Blog
Website Maintenance The Key to Business Growth
It might not sound very glamorous, but website maintenance might just be the key to explosive growth for your business…
It’s no secret that better websites generate better results for businesses. If you’ve got a modern, fast, intelligent website that impresses your customers then you’re positioning yourself for growth.
However, behind every successful website is a thorough, regular and planned website maintenance strategy. This helps you to continue getting the most out of your web design. In many cases it helps to increase the lifespan of your website and make the most of your initial investment. Additionally, undertaking website maintenance will give you a deeper understanding of how your website works. When the time comes to invest in a new web design, you’ll know exactly what your business needs…
Here are 6 regular processes that will help you prepare an effective website maintenance strategy:
1. Content Maintenance
It might sound simple, but you need to regularly update, edit and reread your content. This is what your customers are reading and will ultimately impact their decision to buy from you or not.
This safeguards you from various pitfalls. It prevents the embarrassment of having typos and errors on your website. It helps you align your web language with your current strategy and emphasis. It avoids the frustration of receiving a call from a customer about a product or service that you’re no longer offering.
2. Load Time Checks
Slow websites repel would-be customers. It’s quite simple. This is particularly essential if you’re an eCommerce retailer – every second that passes will dramatically reduce your conversion rate.
If your web pages are getting slow – maybe because your site structure is wrong, images are too large or widgets are getting in the way – you need to be in a position to realise that this is happening. It’s far easier – and more cost-effective in the long run – to get your web developer to work on a few slow pages than to require a whole new website.
3. Fix Those Broken Links
Finding a broken link is a very frustrating experience for a site visitor. Checking your links and site structure regularly will help to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Broken links are easily avoided and help to safeguard against potential customers leaving your website.
4. Remove Anything That Dates You
Successful marketing often requires you to synchronise your business with the latest news. This might be a sporting event, royal wedding or annual event. However, if you’re going to employ this strategy then you need to engage with website maintenance to avoid dating your website.
This includes old dates, past events and references to ‘current affairs’ that would be more suited to the ‘history’ news… There’s nothing more disconcerting than finding a great company but noticing a promotion from 2 years ago!
5. User Testing
This is a simple and powerful process: you evaluate how users are actually using your website. This might literally involve watching volunteers using your site; there are also a number of great online tools at your disposal to give you this information. Gathering this data will help you to make informed decisions that reap the benefits.
6. Change, Measure, Review, Change
Finally, website maintenance is an ongoing process. Each change should be measured and reviewed so that you can make further improvements in the future.
Eventually, you’ll reach the exciting stage where you know that it’s time for a brand-new website to continue growing your business.
That’s where VizionOnline come into the equation. As a leading UK web design agency we have the skills and experience to help take your business to the next level.
Website Maintenance The Key to Business Growth
