As the owner of a small business, you know that keeping your website running effectively is important. But what does website maintenance entail? And why is it so important?
Maintaining a website can be a daunting task, but it is important to keep your site running effectively to reach your target audience and have overall long-term business growth.
According to a study by the National Small Business Association, 43% of small businesses don’t update their website at all, and 53% only update their website a few times a year or less.
This is a huge mistake. Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. If it’s out-of-date, they’ll assume you’re out of touch.
Fortunately, keeping your website up-to-date doesn’t have to be a huge hassle. In this article, we will discuss the basics of website maintenance-what it entails, why it is important, and how you can go about doing it yourself or hiring a professional to take care of it for you.
What is Website Maintenance?
Website maintenance includes all of the activities necessary to keep a website running smoothly and effectively. This can include tasks such as updating content, backing up data, and implementing security measures. It is important to regularly maintain your website to ensure that it remains accessible and attractive to users.
What does Website Maintenance include?
Website maintenance includes several different tasks, all of which are necessary to keep your site running smoothly. These tasks can be divided into three main categories: updates, backups, and security measures.
Updates
Updates are necessary to keep your website running smoothly and looking good. They can include anything from new content and images to security patches and plugin updates. Keeping your site up-to-date is important for two reasons: first, it ensures that your visitors have a positive experience when they visit your site; and second, it helps to protect your site from security threats.
Backups
Backups ensure that your data is safe in the event of a disaster or attack. It is important to create regular website backups so that you can restore them if something goes wrong. There are several different ways to create backups, but the most important thing is to make sure that you do it regularly.
Security Measures
Security measures protect your site from hackers and other threats. They can include things like firewalls, password protection, and malware scanning. Taking these measures is important to keep your site safe from harm.
Why is Website Maintenance important?
Maintaining your website is an important part of website ownership. Neglecting your site can lead to serious problems, such as security vulnerabilities, broken links, and outdated content. Not only can these problems make your site less effective, but they can also damage your reputation.
Hiring a professional who offers website maintenance services is often the best option. They will be able to keep your site running smoothly and take care of any problems that arise. However, if you are on a tight budget, you may be tempted to do it yourself.
Doing it yourself can save you money but may not be the best solution. If you are not sure what you are doing, you could end up causing more problems than you solve. Additionally, you will need to dedicate a significant amount of time to website maintenance if you want to do it yourself.
Make sure you understand what is involved in website maintenance before making a decision. Taking care of your website is important to keep it running well and looking its best.
SEO
Website maintenance and SEO go hand in hand.
Updating your website regularly helps to improve your SEO by keeping your content fresh and relevant. Additionally, security measures such as SSL encryption help to protect your site from hackers and improve your ranking in search results.
Google will rank your website not only based on content but also on user engagement signals.
Your website’s loading speed, uptime, and security all play a role in your SEO.
That’s why website maintenance is so important for SEO—it ensures that your site is running smoothly and effectively, providing a positive experience for users and helping you to rank higher in search results.
Organization
Keeping up with your website maintenance can be a challenge, especially if you have a large site. Creating a routine maintenance schedule is a good way to stay organized and ensure that all of the tasks are completed on time.
Your schedule should include all of the tasks that need to be completed, as well as when they need to be done. For example, you may want to create a daily to-do list that includes tasks such as checking for broken links and adding new content. Additionally, you should create a weekly or monthly schedule for larger tasks, such as plugin updates and backups.
Creating a maintenance schedule is a good way to ensure that your website is always up-to-date.
Security
One of the most important aspects of website maintenance is security. Your website is vulnerable to attacks by hackers, which can lead to data loss and downtime.
That’s why it’s so important to keep your site secure with measures such as SSL encryption and regular backups. Additionally, you should install security plugins and update them regularly.
By taking security measures, you can protect your website from attacks and keep your data safe.
Updates
Another important aspect of website maintenance is keeping your site updated. This includes updating your content, plugins, and themes.
If you don’t keep your site updated, you run the risk of security vulnerabilities, broken features, and compatibility issues. Additionally, outdated content can make your site less effective and perform poorly.
Make sure to keep your site updated to avoid these problems.
Backups
Backing up your website is an important part of website maintenance. If something goes wrong, you will be able to restore your site from a backup and minimize the damage.
There are several ways to back up your website, including manual backups and automatic backups. Manual backups are created by you, while automatic backups are created by your web host.
Both types of backups have their advantages and disadvantages. Manual backups give you more control over when and how often they are created. However, they can be time-consuming. Automatic backups are created automatically, so they require less effort on your part. However, you may not be able to restore your site from an automatic backup if something goes wrong.
No matter which type of backup you choose, make sure to create them regularly.
Website maintenance is important to keep your site running smoothly and effectively. By taking measures such as creating a maintenance schedule, backing up your site, and keeping it secure, you can avoid problems and ensure that your website is always up-to-date.
How much does Small Business Website Maintenance Cost?
Depending on the size, complexity, and functionality of your website, the cost of maintaining it will vary. Typically, website maintenance costs range from $50-$250 per month.
- Small Personal Website/Blog: $25-$50 per month
- Small Business Website: $50-$150 per month
- SMB Business Website: $100-$250 per month
- E-commerce Website: $500-$3,000 per month
To get an accurate estimate of how much it will cost to maintain your specific website, contact a web development or marketing agency and request a quote. Be sure to ask about their experience with maintaining similar websites, what services are included in their monthly fee, and how they would handle any unexpected issues that may arise.
By investing in professional website maintenance, you can be confident that your site is always up-to-date, secure, and running smoothly—giving you more time to focus on running your business.
How can I improve my Website Maintenance?
There are several things you can do to improve your website maintenance:
- Use a content management system (CMS). This will make it easier for you to update your website without having to hire a professional.
- Use a website builder. A website builder service already includes maintenance perks, so some of the maintenance load will be taken off your plate
- Keep your website simple. The more complicated your website is, the more expensive it will be to maintain.
- Use templates. If you are not a web designer, using templates can help you create a professional-looking website without the need for expensive design services.
- Hire a professional. If you are not comfortable maintaining your own website, hire a professional to do it for you. This will ensure that your website is always up-to-date and looking its best.
- Do it yourself. If you are comfortable updating your own website, there is no need to hire a professional. However, be sure to keep your skills up-to-date so that you can handle any unexpected problems that may arise.
By following these tips, you can improve your website maintenance and save money in the long run.
How often should I update my Website?
It is generally recommended that you update your website at least once a month. However, if you have a large website or one that is frequently updated, you may need to do it more often.
Updating your website regularly is important to keep it running smoothly and looking its best. Here is a list of website maintenance tasks that should be implemented:
Weekly Maintenance
- Review all of the web pages and ensure that none return any errors.
- Load all of the pages in different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) to ensure that they display correctly.
- Check and fix any broken links.
- If you have a blog, post new content and ensure that it is being syndicated correctly
- Check contact form functionality and spam filters.
- Redirect any pages that have been removed or updated.
Monthly Maintenance
- Update all plugins, themes, and software on your website.
- Check your website’s security settings and ensure that it is properly configured.
- Back up your website files and database.
- Analyze your website’s traffic data and make changes accordingly.
- Delete any unused files and images.
- Optimize your website’s performance by reducing file sizes and implementing caching.
- Check your website’s security and ensure that it is malware-free.
Quarterly Maintenance
- Evaluate your website’s design and make changes as needed
- Test your website’s forms, payment processing, and other functionality.
- Update your company’s contact information on your website.
- Make sure your website is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.
- On-page SEO audit to ensure your website is optimized for search engines.
Annual Maintenance
- Renew your domain name and SSL certificate.
- Renew or upgrade web hosting.
- Archive your website’s content.
- Update your website’s copyright information.
By following these maintenance tasks, you can keep your website running smoothly and looking its best.
In Conclusion
Website maintenance is important to keeping your site up-to-date, secure, and running smoothly. Use a content management system, keep your website simple, and use templates to save money on expensive design services. Consider hiring us if you are not comfortable maintaining your own website. Finally, update your website regularly to ensure it is always looking its best. By following these tips, you can improve your website maintenance and save money in the long haul.
FAQs
Why pay for website maintenance?
Websites need to be maintained to remain secure, fast, and compatible with the latest web standards. By actively maintaining your website, you can rest assured that your site will stay up-to-date and secure, and will continue to function properly.
In addition, regular maintenance can help prevent major issues from arising in the first place. By keeping your site up-to-date, you can avoid compatibility issues, broken links, and other potential problems.
Ultimately, website maintenance is a wise investment that can save you time, money, and headaches down the road.
What are some common website maintenance tasks?
Some common website maintenance tasks include reviewing all web pages for errors, updating plugins and software, backing up files, and analyzing traffic data.
How can I improve my website maintenance?
You can improve your website maintenance by following these tips: use a content management system, keep your website simple, use templates, and update your site regularly. You can also hire a professional to help you if you are not comfortable maintaining your own website.
How much does it cost to maintain a website for a small business?
The cost of maintaining a website for a small business can vary depending on the size of the site and the frequency of updates. However, it is generally recommended that you budget at least $100 per month for website maintenance.
What maintenance does a website need?
A website needs regular maintenance to ensure it is always up-to-date, secure and running smoothly. Tasks can include reviewing web pages for errors, updating plugins and software, backing up files, and analyzing traffic data.
What does a website maintenance package plan include?
A website maintenance plan can include a variety of tasks, such as reviewing web pages for errors, updating plugins and software, backing up files, and analyzing traffic data. The specific tasks included in a plan will vary from company to company.
Some providers may offer a selection of website maintenance plans, make sure your website maintenance service plan reflects what your website needs.
How often should I update my website?
It is generally recommended that you update your website at least once per month to ensure it is always up-to-date and running smoothly. However, the frequency of updates will depend on the specific needs of your site.
What are some common website security threats?
Some common website security threats include malware, viruses, phishing scams, and SQL injection attacks. These threats can damage your website and steal sensitive information.
How can I protect my website from security threats?
You can protect your website from security threats by keeping your site up-to-date, using a secure password, and avoiding shady websites. You can also use a security plugin to add an extra layer of protection.
