Bright House Media is a North Bay agency based in Marin County that provides emergency WordPress help for businesses and nonprofits in Marin and Sonoma. If your site has been hacked, shows an error, went blank after an update, or has stopped sending forms and orders, we can diagnose the problem and repair it. Our work includes malware cleanup, error and crash repair, backup restoration, access recovery, and security hardening afterward. Many common problems can be resolved within one to two business days once we have access, though complex infections and missing backups can take longer.

We have more than 8 years of experience with WordPress. If your website is in trouble right now, call (415) 450-5490 or email info@brighthousemedia.org, and tell us what you're seeing.

First Steps if Your Site Is Down or Hacked

A few calm steps now can make the repair faster and prevent further damage.

  • Don't panic, and don't delete anything. Deleted files can make recovery harder.
  • Write down what you see, including the exact error message, and take a screenshot.
  • Note what changed recently, such as an update, a new plugin, or a new user.
  • Avoid running more updates or installing "fix" plugins until the cause is known.
  • Don't restore an old backup yet. It may overwrite recent orders or content.
  • Gather your logins for WordPress, hosting, and your domain, if you have them.
  • If you suspect a hack, change your hosting and email passwords from a different device.

Then contact us. The more detail you can share, the faster we can find the cause.

Problems We Fix

Hacked Sites and Malware

Signs include strange redirects, unfamiliar pages or users, spam links, browser warnings, or a notice from your host. We scan the site, remove malicious code, close the entry point, and reset credentials.

White Screen and Critical Errors

A blank page, or a message saying there has been a critical error, usually points to a plugin, theme, or PHP conflict. We find the cause and restore the site.

Broken After an Update

Updates to WordPress, a theme, or a plugin sometimes clash. We roll back or repair the conflict, and test before updating again.

Database Connection Errors

This message means the site can't reach its database. We check credentials, the database server, and corrupted tables.

Site Down or Timing Out

We work out whether the cause is hosting, an expired domain or SSL certificate, a traffic spike, or the site itself.

Locked Out of WordPress

If you've lost your login, or a former developer or employee holds it, we help you regain access through your hosting account.

Forms, Checkout, and Email Not Working

We repair contact forms that silently fail, checkout errors, and messages that land in spam or never arrive.

Security Warnings

We resolve "not secure" browser messages, expired certificates, and blocklist warnings from Google or your host.

How We Handle an Emergency

1. Triage

We ask what you're seeing, what changed, and what access you have. We tell you what we think is happening and what we'll check first.

2. Secure and Back Up

Before changing anything, we take a full copy of the site in its current state, so nothing is lost.

3. Diagnose

We review error logs, recent changes, files, and the database to find the cause, not only the symptom.

4. Repair

We fix the problem, restore from a clean backup where that's the better route, and remove anything malicious.

5. Test

We check pages, forms, logins, checkout, and email delivery.

6. Explain

We tell you in plain language what happened, what we did, and how to reduce the chance of it happening again.

What We Need From You

  • A WordPress administrator login, if you can still sign in
  • Your hosting account login, or an invitation to it
  • Your domain registrar login, if the problem may involve the domain
  • A description of what you see, and when it started
  • Any recent changes you know about

Please share passwords through a secure method, not plain email. If you don't know where your site is hosted, we can usually find out.

After a Hack: Cleaning Up Properly

Removing the visible damage isn't enough. Attackers often leave hidden back doors, extra administrator accounts, or scheduled tasks that reinfect a site days later. A thorough cleanup covers the following.

  • Scanning all files and the database, not only the obvious ones
  • Replacing WordPress core, theme, and plugin files with clean copies
  • Removing unknown users and resetting every password and security key
  • Updating outdated software, and removing abandoned plugins
  • Asking Google and security services to review the site and lift warnings
  • Adding a firewall, login protection, and monitoring

If your site stores customer or payment information, a breach may carry notification duties under the law. We can tell you what we found on the site, but you should speak with an attorney about your obligations. This is general information, not legal advice.

Why WordPress Sites Break

Most emergencies trace back to a few causes.

  • Outdated plugins, themes, or WordPress versions with known security holes
  • Weak or reused passwords
  • Abandoned plugins that no longer receive updates
  • Automatic updates that conflict with each other
  • Cheap, overcrowded hosting
  • An expired domain, SSL certificate, or hosting plan
  • No recent backup, or a backup stored on the same server

None of these mean you did something foolish. They're common, and they're preventable with routine care.

Preventing the Next Emergency

Once your site is stable, we recommend a few lasting protections.

  • Regular updates, tested before they go live
  • Daily backups stored away from your server, and tested
  • Security monitoring and a firewall
  • Uptime monitoring, so someone knows the moment the site goes down
  • Strong, unique passwords and two-step login for administrators
  • Fewer, better-supported plugins
  • Reliable hosting

Our hosting and maintenance plans cover all of this. Clients on a plan receive priority when something goes wrong.

What We Can and Can't Promise

We'll always be straight with you. We respond as quickly as we can, and we prioritize sites that are down or compromised, but we're a small agency and can't guarantee a specific response time for new clients. Some situations are outside anyone's control: a host with an outage, a site with no usable backup, or data that was overwritten before we were called. We can't guarantee that every site or every piece of data can be recovered, and no site can be made immune to future attacks. We'll tell you what's realistic before we begin, and we won't charge for work we don't believe will help.

Repair, Rebuild, or Move?

Sometimes an emergency reveals a deeper problem. If a site runs on an unsupported theme, a dozen outdated plugins, or failing hosting, a repair may only buy time. In those cases we'll say so, and outline the options: a cleanup and hardening, a move to better hosting, or a rebuild on a clean foundation. The decision is yours, and we'll give you honest costs for each. If a rebuild makes sense, see our website redesign services.

If Your Developer Has Disappeared

Many emergency calls begin with the same sentence: the person who built the site can't be reached. We help you find out where your site and domain live, regain control of the accounts, and put everything in your name. Your website should never depend on one unreachable person.

Who We Help

We work with businesses and nonprofits across Marin and Sonoma, including San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Healdsburg. Because WordPress repairs are done remotely, we can start as soon as we have access.

Why Choose Bright House Media?

  • More than 8 years of experience with WordPress
  • A local agency you can call and speak with
  • A full backup before we change anything
  • Root causes fixed, not only symptoms
  • Plain-language explanations of what happened
  • Maintenance plans that help prevent a repeat

Frequently Asked Questions

Who provides emergency WordPress help in the North Bay?

Bright House Media provides emergency WordPress help for Marin and Sonoma County businesses, including malware cleanup, error repair, backup restoration, access recovery, and security hardening.

How fast can you fix my website?

Many common problems can be resolved within one to two business days once we have access. Complex infections and missing backups can take longer.

My WordPress site was hacked. What should I do first?

Don't delete anything. Note what you see, change your hosting and email passwords from another device, and contact us.

Can you recover my site if I don't have a backup?

Often, yes. Hosts frequently keep their own backups, and many sites can be repaired in place. We can't guarantee full recovery in every case.

What does "There has been a critical error on this website" mean?

It usually means a plugin, theme, or PHP conflict has stopped WordPress from loading. We find the cause and restore the site.

Will I lose my content or orders?

We take a full copy of the site before making changes, and choose the repair that preserves the most recent data.

Can you help if I'm locked out of my own website?

Yes. We help you regain access through your hosting account, and put the accounts in your name.

How much does an emergency repair cost?

Pricing depends on the problem and the time required. We'll explain what we expect before we begin.

Get Help Now

If your website is down, hacked, or broken, contact Bright House Media and tell us what you're seeing.

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