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How Regular Maintenance Drives Results

In this era of remote work, fast-moving business decisions, and the mobile work life, your website will likely be the first impression of your company that people will see. This means that regular upkeep will help ensure that your site remains secure, accessible, high-performing, and optimized for user engagement. Neglecting these elements can lead to security vulnerabilities, lower traffic, and perhaps worst of all, a poor user experience.

Our recent testing and measurement of three client websites shows just how impactful proper website upkeep can be. By implementing a system of consistent maintenance and best practices action items, we saw a 31.67% increase in site traffic over the first 10 business days of December compared to the same period in November. While this is a small sample size, the numbers highlight the immediate benefits of prioritizing your website’s health.

Let’s explore why website upkeep is essential and how it can transform your online presence.

1. Performance: Fast Websites Keep Users Happy

Site speed plays a pivotal role in user satisfaction. A slow website frustrates visitors, leading to higher bounce rates and lower conversions. Regular maintenance ensures:

• Optimized Load Times: Compressing images, minifying code, and using a content delivery network (CDN).
• Server Health Checks: Ensuring hosting resources meet traffic demands.
• Bug Fixes: Addressing errors that can slow down the site.
  
  

A high-performing website keeps users engaged and encourages them to explore your content, ultimately driving more traffic and conversions.

2. Accessibility: Make Your Website Usable for Everyone

Web accessibility isn’t just ethical—it’s essential for maximizing your audience. Maintaining accessibility ensures your site is usable by people with disabilities and compliant with legal requirements like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Regular upkeep includes:

• Updating alt text for images.
• Ensuring keyboard navigation works seamlessly.
• Checking color contrast ratios for readability.
  
  

An accessible site improves user experience and helps your business connect with a broader audience.

3. Security: Protect Your Website and Users

Security threats are ever-evolving, and an outdated website is an easy target for hackers. Regular maintenance protects your site and users by:

• Updating Software: Keeping CMS platforms, plugins, and themes up to date.
• Implementing Firewalls: Adding an extra layer of security to block malicious traffic.
• Monitoring Vulnerabilities: Conducting regular security audits to detect and fix issues.
  
  

A secure website builds trust with visitors, which is crucial for maintaining traffic and fostering long-term customer relationships.

4. Best Practices: Stay Ahead of the Curve

Web standards and user expectations are constantly changing. Following best practices ensures your website stays competitive. This includes:

• SEO Optimization: Updating keywords, metadata, and content to improve search engine rankings.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensuring your site looks great and works well on all devices.
• Analytics Integration: Tracking user behavior to refine strategies.
  
  

Adopting best practices improves your site’s usability, making it more attractive to visitors and search engines alike.

5. Traffic: The Proof Is in the Numbers

As mentioned earlier, our analysis of three client websites revealed a 31.67% traffic increase in December compared to November, thanks to diligent maintenance and optimization efforts. Each of the items mentioned above play a major role in how your site is seen by search engines and thus served to the world.  

Key factors contributing to this increase included:

• Addressing performance bottlenecks.
• Refreshing content for relevance.
• Strengthening SEO efforts.
  
  

Higher traffic translates to more opportunities for engagement, lead generation, and sales, making regular upkeep a worthwhile investment.