Website design is the exciting bit of having a website. Website support and maintenance is the stuff that happens after your website goes live and it’s very easy to see it as something unimportant you can neglect.
I’d like to make the case that website support and maintenance is just as important as the build bit and isn’t something you can neglect or ignore.
Defending the support aspect of website support and maintenance
Do you regularly have your car serviced? If you do, my guess is it’s because you’d rather pay a small amount to spot any problems early and try to prevent bigger bills later on.
Do you have breakdown cover for your car? If you do, my guess is it’s because, if the worst happens, you want to know you’ve got someone on hand to get the problem sorted and get you back on the road ASAP.
Putting in place a support package for your website is the digital equivalent of having your car serviced regularly and paying for breakdown cover. It gives you peace of mind that you’re protecting your investment.
Defending the maintenance aspect of website support and maintenance
Website maintenance is all about keeping it up-to-date so it’s an accurate reflection of your business
There are two reasons to do this.
Firstly, because an out-of-date website is bad for your reputation. (A News page that was last updated in November 2013 is never a good look.) And besides which, every business changes from month to month and year to year. If you don’t update your website it will reflect your business as it was then not as it is now.
Secondly, because search engines like websites that are well-maintained and up-to-date. By keeping your website up-to-date you’re helping your SEO chances. Who doesn’t want that?
If you’ve got a WordPress website, maintenance is something you probably do in-house already, although maybe not as often as you should. You might also wonder whether the updates you’re making are really delivering the best possible results for your business.
If that sounds like you, you could consider a website support and maintenance package that includes marketing reports and suggestions on how to improve your site so it offers better return on investment.
Regular website support and maintenance is something that protects and builds on your investment. It might not be exciting, but it’s certainly important. Learn more about why website maintenance is important here!