64% of small businesses say that one of their biggest businesses challenges is the time that it takes to perform updates to their website(1). We get that, but website maintenance IS really important. Here are 5 reasons why:
1 Search Engine Rankings
Regular content updates are key to keeping both users and search engines regularly returning to your website. New content not only makes your site more interesting and relevant, it also encourages better search engine ranking because Google, Bing, and other search engines consider new content to be more relevant. Keeping your content fresh gives you an edge over the competition.
2 User Engagement / Customer Interest
Bounce time is a serious issue. If your website is slow (which often happens if you’re running out-of-date software), your potential customers will be on to the next business looking for what they want. The internet is not a forgiving a place.
Additionally, if your website looks like it’s from the early 2000s – or it hasn’t had a design refresh in the last decade – your business will look disreputable and out-of-touch to the modern consumer. Your website should reflect your customers expectations, and that means keeping your loading times fast and your content fresh.
[tweetthis]If your website is slow your potential customers will be on to the next site for what they want.[/tweetthis]
3 Security
Roughly 60% of WordPress users are running an outdated version of the core software, which contains critical and well documented vulnerabilities(3). Out of date plugins and theme files contain additional security holes that hackers can exploit.
These figures are significant, considering that 7% of all website traffic is an active attack on a website. For every 100 visits to your website, seven of those are attempts to take advantage of an obvious vulnerability(4).
There is no such thing as “too small” to be a target. Even if your website is only one page, it has a lot to offer hackers. Read more about why hackers are targeting very small websites here: Why are hackers interested in your website?
[tweetthis]Even if your website is only one page, it has a lot to offer hackers.[/tweetthis]
4 Saving Money
Regular website maintenance prevents you from losing both time and money. According to a survey by the National Small Business Association, 44% of small businesses are hacked, with an average cost of roughly $8,700(2). As well as preventing website hacks, a website maintenance package can reduce costs associated with server crashes and users errors that result in lost hours of development and content production.
5 Reputation
Your website is the face of your business. A poorly maintained website that is consistently unreachable, has 404 errors, broken links, or outdated content projects a poor image of your business and will cost you customers. It will also harm the positive reputation you’ve worked so diligently to create.
Not sure where to begin or how to keep your website up-to-date? We can help. Check out our maintenance packages or reach out to us directly with any questions that you might have.
Sources:
(1),(2) National Small Business Association 2013 Technology Survey http://www.nsba.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Technology-Survey-2013.pdf
(3) WordPress Statistics https://wordpress.org/about/stats/
(4) “Is your website to small to hack?” http://www.transfirst.com/blog/is-your-website-too-small-to-hack
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