When people hear the term “website maintenance”, they might imagine someone occasionally logging into WordPress and clicking the update button.

There is a little more to it than that.

A well maintained WordPress website needs regular attention across a number of different areas – from software updates and security through to performance, monitoring and keeping the info on the website accurate.

The aim isn’t simply to keep the website running.

It’s to keep it secure, reliable, up to date and working properly for your business.

Here are some of the key areas that ongoing WordPress website care should cover.

1. WordPress, plugin and theme updates

WordPress is regularly updated, as are the plugins and themes that run on it.

Updates can include security fixes, bug fixes,performance improvements, compatibility changes and new functionality.

Keeping everything updated is therefore an important part of maintaining a healthy website.

However, good maintenance isn’t about blindly installing every available update. Updates can sometimes affect other parts of a website, particularly when multiple plugins and themes are involved.

That’s why updates should be managed carefully and the website checked afterwards.

A good maintenance process should make sure that updates are not only installed, but that the website continues to work as expected.

2. Security

Security is one of the most important reasons to keep a WordPress website maintained.

WordPress itself is widely used, which makes it an attractive target for automated attacks. Plugins and themes can also contain vunerabilities that become known over time.

Keeping software up to date is one important part of reducing this risk, but website security involves more than updates alone.

Depending on the website, ongoing care can include security monitoring, mal-ware scanning, login protection and monitoring for suspicious activity.

The important thing to understand is that security problems aren’t necessarily obvious.

A website can look completely normal to a visitor while there is an underlying security issue that needs attention.

3. Back-ups

Every website should have a reliable backup strategy.

Backups provide a safety net if something goes wrong – whether that’s the result of a failed update, a technical problem, accidental changes or a security incident.

But simply having a backup isn’t necessarily enough.

A good backup process should consider:

• How frequently the website is backed up
• Where the backups are stored
• How long they are retained
• Whether the backups are actually completing successfully
• Whether the website can be restored if required

The purpose of a backup is ultimately very simple: if something goes wrong, you have a way back.

4. Performance

A website that was fast when it was first launched isn’t guarenteed to remain fast forever.

Websites change. New pages and images are added. Plugins are installed and updated. Databases grow. Hosting environments change.

Over time, these factors can affect performance.

Ongoing website care should therefore include keeping an eye on how the website is performing and identifying obvious issues that could be slowing it down.

Performance matters because visitors expect websites to load quickly, particularly on mobile devices. A slow website can create a poor user experience and may also affect how search engines assess the site.

Performance maintenance isn’t necessarily about constantly trying to make a website faster.

It’s about making sure it doesn’t gradually become slower without anyone noticing.

5. Compatibility

A WordPress website is made up of many components that need to work together.

WordPress, your theme, plugins, PHP, your hosting environment and other technologies all have to remain compatible.

This can make maintenance more complicated than it appears.

For example, a new version of WordPress might work perfectly well with most of your plugins but cause an issue with one older plugin. Alternatively, a plugin update might change something that affects the way your theme displays a particular feature.

These issues aren’t necessarily common, but they are one reason why responsible maintenance involves checking the website after significant changes.

The goal isn’t just to keep everything current.

It’s to keep everything working together.

6. Monitoring

Some website problems are only discovered when a customer tells you about them.

That’s not ideal.

Ongoing monitoring can help identify problems before someone happens to stumble across them.

Depending on the website, this can include monitoring for:

• Website downtime
• Security issues
• SSL certificate problems
• Broken or failed functionality
• Technical errors
• Search engine visibility issues
• Other significant changes or problems

Monitoring doesn’t prevent every problem from occurring, but it can significantly reduce the amount of time a problem goes unnoticed.

That’s particularly important for a business website that needs to be available 24 hours a day.

7. Keeping your content up to date

Website care isn’t only technical.

Your website represents your business, so the information on it needs to remain accurate as well.

Businesses change. Services are added or removed. Staff change. Opening hours change. Contact details change. Pricing changes. New projects and testimonials become available.

If that information isn’t reflected on your website, your website can quickly become outdated.

And sometimes the problem isn’t something obvious.

Perhaps an old staff member is still listed on the About page. An old promotion is still appearing in a Google search result. A service page refers to something you no longer offer. Or the phone number on an old page is different from the one you currently use.

Keeping your content current helps ensure that your website continues to accurately represent your business.

8. Checking the website from a customer’s perspective

Tech maintenance is important, but it’s also worth looking at the website as a customer would.

Can visitors easily understand what the business does?

Is it obvious what they should do next?

Does the website work properly on mobile?

Are contact forms working?

Are important services easy to find?

Are there broken links, outdated pages or obvious errors?

A website can be technically healthy while still providing a poor experience for visitors.

Ongoing care should therefore include an occasional broader review of the website, rather than focusing exclusively on the technical side.

9. Keeping an eye on search visibility

Your website also needs to remain visible to the people who are looking for your services.

Basic website care can include checking that search engines can access the website, that important pages remain indexed and that obvious technical issues aren’t preventing pages from appearing in search results.

This isn’t the same as a full SEO campaign.

It’s more about making sure that technical problems aren’t quietly undermining the visibility you’ve already worked to establish.

A website can be beautifully designed, full of useful information and technically functional for visitors while still having issues that affect how search engines find and understand it.

Ongoing care is about looking at the whole website

The important thing about website maintenance is that none of these areas exists completely on its own.

An update can create a compatibility issue.

A security problem can affect performance.

A technical problem can affect search visibility.

An outdated piece of content can affect a customer’s trust in the business.

A broken contact form can mean losing an enquiry.

That’s why good website care takes a broader view.

Rather than only fixing things when they break, the aim is to regularly check the different parts of the website and deal with issues before they become bigger problems.

Your website is an important business asset

For many businesses, the website is one of their most important marketing and communication tools.

It’s often the first place a potential customer goes after hearing about the business. It may generate enquiries, provide information, establish credibility and help people decide whether to contact you.

It therefore makes sense to look after it.

Ongoing WordPress website care isn’t about making unnecessary changes or constantly redesigning your website.

It’s about making sure the website you already have continues to do its job.

Keep it updated. Keep it secure. Keep it backed up. Keep it performing well. Keep an eye on it. And keep the information current.

That way, your website remains a reliable business asset rather than something you only think about when something goes wrong.

Let us look after your website

If keeping on top of all of this isn’t something you want to spend your time worrying about, that’s where Discover Me Website Care can help.

We provide ongoing WordPress website care designed to keep your website secure, up to date, monitored and running smoothly – while giving you someone to turn to when something needs attention.

We take care of the routine maintenance and keep an eye out for potential problems, so you can get on with running your business.

Find out more about Website Care

No lock-in contracts. No need to wait until something goes wrong. Just proactive, ongoing care for your website.