Every company should have a top-notch website at the cornerstone of its business strategy. But once you’ve created your dream site, which can be a feat in and of itself, you can’t just leave it “as is” forever. There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to keeping your site healthy, protected, and performing at its best in the everchanging digital environment. Here are a few reasons why you should invest in website maintenance services for your business website.
FRESH CONTENT
As your business evolves and grows, so should the content on your website. As time passes, you might decide to start a blog to boost your SEO or you may add new employees – all of which will need to be updated on your site. This type of communication helps create engagement and brand loyalty with your growing audience.
SECURITY & FRAMEWORK UPDATES
Website technology is constantly evolving which means it can leave your website vulnerable and clunky if you don’t conduct routine maintenance. The framework used to build a site needs to be kept up-to-speed to ensure your site is secure; this can be the platform the site is built on or the add-ons used to provide functionality. If not properly maintained, it could leave your online business vulnerable to hackers, viruses, a down site, and even stolen customer information.
MARKETING SUPPORT
Your website is a successful vehicle to push and house various different marketing efforts. Even more so, big marketing events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be amplified by having a strong brand presence and strategy for online. Also, by including the keywords and information that you’re advertising on search engines or social channels, you’ll provide a better user experience for your customers and ultimately make your site rank higher in the digital world.
DESIGN UPDATES
Not many businesses keep the same website design they start with as it eventually becomes tired and the functionality fades. New design options become available that can make your website feel fresh and functional. New website layouts, buttons, and formats for content can increase readability, reduce bounce rates, and create a pleasant browsing experience for all visitors.
SEO
Another very crucial reason to keep your website updated often is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, and Google updates their requirements for higher ranking on their pages often. Posting updated content and adding quality keywords can attribute to higher rankings. One of the newer requirements for a “high ranking” position on Google is responsive website design. Collectively, all these things will help you stay on top of SEO and make it work for your business.
LEGAL
When you have a business website, depending on where you live, there are some legal requirements. For example, the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaced the
1995 Data Protection Directive to protect the information of those visiting/interacting with any website. If your website collects any type of data, the most common is email addresses, you should have a clear and descriptive privacy policy published on the same page as the form.
Other legal areas to keep in mind for your website include:
- Accessibility
- Data Protection
- PCI Compliance
- Tax Rule Changes
A COMPETITIVE EDGE
One thing is for certain in the digital world, everyone is looking for a competitive edge. By keeping your website current and optimizing all facets of it, you’ll likely have no problem with giving your competition a run for their money. If not, you’ll fall victim to those who are taking the time to make it a priority while losing out on valuable business.
Now that you’re aware of why you should invest in website maintenance services, let’s chat about how we can help! ARK provides its website clients with monthly maintenance services that include minor updates to content, technology updates, hosting security, and monitoring. We keep an eye on error codes, watch for security vulnerabilities, check performance and speed rankings, and watch for any downtime. While we keep things running smoothly on the backend, you can rest easy without worry. At ARK Marketing, our team is ready and able to guide you. Contact us today!