Maintain Your Website Like a Car
As web designers and developers we work with hundreds of clients and companies. We develop based on the clients criteria and the variables are endless. With any web based project, the client owns the website. Therefore, it is the clients responsibility to keep a healthy website, this is just like your car. The maintenance is always the owners responsibility. Once and a while you need to take it to the mechanic. Since a website is an evolving representation of your business it is important to keep it healthy or you risk losing it.
WordPress came out with 2 security releases lately. Don’t rely on your web designer or development firm or even hosting company to let you know if your website needs updates. WordPress has warning lights, just like your car. Login to your website and check on the dashboard. It’s right there in red. A message will let you know how many updates are required. If you are unsure how to do them or how to take appropriate backups, prior to updating, check with your web designer. There may be a fee for time spent, just like a mechanic. The health of your website is your responsibility but be proactive, it’s so easy and usually completely automated process that should be painless. If taken care of properly, your website will last for many, many years and yield excellent marketing results.
I think that people get frustrated when they have a CMS system and assume they are now able manage the whole website. The idea of WordPress is to be a Content Management System, it means you get to add content (text, photos, blog posts, videos, pdf’s… etc) to help market your business. It does not mean you should assume you know everything about WordPress. Not, that some don’t because it is not rocket science. The majority of people should budget at least 2 maintenance updates with their web designer a year. Again like a car, I can drive one, but I can’t do the maintenance. This should be a firm budget line in any business. Go, login and check right now. Are their updates to be done?
Written by Liz Skorski,
President, Skorski Web Design Inc.