Development versus maintenance
Development is a project with a start and an end: analysing the task, structure, design, front-end and back-end work, content and launch. Maintenance is the ongoing work after launch: updates, fixes, content, analytics, security and improvements based on real data.
Think of a website as a shop. Opening one in Tashkent is not enough; you have to refresh the window, keep price tags correct and watch who comes in and what they buy. A site that is not maintained ages quickly and loses the trust of both visitors and search engines.
Start with a goal and metrics
Before choosing a builder or an agency, decide what the site must do. For an online shop it is orders and average basket value, for a clinic or salon it is bookings, for a B2B company it is quote requests. One main goal and two or three measurable metrics beat ten vague wishes.
Agree in advance how you will judge results: number of enquiries, cost per lead, conversion to the target action, search positions for key queries. Everything else depends on this, from page structure to the list of improvements after launch.
What to settle before any code is written
A good contractor asks questions before sending a quote. These are worth clarifying up front:
- Who your audience is and how they arrive: on a phone from Instagram or Telegram, from Google, from OLX or Uzum.
- Site languages: Russian and Uzbek versions are almost always needed, and they should be planned from day one, not “later”.
- Contact and payment options: a form, a phone call, Telegram, Click, Payme, cash on delivery.
- Integrations: a CRM, Telegram alerts for new leads, stock records, a delivery service.
- Speed on mobile data: heavy images and extra scripts push away visitors in the regions.
- Who owns the domain, hosting and admin access. It should be you.
What website maintenance includes
Maintenance is more than “fixing a line of text”. It is a regular set of tasks that should be written into the contract, with a clear owner for each.
If your own employee handles some tasks and the contractor handles others, split responsibility early. Otherwise an urgent price change can sit in a queue for weeks.
- Content updates: prices, promotions, catalogue, news, reviews.
- Technical support: backups, system updates, protection against hacking, domain and hosting renewal.
- Analytics: working counters, goals and reports the owner can actually read.
- SEO: checking indexing, speed and structure, and building pages around search queries.
- Improvements: new blocks, forms and integrations based on how visitors behave.
How to choose a contractor
The market in Tashkent is uneven: there are freelancers, small studios and full-cycle agencies. The difference is usually not the price but the approach. One delivers a good-looking site and disappears; another takes responsibility for results and is ready to show numbers.
Ask for examples in your industry and talk about what happens after launch. Find out how the contractor will report, who handles support and what you receive at the end: source files, access credentials, documentation. If a question about metrics gets the answer “it will all be fine”, treat that as a warning sign.
What shapes the price
Cost does not depend on “site size” in general but on specific factors: the number and complexity of pages, custom design or a template, functionality (catalogue, user account, online payment), the number of languages, integrations and the amount of content. Domain, hosting and monthly support are usually priced separately.
Compare offers by the scope of work, not by the final figure in soums. A cheap option without analytics and support often ends up costing more, because the site has to be rebuilt or simply produces no leads.
Common mistakes and the next step
The most common mistake is launching without basic analytics. Without it you cannot tell whether the site pays back or the budget is just being spent. The second is having no plan after launch: no traffic, no content, no improvements. The third is a site disconnected from advertising and social media, for example an Instagram link that leads to a page without the offer people expect.
If you want to discuss how to build and maintain a site for your particular task, the markdev team can review your current situation and suggest a structure and order of work. Leave a request and we will explain where it makes the most sense to start in your case.
FAQ
Does a website need maintenance after launch?
Yes. Without updates, backups, analytics and improvements, a site becomes outdated, performs worse in search and stops generating enquiries.
Which is better: a website builder, a template or custom development?
It depends on the task. A builder or template is enough for a simple business card site or to test an idea. If you need custom logic, integrations and room to grow, custom development is the better choice.
Do I need an Uzbek version of my site?
In most cases, yes. Part of your audience searches and reads in Uzbek, so having both language versions widens reach and builds trust.
How can I tell if my website pays for itself?
Set up analytics and record leads and orders by source. Then compare the revenue from those enquiries with what you spend on development, maintenance and advertising.
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