The project's complete - your shiny new website is up and running. Job done, right?
Whilst a well structured, optimised and accessible website is important for your business, web development doesn't stop there. In fact, that's only the tip of the iceberg. Keeping your website secure, up-to-date, relevant and running effectively is an ongoing job.
The web does not stand still; it is constantly evolving. There are always new accessibility issues, new legislation to follow, new software updates and the ever-changing search engine algorithms.
For your website to deliver your desired results, it requires regular maintenance, much like your car or home boiler. Proactive maintenance of your site keeps it secure, increases web traffic, boosts return visits, and more. In this article, I share five key reasons why it's essential to maintain your website.
1. Website security
Possibly the most crucial reason you should proactively maintain your website is security. Cybercrime is a rapidly growing risk to businesses large and small. By regularly updating to the latest software patches and security updates, you will reduce the risk of hackers attacking your website. Hackers look for vulnerabilities within your website, and by not updating these security patches, hackers can take advantage by attacking your site - defacing pages, stealing data - causing you a lot of headaches to put right!
2. Boost site traffic
To deliver potential visitors with the most relevant content, search engines like Google prioritise websites that are updated regularly. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of your content being shown when your target audiences search for relevant keywords.
Updating your site with good quality information, fixing broken links, and ensuring that fresh content is regularly added will help attract both new and returning visitors.
3. Improves user experience
User experience (UX) is a big deal for search engines. Keeping your website updated with sharable content such as recent pictures, events, and blogs helps visitors know who you are. Increase user engagement by adding calls to action such as buttons to sign up to your email list or to follow you on social media.
A well-maintained website helps promote your brand, work, and mission. Regularly remove any out-of-date information and conduct a regular site audit to monitor performance issues or errors on your site. This will guarantee the best possible user experience.
4. Boost your brand
Your website's performance, loading speed, and other variables all depend on the quality of the domain host, plugins used, and themes. Keeping the website and plugins up-to-date improves the user experience and, in turn, your brand perception. If your website is slow and unreliable, visitors will likely think it represents your business and brand values.
Ultimately your website is your online shop window, and if it is not appealing, visitors may go elsewhere.
5. Save money
Fixing something that's already gone wrong is rarely the cost-effective option, and that includes your website. Proactive website maintenance means stopping things from going wrong in the first place, or at least spotting them before too much damage is done.
If your website goes down, it will adversely impact your business and brand, especially if you depend on an online presence to generate new leads or sell products.
Avoid loss of sales, reputational damage, inconvenience and even costly rebuild bills by engaging a reputable and reliable web developer to take care of your proactive maintenance.
Should you DIY website maintenance or engage a professional?
If you have an in-house IT team or are relatively tech-savvy, you may be able to take care of most of the updates and maintenance yourself. However, a professional website maintenance agency offers additional benefits, such as:
- Trained experts whose priority is taking care of your site.
- Experienced and knowledgeable about emerging technology, risks and solutions.
- It saves you time to focus on what matters most to you and your business.
- Cost-effective service monitoring your site 24/7.
Website maintenance is essential for all organisations, large and small. Regular website maintenance improves performance and provides a safe and secure environment for your visitors.
