So, your shiny new website is live and out there for the world to see. You’ve already put a lot of time, effort and money into making it the best it can be – but that doesn’t mean you can now just leave it sitting there looking pretty.
Just like a car, your website needs regular maintenance and ongoing updates to keep it performing at its best.
From a technical point of view, it’s important to make sure the website platform, themes, plugins and other tech working behind the scenes is regularly updated so that your website is as stable and secure as possible. While this can help keep hackers and malware at bay, you should also have everything backed up at regular intervals so that your site can be easily restored should the worst happen.
From a business and marketing perspective, be sure to also think about how you’ll keep your website updated with fresh content. You’ll want to make sure your online presence continues to reflect your business as it is today – for example by adding any new products or services you launch, as well as posting things like company news and blogs to keep your content fresh. It’s worth noting that this can also benefit your search rankings by showing Google your site is current and relevant.
What do website maintenance packages include?
There are quite a few different things to consider when maintaining a website, including:
Platform, theme and plugin updates
Whether you have a WordPress, WooCommerce or OpenCart website, the themes and plugins the site uses will be frequently updated with bug fixes, security patches and feature improvements. Making sure you keep on top of these updates is critical so that your site remains stable and doesn’t become vulnerable to hackers or malware attacks.
Website content updates
We’ve all landed on a website only to discover it was last updated in 2019… Not great, we’re sure you will agree! As such, you’ll want to make frequent content amends and add new pages, products, blogs/news, gallery updates, etc. Website content updates are an important part of marketing your brand and giving your customers the right impression, as well as benefitting SEO and helping boost your rankings.
Malware and security checks
The nature of the modern world means new malware and other security threats are emerging all the time. Because of this, it’s important to regularly scan your site for any nasties and be proactive in dealing with any issues that are found, helping ensure your website is secure and running smoothly.
Regular backups
Regular website maintenance is a critical part of preventing issues and protecting your site from security vulnerabilities – but even the most well-maintained site can be hacked or become infected with malware. The good news? Regular backups mean your website can be quickly and easily restored should something unexpected happen. This is something that is usually included as part of monthly website maintenance and hosting packages.
Website visual checks
It’s so important to make sure your visitors have a great experience when viewing your website. Regular visual checks make sure that everything is still looking as it should – including across different web browsers and devices. Good for users – and something else that can impact on search rankings.
Website performance checks
Performance is another cornerstone of providing a great user experience. After all, nobody likes a slow website (including Google!), so you’ll want to make sure your site is quick to load and that nothing is slowing it down. Frequent website performance checks can pinpoint any issues and help you identify opportunities for performance gains.
Why keep your website maintained by professionals?
Updating and maintaining your website is an ongoing thing – and one you may not necessarily have the time or expertise to manage yourself in-house.
As such, it’s well worth considering investing in website maintenance services by a company like Limelight. Our expert team of web professionals can look after and manage your website on an ongoing basis – including all updates, backups, malware checks and user experience checks, as well as assisting with content updates. All in all, you’ll be free to concentrate on your business, safe in the knowledge your website is in the best possible hands.
Get more information on our website maintenance services here, or give us a call on 01782 260800 and we’ll be happy to help.