Having a website is a labor of love and is the backbone of your online presence. It can be easy to let it fall to the wayside when you are busy running your business. There are some simple things you can do to make sure your website is in tip-top shape and keep bringing those leads to your business.

 

Maintain Site Security

Website security is important not only for your site, but for your business reputation as well. Hackers have programs that scan sites for vulnerabilities, so they can access any personal information they can find. There are ways you can protect your site like installing an SSL certificate, making challenging usernames and passwords, and changing your password regularly. Talk to your hosting provider for other things you can do to protect your client’s personal information. Don’t be like the bigger corporations and think you won’t be hacked. Every site is fair game for hackers, even if you are a small business.

 

Maintain Good Site Speed

It sounds like something small and insignificant but how fast your site runs can affect your sales. Research has shown that people will leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. Make sure your images are compressed and the site is optimized. You can use free online programs like TinyPNG to compress your images. To learn what speed your website is loading at, try GTMetrix.

 

Maintain Regular Backups

It is good practice to regularly backup your website. This way any edits you make will not be lost as a result of your website going down or being hacked. Anything can happen and it is better to have the backups and never use them, than take the chance and find out you need it. There are many free ways to backup your site, such as the UpDraft Plus plugin. Before you start looking at plugins, talk to your hosting provider. Chances are you already have the option for backups in the package you are paying for.  

 

Do Regular Scans of Your Website

Take a look at your site on a regular schedule, at minimum once a week. Look at each page and make sure your images are all loading correctly. Click on every link to ensure that they are working and that the pages they link to are still active. Nothing will lose potential customers faster than broken links and broken images.

 

Update Your Software

Websites are built using software, namely themes and plugins. Often those developers will come out with updates, creating new functions or fixing previous issues. You need to update your themes and plugins. If you don’t, they will become outdated and stop working, essentially ‘breaking” your site until they are updated.

 

Update Your Content

It may sound strange that updating your content will keep your site working. Think about it. A website is created to make people aware of your company. By keeping your content fresh, you are giving more information to your potential customers as well as giving them a reason to keep coming back. The more they learn and like about your company, the more they will talk about you and recommend you.

 

There are many ways to keep your website running like a boss. It can require work on your part, or if your budget allows, you can get a marketing/design company to help. Many will offer care plans to ensure your site is secure and will stay functioning. Make sure you shop around to find the right company that offers what time you need at a price you can afford.