Hacked, Abandoned or Just Embarrassing? We Take Sites Back
We have cleaned sites that were reinfected weekly, moved sites off hosts that vanished, and pried domains loose from developers who stopped answering. There is almost always a way back.
What it is
Website rescue is the process of recovering a website that is hacked, broken, held by a former developer, or running on a host that no longer answers. Media Pillars removes malware and backdoors, migrates the site to stable hosting, recovers logins and domains, and — when the site is beyond saving — rebuilds it on a clean WordPress install while preserving search rankings with proper redirects.
Who it's for
- Sites showing a hacked warning in Google
- Owners whose developer disappeared
- Businesses on hosting that keeps going down
- Sites running years-old plugins and themes
What you get
Malware and backdoor removal
Full file-level cleanup, not just a scanner run; we find what keeps reinfecting.
Hosting migration
Move to a managed host with backups, staging and real support.
Access recovery
Domains, hosting and WordPress logins returned to the business owner.
Hardening
Firewall, login protection, file permissions and update routines set properly.
Redesign when needed
A fresh build on the same domain with redirects so rankings carry over.
Documentation
You receive a written record of every login and where everything lives.
How it starts
Assess
A quick look at the site, host and domain tells us if it is a cleanup or a rebuild.
Rescue
Cleanup or migration is done on a copy first, then swapped live.
Protect
A care plan keeps the site updated and monitored so it doesn't happen again.
Pricing
Monthly plans are month to month with 30 days' notice. One-time work is a flat rate quoted in writing.
Website Rescue
Cleanup or migration; cleanup plus hardening and refresh; full rebuild on a clean install. Quoted in writing.
Get an assessmentPair it with a monthly plan
Most clients run this alongside Front Office AI ($397/mo) so calls, texts and bookings are handled by the same system. See every plan side by side.
Compare all plansSometimes the Site Is Worth Saving. We Will Tell You Which.
Website rescue is taking over a site in trouble — hacked and blacklisted, broken by an update, abandoned mid-project by a developer who stopped answering, trapped on Wix or GoDaddy’s builder, or simply so outdated it costs you jobs — and getting it stable, secure and working again.
The first thing you get from us is a diagnosis, not a pitch: what is actually wrong, what it is worth saving, and a flat number for each path. Sometimes a $997 rescue saves a $5,000 rebuild. Sometimes the foundation is rot and we say so before you spend a dollar on it.
Migrations keep your rankings: every URL mapped and redirected, titles and content preserved, Google told properly about the move. Done wrong, a migration erases years of SEO overnight — that is the disaster we exist to prevent.
What You Get
Handled end to end.
Hacked Site Cleanup
Malware removed, backdoors closed, Google blacklist warnings cleared, and hardening so it does not happen twice.
Developer Abandonment Takeover
Half-finished builds, hostage logins, no documentation — we recover access, finish or stabilize the work, and put you in control of your own site.
Platform Migrations
Off Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy Builder or old custom code onto WordPress you own — with every URL redirected so rankings survive the move.
Full Redesigns
Keep the domain and the rankings, replace the embarrassment. Modern, fast, mobile-first, structured for Google and AI search.
Access and Ownership Recovery
Domain at a registrar you cannot reach, hosting in an ex-partner’s name, admin logins lost — we untangle it and put everything in your name.
Stabilize Now, Rebuild Later
Not ready for a redesign? We stop the bleeding — security, backups, updates, speed — so the site holds until you are.
Built for Sites In Trouble
If any of these sound familiar, the diagnosis is free.
- The developer disappeared and something just broke
- Google shows a red warning on your site
- The site went down and nobody knows the logins
- You are on Wix or GoDaddy and have outgrown it
- An update broke the layout months ago
- The site is fine but looks ten years old
- A partner left and owns half the accounts
- You inherited a business with a mystery website
Serving Upstate New York, Vermont and the Catskills
Media Pillars LLC is a NYS-certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business based in Granville, NY. We serve businesses in Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, Queensbury, Albany, Schenectady, Troy, Lake George, Whitehall, Granville, Salem, Cambridge, Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, and throughout Washington, Warren, Saratoga, Rensselaer, Albany and Greene Counties — plus Rutland, Manchester, Bennington and Poultney in Vermont, and the Catskills region including Catskill, Saugerties and Hudson.
Everything is remote-managed, so where you are located does not change what you pay or how fast you go live.
Other Media Pillars Services
Website Design & CareSpeed OptimizationLocal SEO & AI SearchAll Services
Get the Free Diagnosis Before It Gets Worse
Talk to the AI right now — tell it what is wrong and it will book the free inspection. You will know what you are dealing with this week.
Talk to Our AI Right Now Call or Text (518) 777-2263
No contracts. Month to month. Plans from $197/mo. Prefer a human? Frank direct: (518) 588-4012.
Common questions
What does a rescue cost?
Cleanup or migration from $997; cleanup plus hardening and a refresh $1,997; full rebuild on a clean install $2,997. Quoted in writing.
Will I lose my rankings?
Not if it's done right. Redirects, sitemaps and Search Console are part of every rescue.
How fast can you act on a hacked site?
Usually the same day for assessment and within 48 hours for cleanup.
Can you get my domain back?
Often, yes — through the registrar's recovery process with proof of business ownership.
My developer disappeared with the logins. Can you even get in?
Usually yes. Between domain registrars, hosting companies and WordPress itself there is almost always a recovery path for the legitimate owner — it takes patience and knowing who to ask for what. Recovering access and putting everything in your name is step one of every takeover.
Cleanup typically takes days; Google’s review after we request it typically takes a few days more. The warning kills roughly all of your click-through while it is up, so this is the one we treat as an emergency.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I move from Wix to WordPress?
Not if the migration is done properly — that means every old URL mapped to its new home with 301 redirects, titles and content preserved, and Search Console told about the change. Botched migrations lose rankings; mapped ones keep them and usually improve from the better platform.
Can you just fix it without redesigning it?
Yes. Rescue and redesign are separate decisions, and plenty of rescues end with a site that is stable, secure and fine as it is. We quote each path separately so you choose with real numbers.
What if the site is not worth saving?
We say exactly that in the free diagnosis, and the rebuild quote uses our standard flat build pricing. What we will not do is bill you to polish a foundation that is rotten.
How do I keep this from happening again?
The $97/mo Essential Care plan: updates, security monitoring, daily backups and small edits, handled monthly. Every rescue we do ends with the same advice, because every rescue we do started with nobody watching the site.
Google shows a red "this site may be hacked" warning. How fast can that go away?
Cleanup typically takes days; Google's review after we request it typically takes a few days more. The warning kills roughly all of your click-through while it is up, so this is the one we treat as an emergency.
Does ChatGPT recommend your business — or your competitor?
Free 30-second check on ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. Your score on screen, a PDF report in your inbox, and the exact fix.
Try the assistant, then decide about website rescue & redesign
Call or text the AI line, or chat right here. It will book your 15-minute walkthrough on its own — that's the demo.
Backed by the Media Pillars Standard
Fourteen written guarantees, each with the remedy attached. Published because a promise you cannot check is not a promise.
- Calls answered 24/7 · 60-second text-back
- One-hour support response
- You own your domain, site and data
- No contracts · 30 days’ notice
- Every price published
- 90+ mobile PageSpeed on new sites
- Honest reviews, never gated
- Owner-level access to your own accounts
- A named human with a direct cell
- Money-back results guarantees
- 5-day exit, no fee