Business owners typically work hard at ensuring that they have compelling and engaging websites but may tend to forget about the ongoing maintenance that any good website requires. This can have serious consequences from a security point of view which could not only result in the loss of reputation but also the need to start building the site again from scratch if backups were not kept.
The following are four explanations as to why maintaining updated websites is key to keeping them fully optimised:
- Boost SEO ranking
Regularly updating a website allows for search engines to visit the site by means of crawling and, if there is new content each time, it will boost the websites rankings with them. If a site has not been updated in a while, the search engines flag the website as inactive and rankings may begin to drop as a result of no activity. - Stay on top of the latest security patches
It is important to keep a website updated with the latest security patches and malware protection. Everyone connected to the internet is at risk to cybercrime or cyberattacks. Hackers are infamous for uploading malware onto websites without the owner being aware of it and the damage done to the site has many unfortunate consequences. Prevention is better than cure. - Technology is constantly changing
One needs to stay up to date with current trends. Making regular but smaller changes over time is a great approach when wanting to keep a business relevant to what is happening in the marketplace. New software and/or hardware are good ways to contribute to an increase in efficiency for a business. - Keep an eye on the competition
It is important to monitor what the competition is doing, or at least other websites that stand out and attract the desired attention. Keeping up with the changes means that one becomes aware of new opportunities that will help grow a company’s revenue. - Backup the website
All website code needs to be backed up regularly somewhere where it is protected from access, should the site get hacked as otherwise the site may need to be re-built from scratch. The company’s reputation can also be affected negatively should the site be down for extended periods of time. Ideally, an offline backup should also be kept with the backup device disconnected from any network as soon as the backup has been completed to ensure that it doesn’t also become vulnerable to attack.
Keeping a company’s website updated will also develop a strong sense of loyalty between the company’s brand and its customers as well as enticing new prospects on board who find it appealing and professional looking. Ideally, someone in the business should also access the site at least daily to ensure that it has not been hacked as the negative publicity resulting from a hack can become very damaging to the company’s reputation. A consistent system with regular maintenance should be put in place to ensure that the website meets the needs of users viewing it which ultimately increases traffic on the site.