As businesses increase, so does the need to have a business website. Business owners are spending more time and money getting their websites up and running, but unfortunately, many of them fail to maintain that site.

If you are just about to start your first website or if you want to overhaul yours for better productivity, then it is important that you set up a routine for website maintenance.

Just like your car needs a regular service to keep it running smoothly, your website also needs attention to make sure everything is working as it should. This includes checking for broken links, malware, outdated content and more. Depending on how big your website is, you may need to dedicate anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours per week to website maintenance.

If you don’t have the time or knowledge to do it yourself, then you can always hire a professional to help you out. Just make sure that you find someone who is reliable and knows what they’re doing.

Importance of Website Maintenance

Maintaining your website is important for a few reasons:

1. It keeps your website looking fresh and updated. Outdated information can make your business look unprofessional.

2. It helps to keep your website running smoothly and prevents any downtime.

3. It can help to improve your website’s search engine ranking as outdated content can be penalized by Google.

4. It can help to protect your website from malware and other online threats.

5. It can help to increase traffic to your website as outdated content may not be found by search engines.

As you can see, there are many reasons why it is important to maintain your website. By setting up a routine and hiring a professional if needed, you can ensure that your website is always running smoothly.

Here are a few tips on how to maintain your website:

1. Update your website regularly

Just like we need to change our wardrobe every season, websites also need regular updates. Aim for at least two times a week, but you can do it daily if you have the time. Content management systems are great for this because they allow you to make changes yourself. If you don’t have one of these, then you can always use a content delivery system like WordPress.

2. Check for broken links

If your website is full of bad links, then it is time to get rid of them. Most people access websites on computers or mobile devices, so make sure that your site is compatible across all platforms and browsers. If you notice any dead links or URLs that don’t work, then you should either contact the webmaster to fix it or do it yourself.

3. Cross-check all content

The last thing you want is a typo on your website, especially if you are selling products online. Always check for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors through multiple sources before making any changes. You can use online tools like Grammarly to help you out.

4. Delete outdated content

Outdated information is not only irrelevant, but it can also be harmful to your website’s ranking. If you haven’t updated your website in a while, then take some time to go through all of the content and delete anything that no longer applies.

5. Check your security status

You don’t want to open yourself up to hackers, which is why it’s important that you monitor your website’s security regularly. Use tools like Wappalyzer or Sitecheck to find out if any of your plugins are outdated and in need of an upgrade. It is also a good idea to scan your website for malware on a weekly basis.

6. Update WordPress Plugins

If you run a WordPress site, then it is a good idea to update all your plugins on a weekly basis.

Some website owners only do this every couple of months, but hackers are quick to find out when something is outdated and they can take advantage of that.

7. Update WordPress Themes

Even if you changed your WordPress theme recently, it doesn’t mean that the old one is completely secure. Hackers are constantly finding new vulnerabilities in themes, so check for updates regularly.

8. Update WordPress Core Files

Just like plugins and themes, WordPress core files also need to be updated on a regular basis. This is usually done every few months, but it is a good idea to check for updates at least once a week.

9. Optimize Images

If you have a lot of images on your website, then it is important to optimize them for faster loading. This is especially important if you run e-commerce sites because images can account for up to 80% of your page load speed.

You should also consider compressing images and changing their file formats if they’re large in size, but don’t sacrifice quality at the same time.

10. Check Your Analytics Data

Analytics data is a great way to track your website’s progress and see where you need to make changes. Make sure that you check your analytics data at least once a week to see how your website is performing.

Why Use Professional Website Management?

Outsourcing this task to specialists. If you are not tech-savvy, then it is important that you get help from people who are. Hiring a professional web design company can help take care of your website while you focus on other aspects of your business.

This will allow you to free up your time for more important tasks while also increasing the value of your website.

How We Can Help With Our Website Management And Maintenance In South Africa?

Xploited Media offer a number of Website Management Maintenance plans to help take off the load and allow you to continue running your business without having to worry about the website. Check out our maintenance packages today.