3 Reasons to Have a Maintenance Routine
The Importance of Website Maintenance
Your website has launched, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. After development, it needs regular website maintenance. It’s a continuous process that keeps the site functioning at its most optimal level.
Realistically, a website is never truly complete. It’s more like a work in progress, sort of like a house. Your responsibilities don’t stop once you move in and unpack. You need to pay your rent or mortgage, clean up when things become dirty, and replace or repair items when they break. Neglect these tasks, and you run into bigger problems down the road.
The same is true for your website. Consistent website maintenance is an essential part of upkeep for any site. If left untouched, things fall into disrepair. But if taken care of after the website development process, your site can remain healthy without serious setbacks.
You see, blog posts don’t just create themselves. They must be written, which takes time, planning, and research. However, many clients haven’t worked out the logistics of it. They can’t make time for the blogging process because they simply have other things to do. And that’s where we see them eagerly overcommit but underdeliver.
Prioritizing Your Web Visitors
User Experience
We’ve all visited a website littered with broken components. Images files are missing, parts of the website have visible code, and some pages yield errors. You don’t have to be a web expert to know this isn’t a good look. It makes the business appear unprofessional and unstable. And no user wants to be on a website that seems unsafe.
One of the goals of website maintenance is to ensure your users do not come across any of these issues. The health and functionality of your website are monitored with ongoing website maintenance. And if problems arise, like broken links or dead contact forms, they’re typically remedied before they ever impact your users.
You want to give website visitors a smooth experience with as little trouble as possible. That means things are loading quickly, design elements are in place, and interactive features are correctly functioning. Not only does this increase the likelihood of them returning to your site, but it also leaves a much better impression than a broken site.
Introducing New Content
SEO
Search engines want to deliver the most relevant, up-to-date content to users. In other words, they love fresh content like blog posts or new landing pages. The more often you update your website with valuable content, the more search engines need to crawl your site. Indexing this new content will cause Google to rank your site above websites that are stagnant.
On the flip side, search engines can lower your site’s ranking when left untouched. If your site hasn’t been updated in a while and your content is stale, search engines no longer have a reason to crawl your site. That means the site’s rankings can drop as their algorithm prioritizes fresher content.
Google constantly changes the way it evaluates and ranks websites. That means SEO techniques and best practices are continually evolving to keep up with the changing algorithm. Website maintenance keeps your site compatible with the latest technologies from Google and other search engines. We continuously update your site to ensure you’re not hindered by changing SEO standards.
Keeping Your Site Safe
Security
Unmaintained websites are a playground for hackers. Cybercriminals often exploit weaknesses in outdated software and plugins because they’re an easy entry point. Even novice hackers can gain access to websites that lack the proper security measures.
No, your business isn’t too small for cybercriminals to take notice of its outdated security features. Unfortunately, any unmaintained website can fall victim to hackers. They’re on the hunt for security gaps in old websites, no matter the size or popularity.
When you fail to update your site, it becomes more vulnerable to attacks. That’s why maintenance is essential for keeping your website secure. It ensures your security settings are up to date and patches are deployed on time. Realistically, no site is 100 percent safe from sinister intentions, but website maintenance can help ward off hackers.
The Benefits of Website Maintenance Far Outweigh its Costs
Website development isn’t a one-and-done project. At least, it shouldn’t be. Your site needs frequent attention and care to ensure its functioning at its best. With 20Twenty Design, you can focus on running your business operations while we keep your website running smoothly.
Websites are not permanent. They’re fragile, and the slightest issue can cause them to break. Plugins become outdated, features are no longer supported, and mistakes happen. Should something happen to your unmaintained website, it’s going to be an extra hit to your budget. We’re talking about rebuilding the site from scratch.
Frankly, no one has the time or the money for that, especially considering a complete rebuild is easily preventable. While website maintenance is an ongoing cost, it can save you thousands of dollars in rebuild fees. You’ve already invested in a new website. You might as well protect it.
Website Maintenance