If you would've asked my client, Debra (Name changed to protect her identity) this same question two years ago, I'm sure she would've told you website maintenance wasn't as important as running her business. If you were to ask Debra that same question today, she would probably tell you that investing in the health of your website is one of the best investments you could make.
In 2017, I received an email from a panicked Debra alerting me that her website wasn't showing correctly and she thought she had been hacked. It turned out she was right. Her website was indeed hacked, but thankfully we were able to get her back up and running with an old backup she had of her site when it was first built.
She lost a lot of information and scared off a few potential clients that happened to visit her site during the hack only to be greeted by a page redirecting them to an X-rated site. (This is one of 10 tell-tale signs that your site has been hacked).
It was a stressful, frustrating, and expensive process for Debra, but she learned a valuable lesson that day: It's a lot cheaper to maintain a working site than it is to fix a broken one.
In a Nutshell:
Many small-business sites become easy targets because Web Maintenance is not a priority, and they are not adequately protected against security vulnerabilities. Updates are critical to the health and longevity of your site, and the easiest way to keep your site secure is to keep it updated.
Why Are Website Updates Important?
Visitor Retention
A well-maintained website attracts new visitors and keeps your existing visitors coming back for more. Offering fresh content and ensuring your information is correct and updated keeps your site relevant. You should routinely check for broken links, check that your contact forms are working correctly, and check that your phone numbers and email addresses are all still current.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Maintaining your website is critical if you want to improve or maintain your search engine rankings. Failing to provide fresh content on a regular basis will cause your rankings to fall and cost you business in the long run.
Security
Every business, no matter the size, has the potential to be hacked. If your website is running on outdated plugins and outdated code, you become an easy target for hackers. Routinely backing up your data and updating your plugins can decrease your risk of being hacked.
Protects Your Business Image and Brand
A poorly maintained website with outdated information and broken links is a sure way to lose customers. Your website is a 24/7 representation of your business. Wouldn't you want to make a good impact on visitors coming to view your page? Routinely examine the look and feel of your website. If it feels outdated, it's probably time for a makeover. Websites are no longer a set and forget part of your business. As technology evolves, website software is constantly being updated to make it more secure. Just like Microsoft and your smartphone needs updating, so does your website.
Give Your Site The Care It Deserves
Instead of spending hours learning how to back up your site, dealing with a hacked server, or figuring out why your website is down, take advantage of our Website Care Packages.
