After completing a migration project or successfully launching an eCommerce site, you’ll most likely feel a sense of relief. The most difficult task is finally over, and now you can focus wholeheartedly on the business side of things… right?

Unfortunately, this is a mistake that many retailers make once they’ve established their online presence. Although setting up a website is often the biggest task on a merchant’s checklist, it’s easy to forget that all online stores require consistent maintenance to continue performing at their very best. For business owners who don’t have the time or resources to regularly monitor their websites, install updates, apply security patches, or fix any bugs that pop up, signing up for an ongoing maintenance plan is an ideal solution.

Benefits of a Website Maintenance Agreement

A website maintenance agreement, or ongoing maintenance plan, is simply a long-term solution to keep your store in peak condition. Much like changing the oil in your car, regular maintenance on your website ensures that you won’t experience downtime, slow performance, or more serious issues down the road. Partnering with a maintenance provider gives you peace of mind and several other benefits, such as:

• Worry-free updates. If an extension or custom module requires an upgrade, you can relax, knowing that a knowledgeable developer will take care of the process for you. Furthermore, agreeing to a maintenance plan means that your provider will develop a great understanding of your site’s needs.
• Expert recommendations. No more relying on freelancers or desperately searching online for answers! An ongoing maintenance plan gives you access to experts who understand your business and are informed about the best practices for modern websites.
• SEO optimizations. By regularly checking for and fixing technical issues, security risks, slow performance, or outdated content, your SEO rankings will remain consistently high.
• Security fixes. Putting off security patches or website upgrades can put your business and customers at risk. A maintenance provider will check these areas consistently and ensure that your store remains secure.
• Cost savings. If you struggle to maintain your site on your own, it increases the likelihood of your website having performance or security issues. Instead of waiting until a problem appears, maintenance plans are proactive, resolving any potential issues before they turn into more serious problems.

Key Components of Maintenance Plans

According to the author and CEO of Intechnic, Andrew Kucheriavy, maintaining a website includes regularly monitoring several features on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis. Kucheriavy, along with several other web development experts, recommends a maintenance schedule similar to the one outlined below:

Weekly Tasks

• Ensure that your pages are loading quickly without any errors.
• Check for any broken links and 404 errors.
• Run a backup and make sure to save a previous version of your site.
• Update any extensions, software, or other plug-ins.
• Make sure all of your forms are functioning properly.
• Delete any spam comments from your content.

Monthly Tasks

• Check your site’s load speed.
• Review security scans and check for any new security patches.
• Review KPIs, SEO, and analytics collected from the previous month.
• Look through your blog for any content you can update, repurpose, or expand upon.

Quarterly Tasks

• Consider elements of your web design or structure that could be improved.
• Look through all graphics and images to see if anything should be updated or changed.
• Revamp meta titles, product descriptions, and headlines with relevant keywords.
• Test any pop-ups, forms, and CTA buttons.
• Determine if any aspects of your can be automated with new technologies.
• Visit your website on several devices and browsers to check for consistency.
• Review the effectiveness of your advertising and marketing campaigns.
• Test your latest backup.

Yearly Tasks

• Renew your website domain name.
• Change any date references to reflect the new year.
• Check every page for grammatical errors, typos, content accuracy, and relevancy.
• Consider the overall design of your website and determine if it needs modernizing.
• Review contact information and remove any outdated email addresses.

Keeping up with a maintenance plan on your own can be daunting, but you can rest easy by signing up for Wagento’s Maintenance Service Agreement. Complete with essential services like security patches, bug fixes, performance optimization practices, and site upgrades, you can focus on running your business without worrying about the technical aspects of your website. Find out more by visiting our MSA page or contacting a developer today!