Websites are like puppies. Why? When you launch a new website, it’s very exciting. You’re anxious for everyone to see it. I couldn’t agree more. In fact the team and I are also really excited to show off a new website we’ve developed. They grow up, however.
But, we also know from experience that, as time goes by, the website is going to grow and develop. Clients will add content to it, software will be updated and there is the constant threat of attacks from malware and other harmful sources. Without constant care and feeding, that adorable new website can start to develop some bad behaviors.
Websites are like puppies, they need training as they grow
As the owner of a website, you want it to just work. You want lots of visitors coming to it and engaging with your content, you want it to help drive your business. At the same time, you need to run your business, not worry about whether your website has the latest and greatest code updates, if images are optimized for fast page loads and SEO, etc.
A website left untended will almost certainly slow down. Pages will take longer to load and images will take longer to render. A slow website drives both visitors and search engines away. A crisp, high performing website does double duty to bring traffic to your site and help keep it there.
Get our free guide: 5 Essentials for Keeping Your Website Safe
The bad guys are out there and they get smarter all the time. Keeping your website secure requires constant vigilance and code vulnerabilities must be addressed when they are identified. Regular backups help provide a fall back point should there be a problem and a restart is needed. A minimum of daily backup is recommended.
The only constant is change. As search engine algorithms change and your competitor’s strategies change, you need to make sure that your site continues to rank well for those terms the public is using to find your business. Keeping an eye on how your keywords are performing can flag the need for re-evaluation of your keyword strategy.
Good website maintenance is like a good trainer
So, if websites are like puppies, then good website maintenance is like a good trainer. As with puppies, a responsible web owner knows that an ongoing investment of effort is required over time. Celebrate the launch but have a plan to keep the website safe and behaving well as time goes by.
Website Care from B. McGuire Designs covers all the bits of keeping your website healthy and safe so you can focus on your work.
Cute puppy photo by Thom Bradley from Burst
