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10 Reasons to Perform Web Maintenance

March 19, 2022

Businesses often overlook the importance of regular website maintenance. This can lead to major problems with your site, such as broken links, outdated content and decreased traffic, which could damage your reputation.

Regular web maintenance can help you keep your site’s design consistent and ensure it functions properly. By performing routine website maintenance, you can keep your site running smoothly and guarantee that your business is seen as a reliable and trustworthy source of information.

Why Is Web Maintenance Important?

Businesses can’t afford to have their websites go down. Losing connection to potential customers online, or even local shoppers searching for a product or service nearby, can cost your business approximately $8,500 per hour – that’s a lot of money for a small business!

Website downtime not only affects your bottom line but also affects your existing customer base. Customers may go to your competitors’ websites if they can’t find what they’re looking for on yours. Or worse, they may give up on trying to find what they need and just go elsewhere.

So, keeping your website up and running at all times is essential. This means doing regular maintenance and updates, as well as having a plan in place in case of an emergency.

Why Should You Perform Web Maintenance?

Maintaining a website is an important part of doing business in the 21st century. Many business owners either don’t understand the importance or simply don’t have the time to perform necessary updates.

As a business owner, you may be wondering why you should invest in website maintenance when you can just focus on your core business functions. The truth is that regular website maintenance is essential for a number of reasons.

Here are 10 reasons you should invest in professional web maintenance services for your business.

1. Fully Secured Website

Web security is a serious concern for any business, but it’s especially important for businesses that don’t have the same resources as larger enterprises. Shockingly, 87% of websites have “medium” security risks.

In a study conducted by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, it was found that 60% of small businesses go out of business within 6 months of a cyber attack. This is because small businesses often don’t have the manpower or resources to recover from such a crippling event.

As a business, it’s important to keep your website maintained and fully secured. By performing regular website maintenance, you can ensure that your website is running smoothly. This will help to keep your data and customers safe, and can also improve your website’s performance and loading times.

2. Regular Software Updates

Regularly updating the software on your website can keep it running as planned and provide your customers with a positive user experience. Software updates can include security patches to protect your website from unauthorised breaches, as well as bug fixes and new features.

Performing website maintenance is also a great way to keep your site looking fresh and current. Outdated software can lead to a loss in traffic and revenue, so encourage users to stick around longer by staying on top of updates.

Many small businesses however don’t have the time or resources to do this themselves, which is where a professional service comes in. By outsourcing the task to a qualified technician, you can rest assured that your site is always up-to-date and functioning properly.

3. Comprehensive Backups

Not only does regular website maintenance keep your site looking fresh and updated, but it also helps to ensure it functions properly and remains secure. Business owners don’t expect their websites to malfunction, but it’s important to plan for such moments by creating periodic comprehensive backups.

By regularly backing up your site, you protect yourself from potential malfunctions or security breaches that could result in lost data or even complete site failure. If something does go wrong, having a recent backup can help you quickly restore your site to its previous state.

4. Optimised Website Speed

The benefits of web maintenance aren’t just limited to the security of a site but can also improve its performance. Website speed is a key factor that can dramatically affect its ability to reach its target audience though is often neglected.

In this day and age, website visitors value an enhanced user experience so it’s not surprising that 53% of visitors will leave a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. Slow loading times can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave your site prematurely resulting in a high bounce rate.

This can be damaging to your business’s reputation and result in a loss of traffic and revenue. However, by having a scheduled website maintenance plan, you can keep it optimised and keep your customers satisfied.

5. Improved SEO

An often-overlooked benefit of website maintenance is improved search engine optimisation (SEO). SEO can help improve your site’s rank in local search results, which can be especially important for businesses.

A website that’s regularly updated will rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) than a website that isn’t maintained. That’s because Google and other search engines view websites that are frequently updated as being more relevant and valuable to their users.

There are a number of factors that go into determining a website’s ranking, including how often the site is updated, its content and keywords, and the number and quality of links to it. By keeping your website up-to-date with the latest changes and best practices, you can ensure that your site is as search engine friendly as possible.

Want to learn more about the benefits of local SEO for your business? Click here.

6. Better Brand Reputation

Keeping your website in a well-maintained condition helps strengthen your brand’s reputation which plays a key role in purchase decisions. According to McKinsey & Company, 87% of people compare brands before deciding where to buy.

Additionally, having an up-to-date website sends the message that your business is professional and cares about its online image. This helps to build trust with potential customers and reinforces the idea that your business is reliable and credible.

This can be especially important for businesses that rely on their web presence to attract customers.

7. Customer Loyalty

Business owners know that customer loyalty is key to repeat business and ultimately their success. One way to foster customer loyalty is through website maintenance.

A well-maintained website helps customers feel confident in doing business with a company that provides up-to-date information, products, and services. By keeping your website running smoothly and efficiently, you show your customers that you care about them and their experience.

8. Time- and Cost-Saving

Regular web maintenance can help you save time and money and is a smart investment for businesses. That’s because regular upkeep can ensure your website is performing the way it’s supposed to, reducing downtime and costly repairs in the long run.

You don’t have to spend hours updating your website or fixing broken links either. By outsourcing this work to a professional digital agency, you can focus on what’s most important; running your business.

Another benefit of website maintenance is that it saves you money. By keeping your site updated with the latest security patches and software updates, you can prevent expensive hacks and malware attacks that could result in reduced traffic and potential sales.

9. Latest Technology

It’s important for businesses to keep up with the latest technology in order to stay competitive. Website maintenance plays a key role in this and can improve the website’s security, performance and user experience.

As mentioned earlier, keeping your website up-to-date with the latest security patches helps protect it from hackers and malware. Additionally, outdated software and plugins can slow down your website, so keeping them up-to-date can help improve its speed and performance.

Lastly, updating your website’s design and functionality can make it more user-friendly and improve the overall visitor experience. All of which can help your business stand out from its competitors.

Want to learn more about the value of web design and redesign? Click here.

10. Peace of Mind

Peace of mind is a key benefit of web maintenance for businesses. Knowing that your website is being taken care of by professionals gives you one less thing to worry about so you can focus on your day-to-day operations.

Businesses that neglect website maintenance put their online presence and success at risk. Without a smoothly operating website, businesses can’t meet the demands of their customers and may even lose business.

How Frequently Should You Maintain Your Website?

There’s no definitive answer to this question since it depends on the website, its purpose, and the business or individual using it. However, here are some general guidelines to help you determine how frequently you should maintain your website.

If your website is for a business, you’ll likely need to update it more frequently than if it’s for personal use. Websites that are used for marketing or advertising purposes should be updated at least once a week in order to keep information current and attract new customers. If your website is used as an online portfolio or to showcase your work, then monthly updates may be sufficient.

How Much Does Website Maintenance Cost?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of the cost of web maintenance. The cost can vary depending on the size and complexity of the website, as well as the level of service required.

Some common services that are included in website maintenance contracts include updating content (text and images), monitoring and repairing website bugs, managing backups, updating software/plugins, and search engine optimisation.

Generally speaking, website maintenance costs can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars or more annually. However, in order to get an accurate estimate of how much it will cost to maintain your website, it’s best to consult with a digital agency.

Bottom Line

Performing routine web maintenance is important for a number of reasons. By ensuring your website is up-to-date and running smoothly, you can protect your data, boost your SEO, and enhance your user experience.

Quite often businesses don’t have the manpower or resources to maintain their own website, which is why it’s important to partner with a professional digital agency. Implementing a web maintenance plan doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming, and should be viewed as an investment.

At Novo Digital Agency, we help business owners keep their websites running efficiently with scheduled web maintenance. From security checks to performance optimisation and technical support, we take care of all the daunting tasks for you, leaving you to focus on providing exceptional services to your customers.

Check out our affordable website maintenance packages and contact us today to invest in website maintenance services you can trust!

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