Your website is akin to a flourishing plant, requiring diligent nurturing to thrive. Neglecting its care can lead to its decline. While you can’t physically nourish your website with food, water, and sunlight, there are numerous tasks you can undertake to foster its consistent growth.Our team has compiled an exhaustive website maintenance checklist, designed to safeguard the vitality of your online presence. It is segmented into:
Weekly website maintenance tasks
Monthly website maintenance tasks
Quarterly website maintenance tasks
Continue reading to discover the essential tasks necessary for maintaining the health of your website!
The initial phase of our website maintenance strategy involves completing tasks on a weekly basis to guarantee the optimal operation of your site’s critical functions.Rectify broken linksOur website maintenance checklist commences with the rectification of broken links on your site. These links, within your content, are crucial for both providing valuable information to your audience and aiding search engines like Google in indexing your content.However, broken links hinder this process, preventing Google from indexing affected pages and users from accessing them.Given the critical nature of this issue for your business, it is imperative to inspect your site’s links weekly. Utilize tools such as Google Search Console to identify broken links. Once identified, you can rectify them by:
Ensuring there are no typographical errors in the link
Setting up redirects to the new page your content has been moved to
Replacing the link with an alternative page
Update software or plugins (For site builders only)For those using site builders like WordPress or Squarespace, adding the task of updating software or plugins to your weekly maintenance checklist is essential. These platforms frequently release updates for their platforms, with WordPress plugins often requiring updates for continuous optimization.To ensure your site operates seamlessly, update your software or plugins every week. Verify that you have the latest version of your tools and confirm that your site remains functional post-update. Be vigilant for any compatibility issues that may arise with plugin updates and monitor your site’s functionality to ensure all components are working harmoniously.Ensure form functionalityThe final focus of our weekly maintenance checklist is on your website forms.Forms are integral to capturing leads for your business, and thus, it is imperative to test their functionality weekly. Submit information into your forms and ensure you can navigate through the process seamlessly, including entering all details and successfully submitting them. Additionally, evaluate the user experience to ensure simplicity and ease of completion.It is also crucial to review the follow-up steps post-form submission, such as event sign-ups or email list subscriptions, to ensure they are functioning correctly. Analyze your form submission process to guarantee your site is effectively capturing leads.
With the weekly maintenance checklist in place, let’s explore the monthly website maintenance tasks.Assess website performanceYour monthly maintenance checklist should commence with an evaluation of your website’s performance. Analyze the effectiveness of your site in driving the desired outcomes, focusing on key pages such as product, service, and contact pages.Utilize tools like Google Analytics to gain insights into your website’s performance. Monitor for elevated bounce rates, decreased conversion rates, or unusual page activity. Employ heatmaps to identify user behavior and problem areas, and capitalize on opportunities to enhance traffic.Monitor site load timeThe subsequent item on your monthly maintenance checklist is to check your site’s load time. User patience is fleeting, with expectations for quick loading times. Regular monthly checks using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights are vital to ensure your site meets these expectations.Implement suggestions from Google to enhance load times, including reducing redirects, optimizing image sizes, limiting HTTP requests, and enabling browser caching.Evaluate checkout processThis step is crucial for e-commerce businesses. Test your checkout process monthly to ensure a seamless customer experience, particularly if you notice a dip in conversions.Conduct the checkout process yourself and note any issues. Regular evaluation guarantees a smooth shopping experience and continuous improvement in customer satisfaction.Backup site dataRegularly backing up your site data is a critical aspect of your maintenance plan. Use online backup services to safeguard your site files and database, with weekly backups recommended based on your site’s update frequency.Next, we’ll delve into the quarterly maintenance tasks.Enhance website usabilityYour quarterly maintenance checklist should begin with an assessment of your website’s usability. Analyze the current design and layout to ensure an optimal user experience. Utilize tools like heatmaps to identify user behaviors and areas for improvement.Refresh website contentUpdating your website content is vital for maintaining relevance. Conduct a quarterly review of your webpages to remove outdated information and ensure accuracy across blog posts, services pages, and product descriptions.Test cross-browser compatibilityFinally, ensure your website is compatible with various browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, which frequently update. Test your site in each browser to ensure a positive user experience and make necessary adjustments for optimal display.Should you find the task of maintaining your website overwhelming, WebFX offers comprehensive website maintenance services. Our team of over 500 marketing experts is ready to assist you in ensuring a positive user experience. For more information about our services, contact us online or call 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist today!
