Website maintenance is a crucial component of any marketing strategy no matter the size of your company. A website acts as the central hub for all digital and print marketing initiatives, so keeping it in tip-top shape is essential to attracting and keeping customers. Keeping track of updates like new content, site errors, broken links and outdated information can be time-consuming and tedious if not managed correctly. To ensure that you keep your website up-to-date without losing momentum or neglecting other priorities, we’ve compiled a list of best practices when it comes to maintaining your online presence.
The last thing any business wants is to have issues arise with their website and be unprepared for them. That can happen if a business does not regularly check up on their website’s health or update its content.
Here are seven steps that every business should take to keep its website maintenance process streamlined:
1) Update your contact information
It may seem like a no-brainer, but the information you list as your company’s “Contact Us” page has very important implications. This is how people get in touch with you – whether they want to request more information about your or service, make a purchase or
or reach out to you about an impending issue that needs your attention – and it’s the first page people look for when they land on your site. Make sure that your contact information is always accurate and up-to-date, clearly labeled with a prominent “Contact Us” button so visitors can easily click through and reach you.
2) Update website content regularly
One of the best ways to keep your website healthy is by keeping its content fresh. Consumers are more likely to find what they’re looking for on a well organized site with useful, relevant information; if this information has not been updated in awhile, they may go elsewhere. It means either updating old pages or adding new ones as needed depending on type of website you have – ecommerce, informational blog etc.
3) Update website code and software regularly
Just like software that runs on your computer or an app you download to your phone, every website needs to be updated with the latest code or version. This is how browsers are able to understand and display content in proper formats so it can be read correctly by visitors – CSS files for websites, JavaScript files, WordPress and plugin updates, etc. If these pieces of code are not up-to-date, the website will begin to have issues rendering this content correctly which can lead to errors appearing or being displayed improperly once again.
4) Fix any site errors immediately
Sites that are displaying unexpected error pages need immediate attention because they present a serious with the functionality of the site itself and perceived professional and ethical integrity of the company behind it.
5) Keep social media profiles in top condition
Just like website content needs to be updated regularly, so do social media profiles. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – all of these require regular attention from marketing teams to stay polished and up-to-date with fresh posts that engage users. The more active these accounts are, the better response rates will be for future campaigns which is why companies should strive to keep them in top shape at all times.
6) Look out for broken links or outdated information on your site
Even the best sites have mistakes sometimes – a page might be deleted, a mistake could get introduced during a coding update or a link may not work correctly anymore due to a possible website redesign. Make sure to always check site content regularly for these mistakes and address them as needed before they lead to customer confusion or potential lost sales.
7) Keep your website backed up on a regular basis
One of the most important maintenance tasks, no matter what activity you are running – ecommerce, informational blog etc. – is keeping your website backed up on a schedule that fits into your workflow. This means more than just saving all website files onto an external hard drive or cloud service; it also requires having duplicates of all content ready in case anything gets deleted by accident – whether this is for SEO purposes, proofing copy before publishing etc.
How do you keep track of everything?
Keeping an editorial calendar for updating all website, social media and email content;
Utilizing Google Analytics on your website(s) to get a comprehensive understanding of user behavior patterns (which pages are getting the most traffic, where users are spending the most time, how involved they become with site content etc.) and site errors — if these issues go unaddressed, they can impact search engine rankings negatively. This helps marketers quickly pinpoint problem areas that need attention of any campaign or initiative taking place;
Using a CMS tool to create and edit website content from within — this gives marketers the ability to add, edit or delete pages, blog posts or other type of content without having to go through any additional steps.
Regular website maintenance goes hand-in-hand with website development; they work together to keep your company at the forefront of digital marketing campaigns.
Let Us Help You
It’s easy to forget about maintenance and upkeep, but it is essential. The sooner you take care of an issue like a broken website or slow loading page, the better your online presence will be once again. Let us help with your digital marketing strategy including all aspects of site maintenance and upkeep. We can also provide ongoing SEO services that keep on top of updates for Google algorithms so that your website stays relevant in search engine results pages (SERPs). Did we mention our team includes experts who specialize in WordPress? Contact Us today to set up a consultation (360) 450-3711
