Getting a website up and running after its development is not enough. Maintaining and updating your website is an important aspect of managing a website as it ensures the website is running at its best capacity. Like any well-oiled machine, websites need regular maintenance to get rid of any possible risks and problems in the future. Here are some of the reasons that make having a website maintenance service so important.
Security
Security breaches in websites may be more common than you might think. Even small business websites can fall trap into this and this is for a range of reasons from stealing bandwidth to spam campaigns. Older websites are greater targets for these security breaches due to the nature of its security and software being out of date.
If you utilize a Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress or Drupal, you should make sure that your site is up to date with the security updates and patches. These are put in place to ensure that you are using the latest software and to reduce your likelihood of being hacked.
Improved User Experience
Because your website is the face of your business online, making sure that it is filled with informational and relevant content from images to blogs targeting your target audience is crucial. Conduct a site audit to make sure that each issue is accounted for and to check for any outdated content you can freshen up. Are there any links or contact forms that are outdated and redirecting users elsewhere? Is the company information still accurate? Things such as this would all reflect back to your brand and what you stand for. Nobody would like to visit an outdated website because it would no longer be relevant to whatever the user is looking for.
This is also another great avenue to keep your customers interested in what you have to offer. Are you putting out content that interests them such as special offerings, informational blogs, and newsletters? This is a way to generate more traffic and let your customers know that you value the same things that they do. Guarantee them the best possible experience by doing regular site maintenance.
Boosts SEO
The way search engine algorithms like Google work is that they keep the most relevant information at the top of their results page. You have to make sure that your website is in great shape and is regularly maintained and updated with current content and content to help it rank better. Letting your website settle with old content will do nothing but push you down the search results and even get you removed from it altogether.
The current trend right now is to make mobile-first websites, prioritizing the optimization of websites for other devices such as smartphones and tablets. This allows users to have the same user experience across all devices. With the majority of online users always on-the-go and on their mobile phones, failure to ensure that your website is mobile responsive is enough reason for Google to take you out of the search results especially if your website is virtually not viewable on mobile phones or tablet devices. This is an important part of your SEO strategy that you should use to drive more traffic to your website, helping you stay relevant to your target audience.
Backing Up Data
No business would want to lose all of their important website files and information. This can mean starting possibly from square one to build from scratch most of the website which is costly and time consuming. The more complex your website is - by having an e-commerce platform, or dynamic images and videos - the more frequent you should back it up. This can be done either manually or automatically depending on the service offered by your website hosting provider.
Regular website maintenance is a must for all businesses with a website. The benefits of this not just stays with the business but can also affect your website visitors. For that peace of mind, getting regular maintenance is key as a preventive measure for any potential issue that may arise in the future.
Having the right web maintenance service provider that not just offers great website support but gives you the peace of mind that you have somebody you can run to whenever you’re experiencing issues with your website. iRepublic is equipped with a support team available daily to assist you in your website maintenance needs.
Learn more about how we can give you the best website experience by checking out our website.