Looking after your website
You wouldn’t buy a car and never service it (actually this was me with my first car. RIP the green Ford KA). You wouldn’t get a puppy and not take it to the vet regularly for deworming (ew). So why do so many people treat their websites like a houseplant they bought in 2019 and only occasionally remember exists?
Your website needs looking after. And I’m not just saying that because I want your money (though I do, obviously – my child keeps insisting on being fed). I’m saying it because a neglected website can cause you real problems.
What even is website maintenance?
Great question, friend. Website maintenance is the boring-but-necessary stuff that keeps your site running smoothly, securely, and looking fresh. It includes things like:
- Updating versions of WordPress
- Updating plugins and themes
- Checking for broken links
- Making sure your site is still fast
- Testing contact forms
- Keeping backups up to date
- Monitoring for security issues
- Updating outdated information
It’s like the digital equivalent of changing your oil (never did that. Poor KA) and checking your tyre pressure. Not glamorous, but absolutely essential.
What happens if you don’t maintain your website?
Sometimes: nothing. Sometimes: bad stuff.
Let me paint you a picture. Someone finds your website, loves what you do, and clicks on your contact form. They fill it in, hit send, and… nothing happens. The form’s been broken for three months and you didn’t know.
Or worse: your site gets hacked because you ignored that update notification for the fifteenth time. Now instead of your lovely homepage, visitors see ads for dodgy pharmaceuticals. Not a good look.
Or maybe your site just gets slower and slower because you’ve been adding photos without optimising them. People get impatient, leave, and buy from your competitor instead.
See what I mean? Just like your neighbour calling the RSPCA to rescue your puppy, neglect has consequences.
But my website seems fine
Does it though? When did you last check? And I mean properly check, not just glance at your homepage on your laptop.
Have you checked it on a phone lately? Tested all your forms? Clicked every link? Looked at your site speed? Checked that all your plugins are still supported and secure?
If you’re like most people, the answer is: not recently. And that’s exactly why you need a maintenance plan.
What should a maintenance plan include?
At minimum, your website maintenance should cover:
Regular updates – Your CMS, plugins, and themes all need updating regularly. Yes, it’s tedious. Yes, it’s important.
Security monitoring – Checking for vulnerabilities, malware, and suspicious activity. The internet is a wild place and someone somewhere wants to use your site to sell fake handbags.
Backups – Automatic, regular backups stored somewhere safe. Because things can and do go wrong, and you don’t want to lose everything you’ve built.
Performance checks – Making sure your site loads quickly and works properly. A slow site is a dead site.
Content updates – Keeping information current, fixing typos, updating images. Your business changes. Your website should too.
Contact forms – these buggers love to break, so need checking on the regs.
The biggest benefit
The element of the maintenance plan that really gives you that famous ‘peace of mind’ is having someone to email in a panic. If something looks squiffy suddenly, if you’ve tried to edit a page and screwed it up or you need a link adding ASAP before a big event, who you gonna call? The ghostbusters can’t help you (well, maybe Egon) but your web developer can, if you’re signed up to their plan.
Massive bonus
My maintenance plans also include fast, green hosting and privacy-friendly analytics. So that saves you paying for it elsewhere and having to wrestle with their customer support if things go awry.
Can’t I just do it myself?
You can. If you know what you’re doing, have the time, and actually enjoy this sort of thing, crack on.
But most people don’t have the technical knowledge or the time. And even if you do, do you really want to spend your precious hours checking plugin updates? Wouldn’t you rather be eating a cake, or, I don’t know, running your actual business?
A maintenance plan means someone else handles all of this while you get on with doing what you do best. It’s one less thing on your to-do list. Which is long enough already.
How much does website maintenance cost?
Less than you think. And definitely less than rebuilding your entire site from scratch because it got hacked and you had no backups.
Think of it as insurance. You pay a small amount regularly to avoid a massive headache later. Most web designers (including me) offer monthly maintenance plans that cover everything you need without breaking the bank.
The bottom line
Your website isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it thing. It’s a living part of your business that needs regular care and attention.
A good maintenance plan keeps your site secure, fast, and functional. It means you’re not lying awake at 3am wondering if your contact form still works. And it means when something does go wrong, someone’s already on it.
So yes, you need a maintenance plan. Your website deserves better than to be the digital equivalent of that sad houseplant in the corner.
I include a year of maintenance with all my website builds, but if you want me to take care of your already-built site, I can. Send an email to hello@mollygetsitdone.com. I promise to make it as painless as possible.
