As a small business owner, your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your brand. But unlike a physical storefront, a website requires regular maintenance to keep it functional, relevant, and effective. The good news? You don’t need to be a tech expert to stay on top of things. Here are 10 tasks you need to do regularly to maintain your small business website:
1. Fix broken links
Broken links not only frustrate visitors but can also hurt your search engine rankings. Use free tools like Google Search Console or browser extensions to scan your site for links that lead to 404 pages and fix or remove them. If you’re still unsure exactly how to do this, check out our broken link guide.
2. Check your site speed
A slow website can drive users away and hurt your search rankings. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to test your site’s speed and identify any elements (like large images or unnecessary scripts) slowing it down. Google PageSpeed Insights even lists these issues for you so you can tackle them one by one.
3. Review site content
Once a year, go through your website’s key pages; especially your homepage, services, and about page. Update any outdated information, refresh calls to action, and make sure all content aligns with your current business goals. Not only are you ensuring your content is up to date, you’re also showing search engines that your website is updated regularly (another good thing for your search rankings!)
4. Check for mobile responsiveness
Over half of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Test your website on various phones and tablets to ensure it displays correctly and is easy to navigate. You can also use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test for a quick check. If it’s not looking good – make sure you contact a web designer to help you with a responsive website design.
5. Test all contact forms and email links
Imagine losing leads because your contact form isn’t working! Make sure you test all forms and clickable email links to make sure submissions go through and you’re receiving them properly.
6. Review organic traffic and SEO performance
Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to check your website’s organic traffic, bounce rates, and top-performing keywords. Benchmark this data year over year to identify trends or areas for improvement.
7. Update plugins, themes, and CMS
If you use a platform like WordPress, make sure all plugins, themes, and the core CMS are updated. This helps prevent security vulnerabilities and ensures your site runs smoothly.
8. Check for security issues
Use tools like Sucuri SiteCheck to scan your site for malware or vulnerabilities. Also, ensure your SSL certificate is valid so your site displays as secure (with a padlock icon) in browsers.
9. Backup your website
Backing up your site once a year is the bare minimum – more often is better. However, if you haven’t set up a backup plan yet, now’s the time. Use your web host’s tools or a plugin to create a full site backup you can restore in case of emergency.
10. Audit your visual branding
Has your logo changed? Are your brand colours or messaging different? Make sure your website reflects your most current branding so it stays consistent across all platforms.
We know it can be tricky to stay on top of website maintenance. However we hope these 10 tasks you need to do regularly to maintain your small business website will help you keep your website in good health for years to come. If you’re still struggling to maintain your small business website – get in touch with us. We’d love to give you a helping hand. Until next time – happy marketing!