Most people and businesses don’t think about their website after it’s gone live. The design is done, the content is up and it seems to be running just fine. So what’s the point of checking in on it every month or two, right?
Wrong.
Websites need ongoing care. Not just because things can go wrong but because the internet itself keeps changing. Browsers get updates, devices evolve, user expectations shift and security threats get smarter. Your website has to keep up with these changes or it could end up falling behind, breaking down, becoming outdated or worse.
First off, things break…
Even if your site looks great when it launches, that doesn’t guarantee it’ll stay that way. Plugins, themes and even platforms are regularly updated, sometimes for new features but more often for bug fixes and security reasons. When one part updates and the others don’t, things can stop working.
You might notice a contact form not sending messages anymore, images loading strangely or a weird error message popping up on the homepage. Sometimes the issues are subtle and go unnoticed until a visitor points them out (or until your leads drop off and you realise your site hasn’t been converting for weeks- oops).
By doing regular maintenance, you’re keeping all parts of your site stable, functional and in good working order. It’s not exciting work, but it’s what keeps things running smoothly in the background.
Security is a moving target.
This one’s a big one- cyber threats are constantly getting smarter and more prominent, and no website is immune. In fact, smaller sites often get targeted precisely because they’re less likely to be protected.
Outdated plugins, weak passwords or ignored updates create vulnerabilities that hackers love to exploit. You might think your site doesn’t have anything worth stealing but that’s not how it works. Hackers don’t necessarily want your content, they want your server space, your traffic or access to your visitors.
A hacked site could mean spam links get injected into your pages, malicious redirects or even your entire site being blacklisted by Google. And once your reputation takes a hit online, it’s tough to recover.
Regular maintenance means that you can run security scans, update software, check for vulnerabilities and make sure backups are working in case the worst happens.
User experience degrades over time.
A smooth and fast-loading website is essential to keeping people engaged but site performance can degrade quietly.
Images might not be optimised, broken links might creep in, a plugin update might slow things down. What felt sleek six months ago could feel clunky now, and most visitors won’t tell you this, they’ll just leave.
Maintaining your website for the user experience means checking load times, tidying up old content and making sure everything works as intended on different devices and screen sizes.
It’s just like housekeeping- not glamorous but absolutely necessary if you want to keep people coming back.
SEO isn’t set and forget.
Suppose your site was optimised for search engines when it launched, great! But SEO is not a one-time job. Google tweaks its algorithm constantly and what worked last year might not cut it now. Broken links, outdated content, slow page speeds and unoptimised images can all hurt your rankings.
By regularly reviewing your content and performance, you can make small, continuous improvements that help you stay visible in search results. This might include updating meta descriptions, reworking blog posts or adding new content that reflects current keywords and trends.
Analytics only matter if you use them.
Your website might be collecting data but are you doing anything with it?
Maintenance isn’t just about updates and security. It’s about looking at the numbers and adjusting your strategy. Are people bouncing off a particular page? Are they dropping off before checkout? Is your blog traffic growing or flatlining?
When you build maintenance into your workflow, you start catching these insights early and consistently so that you can respond to them. That might mean adjusting your calls to action, refining your site layout or changing your content strategy.
WHAT’S INVOLVED IN REGULAR WEBSITE MAINTENANCE?
- Update all plugins, themes and CMS software
- Check for broken links and fix them
- Test forms and contact submissions
- Run a speed test and make any optimisations
- Review security settings and run a scan
- Back up the site (and test the backup)
- Review analytics for key trends
- Update outdated content
- Check mobile responsiveness
You don’t have to do this every day or even every week for that matter but waiting a year between reviews is asking for trouble which is why we recommend every month to every 6 months.
What happens if you skip the maintenance?
Well, nothing might happen at first.
But then maybe your SSL certificate expires and people start seeing security warnings. Your site starts throwing up errors and your bounce rate goes through the roof. A hacker gets in and you’re scrambling to clean up the mess while your customers are being redirected to a phishing site.
These are worst-case scenarios but they happen more often than you’d think, usually to people who assume their website is ‘fine’.
The longer you go without maintenance, the more you’re gambling with your online presence.
If your business relies on your website in any way, whether it’s for credibility, lead generation, sales or customer support, maintaining it should be a non-negotiable part of your regular operations.
It doesn’t need to be overly complex and you don’t have to handle it all yourself, but ignoring it all together? That’s like never taking your car in for service and being surprised when it breaks down on the motorway.
‘Fine’ isn’t a maintenance strategy…