Website maintenance is as important for a website as is the upkeep of a physical property. Just like a house and garden can deteriorate over time if unattended, and lose value without the proper care, a website can become outdated, slow, insecure, and vulnerable to errors ­– all of which are damaging to a brand.

The maintenance of your website involves regular updates, backups, security monitoring, link checks, improvements, etc. Tasks like these should form part of a company’s daily, weekly and monthly priority lists and be actioned without fail. Luckily, backed by the best in WordPress Hosting or Web Hosting, this race can be halfway won.

Read on as we look at the importance of website care, and share the top 10 actions to take.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Just like a property needs upkeep, websites require updates, security checks, and optimisations to stay functional and secure. 
• A well-maintained website loads faster, runs smoothly, and provides a seamless browsing experience, reducing bounce rates. 
• Regular updates and malware scans help prevent cyber threats, data breaches, and security vulnerabilities. 
• Updating content, fixing broken links, and maintaining fast load speeds improves search rankings and attracts more traffic. 
• Routine maintenance prevents major technical failures, avoiding expensive emergency fixes. 
• A secure, up-to-date website builds trust with visitors and reinforces brand reputation. 
• A smooth, secure, and well-functioning site keeps visitors engaged, reducing cart abandonment and driving more sales.

What is Website Maintenance?

Every website usually has two ultimate goals: to get new eyes on the site, and to make sales! For this to happen successfully, visitors need to like what they are viewing and reading about your products and services and enjoy their browsing experience. The slightest website fail can put them off.

Sadly, consumers today don’t choose to be so inadvertently sceptical, it’s called being internet savvy. Due to the times we are living in every website needs to prove it is trustworthy, safe and worth a consumer’s time.

Website maintenance refers to the practice of making your website fit the bill. It involves the ongoing checking, updating, and managing of a website to ensure its optimal performance, security, and functionality. Neglecting to do this can lead to security vulnerabilities, poor user experience, decreased traffic and of course, a distrust in your brand.

The Benefits Of Proper Website Upkeep

A website ALWAYS needs to load quickly, and display relevant and easy to digest information in the right places. It also needs to provide physical proof that it is safe to browse, and that it respects “data laws”.

Regular, ongoing website maintenance can help you ensure this, and unlock the following benefits:

1. Improved performance

A well-maintained website loads quickly, operates smoothly, and provides a seamless experience for visitors. Slow-loading pages can cause visitors to click away before engaging with your content. Faster websites reduce bounce rates and improve engagement, making it more likely that visitors will convert into customers. 

2. Reduced downtime

Regular maintenance helps prevent website crashes and unexpected downtime by identifying and resolving issues before they escalate. Downtime not only leads to lost sales but can also damage a company’s online reputation.

3. Enhanced security

Cyber threats and hacking attempts are increasing daily. A website that isn’t regularly updated is vulnerable to security breaches, malware, and data theft. Keeping plugins, themes, and CMS (Content Management System) updated helps prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited.

4. Improved user experience (UX)

A well-maintained website ensures easy navigation, readable content, and a responsive design that works on all devices. If visitors struggle to find information, or experience glitches, they are likely to leave and never return. A positive UX enhances engagement, encourages visitors to stay longer, and increases the likelihood of conversions. 

5. Cost & time savings

Ignoring minor website issues today can lead to expensive and time-consuming problems later. Regular maintenance prevents major technical failures, which can disrupt business operations and require costly emergency fixes. A proactive approach allows businesses to save money by addressing minor issues before they escalate. 

6. Enhanced reputation and trust

A website with up-to-date content, smooth functionality, and a secure browsing experience builds trust with visitors. If a website has outdated information, broken links, or security warnings, it signals neglect and can deter potential customers. A well-maintained website demonstrates professionalism and reliability. 

7. Improved SEO

Search engines like Google prioritise websites that are regularly updated and well-optimised. Regular content updates, fixing broken links, and ensuring fast loading speeds contribute to higher search rankings, making your site more visible to potential visitors. Good SEO practices lead to more traffic and better business opportunities. 

8. More traffic

With improved SEO and an excellent user experience, a website attracts more organic traffic. A well-maintained site keeps visitors engaged, encourages repeat visits, and boosts word-of-mouth referrals. Consistently refreshing content and ensuring functionality can help sustain long-term traffic growth. 

9. Better sales

A seamless and secure website encourages conversions. Visitors who can easily navigate a website, access relevant product information, and enjoy a smooth checkout process, are more likely to make a purchase. A well-optimised site reduces cart abandonment and enhances customer satisfaction, leading to higher sales. 

10. Compliance with web standards

Websites must adhere to industry regulations, accessibility standards, and data protection laws to avoid legal issues and penalties. Regular maintenance ensures compliance, keeping the website accessible to all visitors, protecting customer data, and improving overall credibility. Staying up to date with legal requirements, again engenders trust and prevents possible costly repercussions. 

Website Maintenance To Do List: 10 Musts

Proper website maintenance is not just about fixing bugs; it’s about creating a smooth, informative, and secure experience for your audience. Investing time, money, and effort into upkeep ensures a website remains competitive, customer-friendly, and aligned with business goals.

Actions that you can take:

1. Update plugins and themes when they become available

Developers create new plugins and themes because they’ve found bugs (errors) in the coding of a previous version. These outdated plugins and themes can therefore create potential security vulnerabilities, making a website a target for hackers. They may also cause compatibility issues that break functionality and slow down a website.

Run updates for plugins, themes, and CMS software the moment they become available to prevent security risks and ensures optimal performance of your website.

2. Run backups daily

Websites can be vulnerable to hacking, server crashes, or accidental data loss. Regular backups ensure quick recovery in case of an emergency.

Offsite or automated backups offer better security, reliability, and protection against data loss by eliminating human error and ensuring quick recovery. They also provide remote accessibility, scalability, and enhanced security features compared to manual backups.

3. Scan for malware, vulnerabilities, and unauthorised access in real-time

As the world becomes more digital, cybercrime is becoming a lucrative industry. Cyber threats are therefore increasing daily, and an unnoticed vulnerability may result in data breaches, loss of customer trust, or even financial loss.

Invest in the right website security scanners, firewalls and antivirus tools to perform routine security scans. These can help you detect and eliminate malware, vulnerabilities, and unauthorised access attempts.

Your web hosting provider plays a critical part in this. Ensure that your chosen company runs 24/7 security monitoring and real-time malware detection.

4. Update content when changes occur

We all know the feeling. You see something you like on social media but after browsing the company’s website there is no reference to that product or service.

Stale or outdated content can make a website seem neglected. Apart from losing a potential lead, an outdated page can also cost you credibility and SEO rankings.

Make a point of updating website content before promoting it anywhere else. Also, regularly visit every single page on your website and ask yourself if the information is still relevant and engaging.

5. Monitor SEO and check links weekly

Search engine algorithms favour active, updated websites. Neglecting SEO maintenance can lead to lower rankings and less visibility. Regularly auditing SEO performance helps maintain and improve search engine rankings.

Check pages weekly and monthly to:

• ·         Fix broken links.
• ·         Optimise meta tags.
• ·         Update keywords.

Google Analytics, Semrush, and Ahrefs provide powerful insights and guidance on how to better optimise your pages.

 6. Analyse web traffic regularly

What are your customers doing on your website? Do they like your content? Which pages don’t interest them at all? These are all answers you can get by analysing your web traffic data.

Doing this regularly and comparing results from previous months can provide insights into demographics, visitor trends, and content performance. Monitoring analytics can also help to refine marketing strategies and improve website performance.

Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Matomo are some example tools for tracking and improving website traffic.

RELATED: Website Metrics: What to track, why they matter and how to fix them

7. Test functionality & UX regularly

Pages that worked well when you launched your website a year ago, might not be as effective now.

A broken form, a non-working button, or confusing navigation can lead to lost customers. It is therefore important to continuously test website functions, forms, and navigation to ensure that each page on your website is really working as hard as it can for your brand.

Identify and fix broken features immediately and make sure navigation is just as seamless on all mobile devices as well.

8. Monitor uptime daily

If your website is unavailable online it means possible lost customers, lost sales, and online reputational damage. Some of the reasons a website can be down includes:

• Server issues
• Maintenance
• Domain or hosting expiration
• DDoS attacks
• Coding errors
• High traffic overload

Check your website daily to see that it is up and be certain to host it with a reputable hosting provider that guarantees a minimum of 99.9% uptime.

9. Optimise site speed regularly

A slow website is frustrating, wouldn’t you agree? It also leads to higher bounce rates and lower search rankings. Regularly checking and optimising page speed improves load times and user experience.

Techniques include image compression, caching, and minimising unnecessary scripts. It is also important to ensure that the web hosting package you are signed up for is sufficient for your website’s needs.

10. Test accessibility regularly

An inaccessible website excludes potential customers and can lead to legal issues. Ensuring that the website is accessible to all users, including those with sight disabilities, improves inclusivity and compliance with web accessibility standards.

Testing tools such as WAVE, Axe, and Google Lighthouse can help identify and fix accessibility issues.

Choosing the Right Web Hosting Partner Matters!

While website maintenance is an absolute must, many of these tasks can be automated, managed or simplified with the right website hosting provider.

Domains.co.za’s WordPress Hosting and Web Hosting plans offer all our customers a 99.9% uptime guarantee and includes multiple security features, automated updates, free daily off-site backups, free SSLs and high-performance optimisation, allowing business owners to focus on growing their businesses rather than worrying about their hosting’s technical aspects.

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Other Blogs Of Interest:

• 7 Ways to Improve your Website Engagement
• The Importance Of Tracking Your Website Average Session Duration
• 8 Things You Can Do To Improve The Security Of Your Website
• How To Host A Website with Domains.co.za
• How do I know what is the Best Hosting Option for my Website?