In the old days, when working with straight HTML (the code behind a web page), we didn’t have many of the security issues that are now prevalent and rampant in our world. We could have wimpy passwords and typical usernames. Individuals occasionally got scammed but the majority, well, it wasn’t like there was much they could do.
With the growth and complexity of internet technology, most websites utilize code to give them all those wonderful features including various screen widths, animation, videos, text placement, and image manipulation. Now, designers use pre-coded systems such as WordPress. While knowledge of code is very important, it makes design much faster, reducing costs for the business. That complexity also invites bad people to try and break into the systems that have been designed to create beautiful websites.
Unfortunately, in this day in age, we have bots, which are computer-generated applications that run without a person needing to even touch them, scouring the internet for some loophole, some way to scam, ransom (make you pay money to recover your website) or infect your website, redirecting it to scams, porn or worse.
As a result of the ever-increasing need to watch for bots and scammers, software needs to be updated on a regular basis, sometimes for improving the product, and at other times, for security purposes. Website maintenance services check your system for these security updates, update themes and plugins, security scanning, and uptime monitoring making sure your website is running smoothly.
Another feature of the monthly maintenance includes backing up your website. Disaster recovery is best planned ahead of time, not afterward. While it is standard to back up your website on the same server for ease of restoring the system, maintaining a copy off of the server is important in case of a critical server issue, if your site is hacked or corrupted. This means that there is a recent copy that can be restored promptly or moved to a new server if necessary.
Some maintenance packages also include performance monitoring to improve your site’s speed and responsiveness. This also includes making tweaks and changes that are recommended by search engines which can change on a regular basis.
SEO monitoring is also a helpful feature of the maintenance package since it provides you with your site’s visitors, how they found you, and even how long they stayed on that page when they visited.
Last, maintenance includes updates, which should be considered to keep the information, products and current and relevant to the visitors. Outdated information makes the website look abandoned. Utilizing a blog, social media or email communications are helpful in keeping your clients or visitors engaged.
Overall, website maintenance is an ongoing process that ensures your site remains relevant, secure, and effective in achieving your business objectives on the Internet.