The Beginners Guide To Maintaining A Website
By Jessica Foreman
Having a website is an essential part of a modern business’ operation. A firm needs this vital tool to help get in touch with customers and put itself on the map. But a website isn’t a static thing. You can’t buy one off the shelf, simply plonk it online, and forget about it. You need to maintain it properly so it delivers the results you need. Here's how:
Find A Decent Host
Your host is important and you might need to change this if things aren’t working the way you want them to. Switching to a cloud-based server can help you to save money, for example, while different hosts will help you to cater for the requirements of your site. Make sure your host supports you in what your need your website to do, for example acceptance of payment. If your host doesn't allow you to accept payment on your website, then they might not be the right choice for you. Don’t be afraid to challenge them if you’re not happy. Just because you are not an expert doesn’t mean that you can’t demand a certain standard of service.
Update Your Design
It’s only natural for tastes to change, and that is true of websites as much as any other field. Consider, for example, what the first websites you ever saw looked like and contrast that with what’s out there today. You don’t need every flashy tool under the sun, but part of maintaining your site is about keeping up with the times and tweaking your design when necessary to keep it relevant. You also need to ensure you are properly displaying for mobile browsers who make up an increasing chunk of web users.
Consider Your Content
The words on your website are important. They tell Google what your business is about and where to stick you on the rankings. Relevant, well written content will serve you well. Keep this fresh by maintaining a blog with company news or views on your industry to create an active destination.
Monitor Performance
Is your site sometimes down? Do pages take a while to load? A good host should be looking after these things for you, but you need to be aware of them. You don’t need to be an expert to know that slow load times or poor accessibility are bad for your business. Don’t just let them continue, challenge your host and push to fix any problems.
Safety And Security
Cyber security is never far from the news headlines these days. High profile hacks have sent shivers down the spines of many businesses which fear being brought to their knees by criminals. Companies such as Privacy Online are springing up to show how encryption and specialist services can make for a safer and more secure life online. It’s important to consider how this can help both your website and wider internet-based operation.
Traffic
Clever, web-savvy experts make a living from monitoring web traffic statistics, spotting trends, and drawing up marketing campaigns to cash in on those trends. As a beginner, you might not fancy poring over countless spreadsheet, but you still need to keep on top of this. If you’re able to see a particular part of your website performs well — or not — when it comes to traffic, then that should inform the way you maintain it.
Jessica Foreman is a Durham University graduate specializing in business and lifestyle based writing. She has developed her skills on projects surrounding The British Broadcasting Company and running a print and online based magazine whilst at university. She is currently looking towards starting her Masters in Mobile and Personal Communications as well as broadening her horizons through traveling.