Why Do I Need Website Maintenance?

In today’s digital age, a solid online presence is crucial for businesses and individuals alike. It’s likely that if you’re a business you already have a website of some kind. But you might be asking “Do I need website maintenance? …The answer is always Yes! In this post, we cover the reasons why. But one thing you should know is that creating a website is just the beginning of your online journey. Maintaining it is equally, if not more important.

Technology enhancements and digital trends move quickly, so it’s important to ensure your website is continually updated and remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

It’s recommended that you have a number of hours built into a monthly retainer agreement or package. This helps to ensure that your site is continually being maintained and running smoothly. As well as evolving with your business over time with the latest tech evolutions. Let’s explore the key reasons why web maintenance is essential for the success and sustainability of your online presence. And why you do really need website maintenance.

The Advantages of Website Maintenance Over Ad-Hoc

Our maintenance packages offer a solution for organisations looking to ensure the ongoing performance of their website. Starting from just two hours per month for the simplest solution. All of our web clients require two hours minimum of website maintenance each month within their agreement to ensure these essential updates can be carried out.

Benefits for you include:

• Website maintenance hours can be drawn down from an agreed monthly amount, to cover ongoing website updates.
• You can better forecast in advance your monthly spending. Rather than operating from a pay-as-you-go model.
• The lower monthly spending may assist with your business cash flow.
• Hours that you haven’t used can simply be rolled over to the next month. We’ve been testing this system with a few of our existing clients and finding it a much simpler way of managing monthly web maintenance.
• The support retainer method aids in reducing admin and the number of invoices you receive from us. While generally delivering greater returns on your investment.
• Communication volume is reduced each month to carry out any essential updates. We can simply action these on your behalf as and when we see requirements to do so.
• You can request specific updates and concepts to be included in the month’s maintenance work as you see fit. Such as regular tasks that will remain in place every month.
• More frequent site updates prove positive for improving your site’s traffic and conversions.
• Website maintenance is separate from our managed website hosting packages. Which generally only covers updates of the website application core system, plugins and theme within the price. While maintenance covers concepts like site development, security, performance, bug fixes, design enhancements, content creation etc. Ultimately anything you see fit to encompass as essential work for the continual smooth running of your site.
• For sites that require more regular updates, additional maintenance hours can be purchased. And even begin to touch on more advanced digital services our agency can offer. Like an SEO site audit for example, or creation of Mailchimp newsletter email templates.
• Your total net cost spend is usually lower with this support hours method, topping up with ad-hoc block hours to draw down from where required.
• You would expect an improved response time under your SLA agreement too. As it helps us better manage the volume of resources we have readily available in our team for your account.
• Support hours built-in can reduce admin within your team too. Have peace of mind by offloading the technical complexities of website upkeep to our experts.

By entrusting our digital agency to handle ongoing maintenance tasks, you can focus on the day-to-day running of your business. While maintaining a professional, secure, and user-friendly online presence.

What is Website Maintenance?

Website maintenance refers to the process of regularly updating, managing and optimising a website. To ensure its smooth functioning, security, and relevance, ensuring it performs the tasks it’s designed to. Whether that be selling products or services through an e-commerce store, or promoting an individual, brand or organisation.

Website maintenance involves a series of tasks and activities that are performed consistently to keep a website up-to-date, secure, and in line with current industry standards and user expectations. Not only aesthetically in the way your website appears to users, but also in the functionality of the site’s architecture such as plugin and theme updates on your WordPress or Magento admin area. The maintenance of these is essential for the smooth running of your website.

So hopefully now with a clearer understanding of the benefits. And you’re no longer asking “Do I need website maintenance” and with us on the fact that this is an essential business requirement. But where does support come into all this? Are they the same thing? Let us explain…

Are Website Support & Maintenance The Same Thing?

Web support and maintenance are closely related concepts. However, they involve distinct aspects of managing and ensuring the effective functioning of a website.

Website Maintenance: Website maintenance refers to the ongoing tasks and activities required to keep a site running smoothly, securely, and up to date. Including routine activities such as updating software, managing content, optimising performance, ensuring security, and maintaining overall website health. Web maintenance tasks are proactive in nature and aim to prevent issues from arising.

Website Support: Website support, on the other hand, involves providing assistance, troubleshooting, and resolving issues that may arise with a website. It is a reactive service that comes into play when something goes wrong. Or when users encounter problems while using the website. Web support can encompass various forms of help, including technical support, bug fixes, resolving errors and offering guidance on using the website effectively.

In essence, site maintenance is about preventing problems and keeping the website in optimal condition. While web support is about addressing problems and providing assistance when issues arise. Both are important for maintaining a successful online presence. With maintenance focusing on the continuous health of the website and support addressing specific concerns and user needs.

If you’d like to explore this a little further, we’ve dug a little deeper into this topic in our blog post comparing the differences between website support and website maintenance.

Why is Website Maintenance Important?

The realm of website maintenance covers a wide range of activities. Many of these would be complex and time-consuming to carry out independently without the help, support and expertise of experienced web developers. Some of the maintenance tasks we handle include;

1. Content Updates – Regularly adding new content, updating existing information, and removing outdated or irrelevant content. This includes text, images, videos, and other multimedia elements.

2. Software Updates – Keeping the website’s core software (such as the content management system), plugins, themes, and other components up-to-date. This helps improve performance, security, and compatibility with new technologies.

3. Security Measures – Implementing security protocols, firewalls, and encryption to protect the website from potential threats, such as hacking, malware, and data breaches.

4. Bug Fixes – Identifying and resolving any technical glitches, errors, or broken links that may affect the website’s functionality and user experience.

5. Backup and Recovery – Regularly backing up the website’s data and files to ensure that, in case of a technical issue or security breach, the site can be restored to a previous working state.

6. Performance Optimisation – Optimising website speed, loading times, and responsiveness across different devices to provide a seamless user experience.

7. User Experience (UX) Enhancements – Making improvements to the overall design, navigation, and user interface to enhance user satisfaction and engagement.

If you’ve been asking the question “Do I need website maintenance” we hope you now have a clearer understanding of what is involved in maintaining your website and the benefits of having access to this service through your digital agency.

Do I Need Website Maintenance?

Website maintenance is not just a one-time task but an ongoing process that requires consistent attention and effort. Neglecting maintenance tasks can lead to various issues, including security vulnerabilities, poor user experience, and a decrease in search engine rankings. Regular website maintenance helps businesses and individuals ensure that their online presence remains secure, up-to-date, and effective in achieving their goals.

For many business owners, finding the time to consistently maintain their own website isn’t always feasible. This is why our website maintenance service covers all of the essential updates required to keep your site refreshed and maintained. While proactively troubleshooting issues before they arise. Offering various maintenance packages to suit your unique needs.

Website maintenance directly impacts your online success. By investing time and effort into keeping your website up-to-date and optimised, you’ll be setting the foundation for long-term digital success and growth.

Contact our team today to discuss your website maintenance requirements. We look forward to assisting you in supporting your website’s ongoing success.

Looking to protect your e-commerce store? Read our guide outlining our recommended Magento security settings for your website.