Managing a business website is a lot like owning a car. Most of the time, everything runs smoothly. Occasionally, you might notice something isn’t quite right, but it still gets you from point A to point B. However, if an issue is ignored or goes unnoticed for too long, your car will eventually break down. Addressing the problem early could prevent you from being stranded on the side of the road waiting for roadside assistance or that bestie that owes you a favor to come pick you up. The same principle applies to your website—without proper maintenance, it too can break down.
Having a functional, easy-to-navigate website is a no-brainer for any business. While many business owners readily outsource the initial website build to experts, they often overlook the importance of regular, ongoing maintenance to ensure optimal performance. This is not something that can be ignored.
No matter what system your website is operating on, it will always need to be up to date. Many updates are automatic, but some updates have to be done manually. Ignoring update prompts may seem like a minor thing, but an out-of-date website really is a ticking time bomb.
An out of date website has an increased chance of experiencing security issues, which can be catastrophic for your business. In addition, with even one outdated plugin, many websites can crash and become non-responsive, which is definitely not the experience you want for potential clients and customers.
In addition to content updates, your website maintenance plan should include regular backups. A server crash or a hacked website can bring down your site completely. If that happens, you can keep your site going with a backup. If you’ve been ignoring backups and have an issue, your website could be down for an extended period of time while you scramble to recreate all of your content. Meanwhile, potential customers will find your products and services elsewhere. Every minute your website is down is a missed opportunity to meet your next loyal customer.
Today’s users have little patience for slow websites, let alone one that crashed. If a website takes more than a few seconds to show the goods, many users will simply navigate away to find a different, faster solution. Perception is reality. A slow website gives an amateur vibe, not one of an industry leader. Page load speed is clearly important to users, but many business owners will allow their site to lag in order to accommodate a new design. In reality, users just want the information quickly. If they navigate away from your page due to a slow load, not only will you have lost a potential customer, but your bounce rate will increase, which can impact your page rankings and result in your site showing up lower in searches on the search engines. When you have a website maintenance plan, you don’t need to choose between a visually pleasing website with plenty of bells and whistles and a site that loads fast. Website maintenance services offer speed optimization techniques as well as the use of monitoring tools and metrics that will allow you to see how your website is performing.
Trying to capture the ideal searchability can be elusive. Popular keywords are changing constantly and the algorithms used by search engines can be difficult to decipher. If you want your site to appear when someone is searching for a business like yours, the importance of regular SEO checks cannot be understated. A website maintenance provider will have the right tools and methods for SEO maintenance. They can do the keyword research and update your landing pages to take advantage of relevant and timely keywords. Regular SEO audits can show a website maintenance provider exactly where your website may be falling short and guide you on how to improve it.
When visitors to your site have a good experience and find value in your content, they will stay on your page longer. Increased time on page will boost your search engine rankings. A well maintained website will not only provide a good experience for potential clients, but can actually bring more traffic to your site. Your website needs to function properly in the latest versions of all the major website browsers, both on desktop and mobile formatting. A website maintenance provider can regularly test site usability and implement any feedback they get from current users. They will look for broken links, responsiveness of the site on different browsers, missing pictures or logos, or anything else that might give the impression that your website is not user friendly.
While it’s possible to maintain your website with the help of online tutorials and some dedicated time, it’s easy for this task to fall by the wayside as you focus on running your business.
Just like neglecting maintenance on your car, ignoring your website’s upkeep can lead to significant problems down the line. You value your business, and you’ve worked hard to get to where you are. Investing in an experienced website maintenance service provider ensures that your site will continue to run smoothly, protecting your online presence and ultimately supporting your business’s growth and success. We can help you with:
As a full-service provider, this is just a small sample of what we can do to help your business grow. We’re more than just your marketing agency, we’re an extension of your team. To learn more about how we can help keep your website looking and performing its best, contact Neon Goldfish right away.
Categories
By Ken Franzen
President / Co-Founder of Neon Goldfish
Subscribe to Fishbowl Friday, our weekly marketing news roundup delivered directly to your inbox. Dive into the latest trends with insights from the Neon Goldfish team and stay ahead on key marketing topics every week before you step out the door. Join our free newsletter now!
Call (419) 842-4462 Today!
Neon Goldfish can help fix the broken pieces of your marketing. Contact our team today to see how to repair and enhance your current efforts.