Website maintenance

The website is now an essential platform for businesses. Understandably, a webshop could not function without an online presence, but its value for other businesses offering services should not be underestimated either. Today most of the companies are getting to the point where they understand and accept the importance of a website, but the next step is to realise that it is not enough to create a website, it must be taken care of. In this blog post, we will explore the topic of website maintenance. Why is it necessary? How is it done and why should you hire experts? Let’s see the details!

A website is like a bicycle: a reliable tool to help you achieve your goals. The new bike glides along at high speed, never stops, and never malfunctions. Over time, however, it shows signs of wear and tear, losing its new colour due to environmental factors. If you don't pay enough attention to the maintenance of your bike, it can break down over time, but if you take care of it and have it repaired, you can avoid deterioration.

It's the same with websites. If you want your website to work perfectly, and get better and better, you can't avoid website maintenance.

Website maintenance: checklist

During website maintenance we assess whether the site is performing at its best and if not, we fix the bugs and make up for the shortcomings that are holding performance back. Maintenance tasks vary widely, some of them need to be done every week and others less frequently, every few months or every year. It is therefore a never-ending process. Let's look at the checklist!

To be performed weekly

• weekly updates for plug-ins and software
• site to be checked if is working properly after the update
• it is worth publishing a fresh blog post every week
• check that links are working properly: links that do not work should be replaced
• it is also advised to check the contact form, as this is where customers contact the company
• check the capacity and functioning of the hosting and check for updates

To be performed monthly

• check the performance of the website once a month, especially of key pages such as service pages or the contact page
• monitor where the bounce rate is high, whether there are outliers, where improvements could be made
• measure the loading speed, if it is not good you may want to optimise the size of images, enable caching etc.
• check the payment process and security

To be performed every few month

• checking the usability of the website
• it is useful to look at clicks, what path users are taking
• also check the graphics and visual elements
• update the images
• reconsider meta descriptions and meta titles
• check the site on mobile and in different browsers
• pop-ups, forms and CTAs should also be updated
• don't forget to check your backups

To be performed annually

• updating design elements
• checking the main page and sub-pages, replacing outdated text with relevant and up-to-date content
• rethinking the domain name

Why website maintenance is important

Updating your website is not just an option, it is essential for long-term smooth operation. A well-maintained site provides fast, relevant information and supports, rather than hinders, buying and contacting. 

If a website is 'taken care of', Google will reward you by moving it up the rankings. This is particularly important as users pay attention to the top of the Google search results. Some SEO considerations apply to website updates, and these are worth bearing in mind. Find out more about SEO in our previous blog post!

Website maintenance is essential if you want to achieve a first-class user experience. This will make the site load fast, make it easy for customers to navigate, and drive conversions. A well-functioning site will present a professional image and increase trust.

Regular monitoring will also save costs, as errors can be detected early and corrected as soon as possible. Although there is a cost to regular checks, it is less than the cost of fixing a major error.

Companies that are willing to invest in maintenance can make their online presence much more secure. Failure to make the right security updates can be a source of many errors. Cybercriminals are constantly changing and refining their tools, and software vendors need to adapt. Updates to various frameworks are released from time to time in response to the actions of malicious attackers. These updates must be installed or the site will become vulnerable.

Website maintenance with specialists

There are two ways for businesses: either they try to manage regular checks in-house or they outsource them to a specialist. In the long term, it is better to outsource this task to experts, as brand reputation is at stake, and the stakes are high. A few mistakes and customers could lose confidence. But the experts are experts, and they offer comprehensive website maintenance services.

Meraki undertakes not only the design and implementation of traditional and modern websites, but also their maintenance. We know that long-term success and cost savings depend on thoroughness and care, and we take care of the websites entrusted to us in this spirit.

Find out how we work! Click to visit the website website!