just send me a message and describe your site and situation. I’ll tell you what I’d recommend and why. No pressure to commit before you’re ready.

And if what you really need is a single focused day to knock out a backlog — rather than an ongoing plan — the VIP Super Day might be the better fit.