Why Website Maintenance is Important

This blog will shed some light on the reasons why so many businesses struggle to stay on top of their websites, why website maintenance is essential and why your online shop needs so much TLC. So let’s get into it…

Your company was thriving, and your brand new site was working overtime to drive those hard earned sales. However, a few months in and the performance of your previously untouchable website is becoming hindered; this could be down to the maintenance and general upkeep of the site itself.

Think of it like a car, you wouldn’t expect it to run smoothly forever and now and then you’re going to have accidents that need fixing. So when the trip-ups occur, you need somebody on hand to fix them and get things back on the road. A web developer can be your online mechanic for website maintenance, ready to get your online vehicle up-and-running.

Let’s separate maintenance into two sections, technical and physical. We will focus on the web developer technical side of things, as this is where the most significant issues will occur.

Technical issues that require web maintenance

How quick are you off the mark? (Speed) 🏎️

User experience is vital to the success of your website. If you aren’t quick off the mark, you won’t deliver a memorable experience for your customers. A site that is well-maintained, crisp and cleanly built with minimal errors will have quicker load times; this will keep prospective clients happy and stop them from clicking back. Google loves quick load times, the faster loading sites to appear at the top of organic searches; website maintenance should be built into your SEO strategy.

What else does google want? (SEO) 🤓

We live in a world of well-built websites, so how does google pick you over your competitor? Truth is, none of know every little detail, and Google has no intention of letting the web developers in on all the secrets.

What we do know is that website speed is vital, as well as a few more technical points like outdated coding and technology. A lot of the deep-seated issues with your website are best left to someone who is a professional in website maintenance, development and design.

If Google is penalising your website and showing it lower down the search rankings, you probably won’t get much business from it, this is an obvious issue. Google exists in the here-and-now, and that means the boundaries are continually rising and changing, the bare minimum is no longer an option for your website.

Have you locked all doors and windows? (Security) 🔒

Security is and always should be a primary concern when it comes to your online presence. From day one, you need your website to stay safe and remain that way throughout your time trading. Online viruses continually evolve, and as they do, they are finding more sophisticated ways of attacking your property, stealing information and potentially writing-off your online presence altogether.

The very minimum you can do is keep all your website plug-ins and internal workings up to date. Why do you think there are consistently new versions of WordPress and thousands of plug-ins to update each time you log in to your admin portal? It’s because the producers of those programmes are trying to keep you safe, so the very least you can do is install the updates.

What does the future hold? (Growth) 🌱🌳

Any intuitive business should be living in the here-and-now whilst simultaneously looking to the future. Predicting how your business will grow benefits the design and development of your website. For example, will you suddenly go from selling newspapers to selling boats or will there be a move from newspapers to magazines? Foresight and strategy are critical.

Your future products and business ventures will need to be added to your website not only in terms of content but also coding. If your site has been poorly maintained it may mean spending lots more money on the future development, as it will take more time to rectify the issues that have manifested.

Physical maintenance 🔧

When we say physical maintenance, we are talking about content and design updates. Additions to your already functioning website to optimise SEO. For example, the maintenance of your blog, whether that means adding more blogs or editing previous posts to fit current themes.

The designs and graphics you use may also need to be updated due to a change in trends, popular colour schemes etc. These types of changes, although mostly aesthetic, will also help your search engine optimisation and the functionality of your website. Making things easier to find, clearer to understand and nice to read means people won’t take one look and leave.

Website maintenance is as important if not more important than the initial design process itself. There’s no point in having a brand new Porsche parked on your drive with no engine. In a purely aesthetic but un-maintained form, your website is essentially a piece of art, just like that Porsche, which might be nice but we’d assume that’s not what you bought it for.

For any web development and maintenance enquiries, get in touch! At Create8, we thrive with big ideas and offer technical support throughout the life of your business.

For helpful tips about web design, take a look at the posts below or get in touch!

• Chatting with Alex – Web Design Interview
• Tips on creating a Tech based Website
• How to Write a Website Design Brief

Our web design team in Manchester are here to help, get in touch with our design agency today.