Website maintenance services are more than making sure the information and content on the front end are up-to-date. It’s also about the behind-the-scenes components that keep your site running smoothly.
Themes, plugins, and other elements of a website are constantly being updated. If they aren’t maintained properly, your site can begin to experience issues, such as certain features/sections no longer working correctly or, in some cases, the entire site going down.
Security is another major reason to stay on top of maintenance. Leaving components of your website out-of-date can create vulnerabilities that make your site an easy target.
Why Website Maintenance Services Matter
Technology is constantly changing, and websites have to keep up with these changes. They have multiple components/elements that work together, and because of this, developers regularly release updates that improve their software and make sure it is working as intended.
Updates are commonly released to:
- Fix security vulnerabilities
- Improve performance
- Add new features
- Fix bugs
- Maintain compatibility with other components
Leaving just one of these components outdated can create issues. Website maintenance is more than installing updates, and you should have a plan in place in case something doesn’t go as expected.
Prevention Now Vs. Fixing Later
It is much easier to prevent problems than it is to fix them afterward. Regular website maintenance services give you the opportunity to catch potential issues before they turn into major problems that affect your visitors.
Some of the most important maintenance tasks include:
- Keeping themes, plugins, and other elements up-to-date
- Creating a backup before installing updates
- Testing updates on a development or staging site when possible
- Looking for security vulnerabilities, such as malware or unauthorized users.
- Removing plugins or themes that are no longer being used or being maintained by their developer
- Making sure important features that affect the user experience are still working properly after updates
While each of these tasks seems small on its own, together they reduce the chances of unexpected downtime.
The goal of website maintenance is for things to continue on smoothly. When everything is working correctly, visitors can browse your site, submit forms, and access the information they need without ever thinking about what’s happening behind the scenes.
Spending a little time on regular maintenance can save hours of troubleshooting later and help avoid larger issues that could have been prevented.
My Experience With The Complexities of Website Maintenance
Proper website maintenance requires technical skills. When updates get complicated, it’s important to have an expert on your side to fix issues quickly.
Sometimes, even with regular website maintenance services, your website can still experience issues or go down unexpectedly. We ran into this problem on a site a while back.
The site relied on a calendar plugin along with its premium add-on, and both depended on each other to function properly. After updating the standard version of the plugin, the site crashed — even though the premium version showed that no update was available.
We were able to quickly restore the site by removing the plugin that was causing the issue. After investigating further, we discovered that an update for the premium add-on was actually available even though it hadn’t initially appeared. Once we downloaded the latest version and reinstalled it, everything was working properly again.
This experience is a good reminder that even routine updates can run into the occasional issue. While it’s recommended to test updates on a development or staging site first, that isn’t always possible. Some premium plugins require additional licenses for staging environments, making it difficult to test without purchasing another subscription.
Should I Hire a Full-Time Web Developer for Website Maintenance Services?
Regular website maintenance is crucial to your site, but often not time-consuming enough for you to hire a full-time web developer.
That’s where we, as your website maintenance services partner, can step in. Our experienced Mediaura developers proactively manage your updates, backups, and overall site health behind the scenes, helping you avoid unexpected downtime and security breaches.
You can hire us for however many hours per month of work your website requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should my website be maintained?
Every website is different, but monthly website maintenance services are a good starting point. If your website receives a lot of traffic – upwards of 50,000 visitors every month – weekly or biweekly maintenance may be a better option.
How do I update my website?
To update your website, make a backup, apply updates, and end with testing to ensure everything is operating as it should. You may also want to use a development or staging site to test updates before applying them to the live site.
An experienced web developer can do all of this for you, making sure all necessary updates are applied and acting quickly if something goes wrong to prevent website downtime.
Can updating plugins break my website?
Yes. While regular website maintenance services are a good way to avoid issues, it is not always guaranteed. This is why creating backups of your website is important.
Get Your Web Maintenance Started Today
Don’t wait for a broken plugin or a site crash to think about your website’s health. Mediaura’s proactive website maintenance services take the technical guesswork off your plate, keeping your site secure, fast, and online. Whether you need a few hours of support a month or comprehensive management, we’ve got you covered. Contact Mediaura today to choose the right maintenance package for your business and keep your digital storefront running flawlessly.
Kaylyn McGehee is a web developer at Mediaura, where she creates and maintains high-performing websites for businesses that prioritize user experience and meet business goals. Kaylyn holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Indiana University Southeast.
