Web and software
Hire a virtual assistant web developer for site updates, fixes and upkeep
A virtual assistant web developer looks after a live website for you: content updates, small fixes, plugin and theme upkeep, backups and checks. They work remotely, in your own site, from £8 an hour at the beginner level. We find the candidate and run four screening steps.
Before you hire
- Four screening steps before you meet a candidate
- Hours tracked
- Earliest start within 48 to 72 hours of choosing a candidate
The website work an assistant takes on
This is upkeep for an employer, not a development agency. The assistant works through a task list you set and keeps your site current.
Content and pages
- Content updates. Editing text, swapping images, adding new pages and posts from copy you supply.
- Forms and links. Checking that enquiry forms send and that links go where they should.
Fixes and upkeep
- Small fixes. Layout slips, broken links and other faults you report, repaired in the site’s own editor.
- Plugin and theme updates. Applying updates in a set order, with a backup taken first.
- Backups. Running and checking backups on the schedule you agree.
Checks and records
- Speed and page checks. Running the free tests on your key pages and listing what they find.
- Change log. A short record of what changed, when and why.
Where the assistant stops
This role does not design a new site, write custom code or rebuild a theme. If you want pages built or a layout redesigned, see the website design virtual assistant. Custom code is not part of this role.
Tools
Your assistant works in your own site, hosting panel and editor. Name them on the call, and we match the candidate to them.
What a virtual assistant web developer costs
Web and software work is priced per hour by experience, in pounds, for 80 hours a month part time or 160 hours full time. The pricing page lists every role.
| Experience level | Per hour | Part time, 80 hours a month | Full time, 160 hours a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (1 to 2 years) | £8.00 | £640 | £1,280 |
| Intermediate (2 to 4 years) | £11.00 | £880 | £1,760 |
| Expert (4 to 6 years) | £15.00 | £1,200 | £2,400 |
| Pro (6 to 8 years) | £20.00 | £1,600 | £3,200 |
A worked example
Illustration, not a quote. A shop owner wants content updates, plugin upkeep and a monthly check for 20 hours a week, which is 80 hours a month. At the intermediate level, 80 hours at £11.00 an hour comes to £880 a month. The table above also shows the full time figure for 160 hours. The price we confirm in writing is the one that counts.
Use the cost calculator to try your own hours.
A call to talk through the work
Is a virtual assistant web developer right for you?
A virtual assistant web developer suits you if
- You have a live site that needs steady upkeep and you would rather not do it yourself.
- Your site runs on a platform with an editor, so most changes need no code.
- You can give a list of jobs and the access they need.
- You want one person who learns your site over time.
Another role may suit you better if
- You need a new site or a redesign: the website design virtual assistant. Custom code is not part of this role.
- Your shop runs on Shopify: the Shopify developer.
- You use Wix: the Wix designer.
- You want software that uses AI models: the AI developer.
Which work belongs with an assistant
| The job | Suits an assistant | Outside this role |
|---|---|---|
| Change text, images and menus | Yes | |
| Add a page from supplied copy | Yes | |
| Apply a plugin update after a backup | Yes | |
| Fix a broken link or a form that does not send | Yes | |
| Write or change custom code | Yes | |
| Build a new feature or integration | Yes | |
| Redesign the site | Yes |
For a mix, choose the role that covers most of the hours and say so on the call.
What you should receive from a site upkeep assistant
General guidance, not a promise about any one assistant. You should see a site that stays up to date, a dated list of every change, a backup you can restore from, and a short note of anything the assistant found but did not touch because it needs a developer.
A brief you can copy
Fill this in before the first task. Change it to fit your site.
| Item | What to write |
|---|---|
| Site address and platform | The live address, and the system it runs on |
| Access | Named user accounts for the assistant, not your own password |
| Pages that matter most | The five pages that bring in enquiries or sales |
| Jobs and rhythm | Weekly content changes, monthly updates and checks |
| Do not touch | Pages, plugins or settings that stay as they are |
| Approval | Which changes you approve first |
| Where to report | One place for the change log |
How the work is measured
Check what you can see. Updates done by the agreed date. Faults reported and fixed inside the window you set. A backup taken before each update. Pages that load within the “good” range of the free speed tests. A change log with a date against every entry. Review the list monthly and change the rhythm where it does not fit.
Checks before you rely on the setup
- Backups cover both parts. WordPress’s backup guidance says a full backup holds the database and the files, suggests keeping at least three to five recent copies in different places, and recommends a fresh backup before any upgrade.
- Speed has a published yardstick. Google’s Core Web Vitals thresholds call 2,500 milliseconds or less good for the largest content to appear, 200 milliseconds or less for the page to respond to taps and clicks, and 0.1 or less for layout shift, measured at the 75th percentile of page views.
- Accounts are protected. The NCSC’s guide to 2 step verification explains how to turn it on, so switch it on for every account that can edit the site.
- Every person has a named login, and you can remove it in one step.
Common mistakes
- Sharing your own admin password instead of creating a named account.
- Updating plugins with no backup and no way back.
- Asking an assistant to change custom code, then finding no one understands it.
- Having no record of changes, so a fault cannot be traced.
Worked example: a monthly upkeep list
Example only. The site and list are invented to show the shape of a brief. No real client is described.
A small training firm gives its assistant this list. Week one: take a backup, then apply updates. Week two: check the enquiry form sends, and run the speed test on the five main pages. Week three: publish two new pages from supplied copy. Week four: write the change log and list anything that needs a developer. The firm approves the list each month and adds a job when something recurs.
Questions to ask any web upkeep provider
- Which jobs do you take on, and which do you pass to a developer?
- How do you take and test backups before an update?
- Will you use named accounts, or ask for my password?
- What happens to my site access when we stop?
What is included
The hourly rate covers the whole service: finding the candidate, the four screening steps below, setting up the platforms and tools your assistant needs for your site, hosting panel and editor, hours tracked with tools such as Time Doctor, and our management of recruitment, payroll management and quality management. There is no separate recruitment fee.
How hiring works
We start with a free call about the work and the hours you have in mind. We shortlist candidates who have passed our screening, you interview them and you choose. The earliest start is within 48 to 72 hours of choosing a candidate.
Four screening steps before you meet anyone
- CV screening.
- A first interview on personality and the general benchmark criteria.
- A technical interview.
- A practical task, to test the candidate in the field.
Notice and replacement
In the first 3 months you can end an unsuitable hire on one week’s notice. In the first days you can tell us it is not right and we will replace them. After the first 3 months, notice is 1 month. Replacement is included in the ongoing fee for as long as you are paying, at no extra charge. The 3 months is not a minimum term. The full terms are on how it works.
Questions about hiring a virtual assistant web developer
Is this a web developer or an assistant?
It is an assistant who works on websites. They update content, apply fixes in your site's editor, keep plugins and backups current and report what they find. For a redesign, see the website design virtual assistant. Custom code is outside this role.
How much does a virtual assistant web developer cost?
Web and software work starts from £8 an hour at the beginner level, then £11, £15 and £20 as experience rises. That is £640 to £1,600 a month at 80 hours and £1,280 to £3,200 at 160 hours. We confirm the exact price in writing before you commit. The pricing page lists every role.
Will the assistant need my password?
They need access, but not your own login. Create a named account for the assistant at the lowest level that does the job, switch on 2 step verification and remove the account when the work ends. This is general advice, and the NCSC guide above explains the steps. We set up the platforms and tools your assistant needs at onboarding.
Related roles
See the WordPress developer, Shopify developer, Wix designer and AI developer pages, or all virtual assistant roles. For one person’s full week, see the full time virtual assistant.
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