WEBSITE MAINTENANCE PLANS: HOW TO KEEP A WEBSITE SECURE
Think of your website as the shop window to your business. It’s often the first thing people see, so it needs to make a great impression. It should show off what you do best, explain how you can help, and give people a reason to choose you.
But looking good isn’t enough on its own. If you’re not keeping your website secure and up to date, it could end up doing more harm than good.
A poorly maintained site is more at higher risk of cyber threats, suffer from slow performance, or stop functioning altogether, and that can quickly drive potential customers away.
You wouldn’t leave your office unlocked overnight, so why leave your website unprotected?
That’s where a website maintenance plan comes in. With regular updates, security checks, and ongoing support, it keeps your site running smoothly and your business safe.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR WEBSITE UP TO DATE?
As technology progresses, so do the tools that power your website. Without regular maintenance, your website’s software and plugins can quickly become outdated, and that’s when problems start.
Software updates often include important security patches designed to fix bugs and close off vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.
The last thing you want is for your website to go down because of an avoidable issue, particularly if you run an ecommerce business, where any downtime can directly impact your bottom line.
Without a solid website care plan in place, small problems can quickly snowball into major disruptions. But it’s not just online stores that are at risk.
Even if your website acts more like a digital brochure, showcasing your work or attracting new leads, a cyber-attack can seriously damage your reputation. Hackers can do much more than just take your site offline; they can replace content, steal sensitive information, or display information you wouldn’t want associated with your brand.
Keeping your website secure is essential for protecting your business and your customers.
WHAT’S TYPICALLY COVERED IN A MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR WEBSITES?
A maintenance plan for a website is a cost-effective way to mitigate issues before they escalate. Rather than reacting to major (and often expensive) issues as they arise, regular maintenance helps catch small issues early, saving you time, stress, and money in the long run.
Website maintenance services are designed to keep your site running smoothly and securely. They act as a digital safety net, routinely checking for updates, applying them efficiently, and flagging potential problems before they impact performance.
Whether you’re launching a brand-new website or looking to bring an existing one up to date, your web development agency can help put the right maintenance plan in place.
Most plans typically include software and plugin updates, site backups, uptime monitoring, security checks, and basic troubleshooting to keep everything running as it should. This includes important updates like new WordPress releases and plugin upgrades that address bugs and security issues.
They also monitor your website’s performance to help prevent downtime. One common cause of issues is when a site exceeds its allocated resources, whether due to increased traffic, larger media files, or gradual growth over time. Ongoing maintenance helps manage these demands, ensuring your site remains stable, responsive, and secure.
OPTIMISING CONTENT FOR USER INTENT
It’s no longer enough to stuff a page with keywords. Google now focuses on pushing content that answers intent-driven queries to the top of the search page. This means your content should clearly answer real user questions.
Start by structuring your content clearly. For example, if someone searches for “How to start a small business in the UK,” your blog should include a step-by-step guide tailored to UK regulations and resources, not just generic advice. The clearer and more structured your information is, the higher the chances of it being cited in AI-driven search results.
AI also prioritises trustworthy, well-researched sources. Ensuring your content is informative, well-cited, and backed by credible references can increase the likelihood of being featured in AI-driven search results.
AI tools often pull direct answers from FAQs and conversational content. Expanding FAQs and targeting natural search queries can help improve your chances of being cited as a source helping to increase your visibility.
CREATING STRUCTURED, INFORMATIONAL CONTENT
Search engines increasingly rely on AI to evaluate and rank content. Structured, informative pages are not just easier for these tools to understand, they’re more likely to be recognised as trustworthy sources.
By clearly organising your content and backing it up with reliable references, you naturally increase your chances of being surfaced in AI-generated results. Internal links also play a key role here. They guide both users and search engines through your site, reinforcing your expertise across key topics.
For instance, linking to related service pages, like our web development agency or search engine optimisation agency, helps paint a clearer picture of your wider offering, while also improving the overall user journey.
KEEP YOUR WEBSITE SECURE WITH A WEBSITE CARE PLAN FROM EDGE CREATIVE
Don’t wait for disaster to strike. A proactive maintenance plan for your website is the smartest way to stay ahead of security risks and performance issues.
Our expert team has years of experience in website design and development, so you can rest easy knowing your online presence is in safe hands. Find out more about how to keep a website secure with a tailored website maintenance plan. Call us on 0121 355 8092 or email info@edge-creative.com to get started
