This article was updated on Feb 2025 (We update our content so our information remains relevant)
If you’ve ever purchased a home, you know that the costs don’t stop after the initial purchase. Homeownership comes with ongoing expenses such as a mortgage, insurance, bills, repairs, and more.
A website is a lot like a house in this sense. While building your website might be an upfront investment, the cost of maintaining it doesn’t stop there. According to Expert Market, running a bespoke website can cost upwards of £410 per month.
Many business owners wonder: “If my website is already up and running, why do I need to maintain it? It updates itself, doesn’t it?” The short answer is: yes and no. While some websites do automatically update, the need for ongoing website maintenance goes far beyond this.
Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Website Maintenance
Over time, websites tend to slow down as more content like pages, images, and videos gets added. A slow-loading website doesn’t just frustrate users, it also harms your search engine rankings. Google, for example, prioritises fast-loading websites because they offer better user experience (UX).
Security is a Top Priority
Security is another critical reason why website maintenance is essential. As cybercrime continues to rise, more and more small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are becoming targets. If your website is neglected and not regularly updated, it’s more likely to have vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.
Outdated software, plugins, or themes are common entry points for cybercriminals. A hack could not only disrupt your business but also cost you thousands in lost revenue and potential legal fees if customer data is compromised. Keeping your website up-to-date with the latest security patches is essential to safeguarding your business, your data, and your customers’ trust.
Broken Links and Malfunctioning Features Hurt Your Business
If your website has been running for a while without maintenance, there’s a good chance that some features or links are broken. Imagine the impact if visitors find that your contact page doesn’t work, or worse if your checkout process fails, preventing customers from completing their purchases.
Website maintenance ensures that all links are functional, forms are submitting correctly, and any third-party integrations (like payment systems or marketing tools) are working smoothly. Neglecting to fix these issues could result in missed business opportunities, frustrated users, and a significant hit to your bottom line.
User Experience (UX) and Customer Retention
An outdated website with slow load times, broken features, or poor visuals can have a direct negative impact on your business. Visitors who have a bad experience are less likely to stick around, let alone complete a purchase or recommend your business to others.
For example, if your website has outdated visuals or too many pop-up ads, visitors may think your business is behind the times or too aggressive in its marketing tactics. This can lead to a higher bounce rate, fewer conversions, and a decrease in customer trust.
On the other hand, regularly updating your website ensures that the user experience remains fresh, fast, and intuitive, which can boost conversion rates, increase customer retention, and enhance your reputation.
The Impact of Hosting and Website Quality
Not all hosting providers offer the same level of service, and the quality of your hosting can affect your website’s performance and security. Cheap hosting often means slower speeds, more downtime, and a greater risk of data loss. Regular maintenance can ensure your hosting solution meets the needs of your business.
Over time, websites built with outdated code or low-quality design may start to show signs of wear. A website that isn’t professionally maintained can have poor usability, lack of responsiveness (on mobile devices), and be prone to bugs or crashes.
What Does Website Maintenance Involve?
Website maintenance goes beyond simply applying software updates. It’s an ongoing process that includes several key tasks to keep your website running smoothly, securely, and effectively. Here’s what it typically involves:
Regular Software and Plugin Updates: Ensure your website’s software, themes, and plugins are always up to date to prevent security breaches and improve performance.
Backups: Regularly back up your website’s files and database. In case of a hack or a technical issue, a backup ensures you can quickly recover and minimise downtime.
Broken Link Checks: Regularly scan your website for broken links and fix them to avoid frustrating your visitors and harming your SEO.
Speed Optimisation: Clean up your website’s code, compress images, and implement other strategies to keep loading times fast.
Security Monitoring: Monitor for potential threats and implement necessary security updates and patches to protect your site from hackers.
Content Updates: Update content regularly to keep your website relevant and engaging for visitors. This includes blog posts, product updates, and any changes to your services.
Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and offers a smooth experience across devices, as more users are browsing on smartphones and tablets.
The Benefits of Regular Website Maintenance
A Better Experience for Your Customers
Ultimately, the goal of website maintenance is to provide a better user experience. A well-maintained website ensures visitors can find what they’re looking for quickly, browse smoothly, and have a positive interaction with your brand. This leads to higher engagement, increased conversions, and improved customer satisfaction.
Long-Term Cost Savings
While ongoing maintenance requires an investment, it saves you money in the long run. Small maintenance tasks like updating plugins and backing up your site can prevent larger, more costly issues from arising in the future, such as data breaches, crashes, or complete site overhauls.
Stay Competitive
Your competitors are likely keeping their websites fresh, fast, and secure. If you’re not doing the same, you risk falling behind. Regular maintenance ensures you stay on top of the latest trends and technologies, helping your business remain competitive in the digital landscape.
Can You Afford to Maintain Your Website?
The short answer is: You can’t afford not to.
Website maintenance is essential not only for your business’s success but also for delivering a better user experience to your customers. From improving your site’s speed and security to fixing broken links and staying compliant with Google’s algorithm updates, maintenance is key to keeping your site running smoothly.
Investing in regular website maintenance ensures your site is secure, user-friendly, and always performing at its best. So, ask yourself – can you afford to let your website go without maintenance? The real question is, can you afford the risks of neglecting it?
If you’re too busy to manage your website maintenance or need help ensuring your site remains secure and up to date, we can help. Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can keep your website running at its best.