Why Is ‘Website Maintenance’ Important in Todays Time?

Why Is Website Maintenance Important?

Website Maintenance is the act of constantly reviewing your website for problems and errors, as well as keeping it updated and relevant. This should be done regularly so that your site remains healthy, that there is steady traffic to your site, and that your SEO and Google rankings remain strong.

In order to engage and retain clients, maintaining a well-managed and attractive website is essential for small and large companies. It is easy to cut corners and let some tasks “slide”, however, website maintenance should never be an afterthought. Immediate problems do not always reveal themselves, but just as your health can deteriorate if you go too long without seeing a doctor, your website’s health can deteriorate as well.

What’s All is Included in Website Maintenance?

1. Testing

At least once a year, and after any updates, test your entire website. Check that all features work, that no links are broken, and that no information is outdated or incorrect. Bring in someone who is not affiliated with your company to evaluate the usability of your website.

2. Backup

If something goes wrong with your website, backing it up can help you avoid losing a lot of time and money. If you have an automatic backup feature, test it once a month to make sure it is working. Complete a manual backup at least once a month if you do not have automatic backups.

3. Software Updates

Check your hosting providers, security providers, and other third-party software (e.g. WordPress) updates on a monthly basis. These updates ensure that your website’s functionality and security are up to date. If possible, apply patches as soon as they are available.

4. Test your Website’s Forms and Checkout Process

Make sure all your forms and checkout processes are working properly at least once a quarter.

5. Google Analytics

Review your website’s performance at least once a week using tools like Google Analytics. Examine your key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure that your website is assisting you in achieving your objectives. Make the necessary changes and review your main metrics to improve your site’s results.

6. Browser Testing

Test whether your website works correctly in several versions of mainstream browsers at least once a year.

7. Website Speed

Test your website speed at least once a month, you can use the free platform such as Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix and debug the issues.

8. Clean Up the Website

Clean up your website at least once a quarter from spam comments, unused plugins, unpublished pages, and posts, and images.

Website Maintenance Improves Security

Security is the key reason for the importance of website maintenance. If your company uses a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, you will want to make sure it is up to date on software fixes and security updates. If you do not do so, hackers will have access to your website’s data.

Website Maintenance Boosts Site Traffic

Search engines like Google boost the rankings of websites that are updated frequently in order to offer the highest quality content to users. A higher ranking boosts your website’s popularity, increasing the chances that your content will show up as your target audience searches for relevant keywords. Adding useful content to your website, repairing broken links, removing redundant pages, and keeping your content up to date can help you attract new and returning visitors.

Website Maintenance Optimizes the Visitor Experience

Adding sharable content to your website on a regular basis, such as upcoming activities, image galleries, and blogs, gives your audience an idea of who you are and what you do. Include actionable things like a newsletter signup form and social media icons that connect to your organization’s profile to engage your audience. A well-maintained website aids in the promotion of your company’s image, job, and mission.