Your website is the foundation of your business’s online presence. People visit it to learn about your company, find your contact information, and purchase your products.
If your website isn’t working properly or is out of date, you may lose out on significant opportunities, such as new leads and sales.
Since 94% of first impressions relate to web design, people may come away with a poor first impression of your business if your site isn’t up-to-date and functional. Additionally, if you’re an ecommerce business and your ecommerce functionality fails, people won’t be able to purchase your products.
Regular website maintenance helps prevent these website issues.
In this post, we’ll explore what website maintenance is, what it includes, and why it’s so essential for your business.
To learn more about website maintenance and other digital marketing topics, explore our free resources or sign up for our weekly newsletter to get the latest marketing tips that will help you create a better website!
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What is website maintenance?
Website maintenance is the performance of tasks required to keep your website functioning properly and up to date. It involves regularly checking your website for issues, correcting any issues, and making updates.
Why is a website maintenance plan important?
Here are some of the top reasons why a website maintenance plan is crucial for your business:
- The majority of customers conduct online research
Before making a purchase online, 87% of people conduct online research. People that are considering buying a product from you will likely end up on your website. If your website gives them a negative impression of your company, they’ll likely continue their research on a competitor’s site, and you could miss out on a sale. - Your website informs users’ first impressions
If your website doesn’t work properly or looks outdated, customers will often click away. It will set a negative first impression of your business. If your website looks unprofessional, customers may think that your business is, too. - Your website helps grow your sales
Your website plays a crucial role in guiding users toward making a purchase. In the case of ecommerce sites, your site facilitates purchases. If your site doesn’t work properly, you’ll miss out on potential sales. - Site visitors value user experience
Among consumers who have a poor user experience on a site, 89% will shop with a competitor instead. Regular maintenance prevents these poor user experiences and encourages potential customers to stay on your site, increasing your chances of making a sale. - A website maintenance plan improves security
Cyberattacks cost U.S. companies $15.4 million per year. Repairing the damage caused by cyberattacks is often costly, plus you may lose customers who no longer trust your company with their personal information. Regular maintenance helps protect your site from cyber threats by keeping your security systems up to date.
When you maintain your security protections, customers will feel more comfortable making purchases on your site.
- Website maintenance supports your SEO strategy
If users frequently leave your website shortly after arriving at it, Google may view this as a sign that your site isn’t relevant. This increase in bounce rate can lead to lower rankings in search results, which means you’ll drive less traffic to your site.
Persistent technical issues, security issues, and outdated website design, structure, or content all diminish your search engine rankings.
How much does website maintenance cost?
Website maintenance costs may vary depending on the type of site. Here are a few examples of potential website maintenance costs for various types of websites:
- A personal website will have low maintenance costs, typically from $5 to $25 per month.
- Small business website maintenance may cost up to $100 per month.
- A corporate website may have maintenance costs of $200 to $3500.
- E-commerce website maintenance costs may range from $1500 to $2500.
Additional website maintenance costs
Some website maintenance costs to keep in mind include:
- Domain name renewal
You might pay for your domain name on a monthly or yearly basis. Domain names typically cost from $0.08 to $1 per month or $2 to $20 per year. While a domain name typically isn’t too expensive, it’s essential to keep up with the payments so that someone else doesn’t buy your domain name. - Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate
An SSL certificate helps keep your site secure. SSL certificates typically cost between $0.80 to $125 per month or $10 to $1500 per year. - Website Hosting
Website hosting is another website maintenance cost to consider. Hosting providers offer different options:
- Shared hosting costs between $24 to $120 per year.
- Website builders like WordPress and Wix cost between $60 and $180 per year.
- VPS hosting costs between $240 to $600 per year.
- Dedicated servers can cost between $1200 and $24,000 per year.
What does website maintenance include?
Here are some of the most important tasks involved in website maintenance:
- Testing your whole website annually
- Testing browser compatibility
- Testing your forms and checkout process quarterly
- Checking for software updates monthly
- Backing up your website monthly
- Reviewing key metrics weekly
You may choose to create a more extensive website maintenance plan or work with a professional website maintenance company to meet your goals.
Learn about website maintenance with ITechGloble
Keeping your website maintained improves your business’s reputation, keeps your site secure, and helps you gain more leads and sales. While you can conduct website maintenance yourself, working with a professional website maintenance company like ITechGloble can help you make sure you cover all your bases.
We offer several website maintenance packages that will ensure your site stays up-to-date, functions correctly, and remains secure.
As a full-service digital marketing agency, we also offer a range of other services, including:
- Web design
- SEO
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising management
After reading through the web maintenance guide, explore our website to learn more about website maintenance and other Internet marketing topics. Check out our free resources, or subscribe to our newsletter for industry updates and actionable advice on how to generate more revenue.
