Launching a new website feels like the finish line.
Months of planning, writing, designing and developing finally come together. The website goes live, everyone breathes a sigh of relief and attention moves on to something else.
But there is a problem with treating launch day as the end of the project.
Websites are never really finished.
A website should evolve alongside your business, your customers and the technology that powers it.
Leave it alone for long enough and even the best website will gradually become less effective.
Websites need looking after
Think about how much changes in a year.
Your business might introduce new services, employ new people, complete new projects or start targeting different customers.
Your competitors change too.
Google changes.
WordPress changes.
Browsers change.
Customer expectations change.
Even the devices people use to access your website change.
Yet plenty of businesses still have websites that have barely been touched since the day they launched.
The result is often a website that no longer accurately represents the business behind it.
WordPress does not stand still
WordPress websites are built using a combination of WordPress itself, themes, plugins and other technologies.
All of these receive updates.
Some updates introduce new functionality. Others improve compatibility, performance or security.
Ignoring updates indefinitely can create problems.
Plugins can become incompatible. Features can stop working correctly. Security vulnerabilities can emerge and outdated software can eventually become difficult to maintain.
Keeping WordPress properly maintained is therefore an important part of owning a website.
But maintenance is about more than pressing an update button.
Updates should be managed carefully, backups should be available and important functionality should continue to be checked.
Is your website still working properly?
When was the last time you completed your own contact form?
It sounds obvious, but it is surprising how often website owners discover that an important enquiry form has stopped delivering emails.
The website still looks perfectly normal.
Customers can still fill in the form.
They can even see a confirmation message.
The enquiry simply never arrives.
That is why ongoing website checks matter.
Forms, links, ecommerce functionality and other important features should be monitored rather than assumed to be working forever.
A broken enquiry form could cost considerably more than maintaining the website properly in the first place.
Your content has a shelf life
Your website might still technically work while becoming increasingly inaccurate.
Perhaps an employee left six months ago but is still listed on the team page.
Maybe your prices changed.
Perhaps you launched a new service that still does not appear on the website.
Maybe your portfolio is full of work from four years ago despite completing far better projects since.
Customers notice these things.
An outdated website can make an active, successful business look inactive.
Regularly adding new projects, testimonials, services, photographs and articles helps ensure your website reflects the company you are today rather than the company you were when it launched.
SEO needs ongoing attention
Search engine optimisation is another reason websites should continue evolving.
Google rankings are not permanent.
Competitors publish new content. Search behaviour changes. New competitors enter the market and existing competitors improve their websites.
A page that performed brilliantly two years ago may gradually lose visibility if nobody looks at it again.
Ongoing SEO allows you to identify these changes.
You can see which searches are generating visibility, which pages are attracting visitors and where opportunities exist to improve performance.
Sometimes the answer is a completely new page.
Sometimes it is simply improving a page you already have.
Your website should grow with your business
One of the biggest advantages of a well built website is that it can evolve.
Perhaps you originally launched with five services and now provide eight.
Maybe you have expanded from Fareham into Southampton.
Perhaps you have entered an entirely new market.
Your website should communicate those changes.
It can also become more sophisticated over time.
You might add online booking, ecommerce, customer portals, integrations, downloadable resources, automated enquiries or new landing pages.
A website should be an active business tool rather than a digital brochure that slowly gathers dust.
Small improvements can make a big difference
Website improvement does not always mean redesigning everything.
Sometimes small changes have a significant impact.
Changing the wording on a call to action.
Making a telephone number easier to find.
Improving mobile navigation.
Adding customer reviews.
Updating photographs.
Improving page speed.
Expanding a service page.
Adding frequently asked questions.
These improvements accumulate.
A website that receives regular attention can become substantially better over several years rather than gradually becoming obsolete.
What happens if you simply leave it alone?
Nothing might happen immediately.
That is precisely why website maintenance is easy to ignore.
But over time, the risks increase.
Software becomes outdated.
Content becomes inaccurate.
Search rankings can decline.
Broken functionality goes unnoticed.
Competitors improve their websites while yours remains unchanged.
Eventually, the website reaches the point where somebody decides it needs replacing altogether.
Regular maintenance and improvement can significantly extend the useful life of a website while helping it continue generating value for the business.
A website should earn its keep
Your website should be doing something useful.
Generating enquiries.
Supporting sales.
Answering customer questions.
Building credibility.
Attracting visitors through search.
Helping customers find your business.
If nobody is monitoring those things, it is difficult to know whether the website is actually performing.
That is why we believe website support should go beyond simply keeping the lights on.
At Nettl of Fareham, we design and build websites, but we also help businesses look after them once they are live.
Through ongoing website care, SEO and digital support, we can help keep your website secure, current and useful as your business develops.
Because launching a website should not be the end of the journey.
It should be the beginning.
Need help looking after your WordPress website?
Talk to Nettl of Fareham about ongoing website care and support.
