Preparing for the Future of Your Website
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Planning a Website the Organized Way is a lot of work, and many people look forward with eager anticipation to the day their new website is launched and they can just forget about it.
I’ve got news for you – you can never forget about your website!
Your WordPress site needs to be updated on a regular basis so you can take advantage of new features and, more importantly, to keep your site secure.
Updating WordPress plugins seems pretty simple – just click and it’s done – but you never know when you might run into a problem. Sometimes plugins aren’t compatible with the latest version of WordPress, or with other plugins. Troubleshooting and resolving such issues requires both time and a certain level of technical knowledge, so make sure you have access to someone who can help you out when things go wrong. Better yet, give yourself peace of mind by leaving the entire process in the hands of an expert.
Backups
Unless you’re using a Managed Hosting service like WPMU DEV, you need to have a backup system in place. Other web hosts may run daily or weekly backups, but that’s not going to do you much good if you spend half a day working on your site and accidentally break something.
I highly recommend installing a backup plugin and backing up your site before you update your WordPress installation or make any other major changes. Your plugin can also be set to run backups automatically according to a set schedule.
UpdraftPlus is great for this, because you can set it up to send your backups to Dropbox or another remote location. If your backups are stored on the server and it goes down, you’ll be up the creek without a paddle!
Content Updates
Adding new content on a regular basis will do wonders for your search engine positioning. That’s one of the reasons that blogs are so popular.
Whether you intend to blog or not, other sections of your website will need to be updated whenever you introduce a new product or service or stop offering something that’s listed on your site. Failing to stay on top of these changes will mean that:
- You won’t get the full marketing value out of your website
- You’ll spend more time giving updated information to potential clients on the phone or by email
Receiving an award, earning a new credential, or being mentioned in a major publication are all important details that you may wish to add to your About page.
Other site additions might include photos of recent projects, client testimonials, or further information about your business.
Will you be comfortable – and have the time – to do your own updates? If not, who will do them on your behalf? Can your web designer provide this service at a reasonable price and with an acceptable turnaround time?
A website is always a work-in-progress.
As you develop your website plan, make sure you address these important website maintenance issues.
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Very good point about no getting the full marketing value out of your website. That is something I am thinking about right now as I am deciding whether to keep my Windfall site or just add a services page to my blog.
Big decision! In the past 9 years I’ve gone from (business website + separate business blog) to (business website + separate business blog + blog for organizers) to (business website/blog for organizers + separate business blog) to (business website/blog for organizers) and now (business website/blog for organizers + personal blog). You’ll figure out what’s best for you and your business!
Such important points! It’s true that we need to keep up to date on our website and freshen it up!
You seem to be doing a good job of it, Ellen!
So important to think these issues through. It isn’t a “build it and leave it” kind of proposition. Very smart to think about how you will refresh and maintain your website in the future! And good to know that YOU are available to anyone needing help!
Thanks, Seana! Clients often assure me that they can look after the maintenance once the site is completed, but they don’t always remember, and one of my clients’ sites was hacked recently because it wasn’t up-to-date.
Great post Janet! I totally agree “a website is a work in progress”. I like to reassess each December and determine if and what I want to make changes in the new year. It helps me create goals and determine my focus for the next year.
My workload tends to be lighter in the summer, so that’s usually when I have the time to make all the changes I’ve thought of over the past few months.