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WEBSITE MAINTENANCE PLAN:

Do You Need One?

What is a Website Maintenance Plan?

Success�ully designing and launching a w ebsite is only hal� the

battle. W hen the dust settles, and you turn your �ocus back to your

business, several tasks need to be done m onthly to ensure that this

investm ent pays o��. I� the w ebsite is valuable to your online m arketing

strategy, then a m aintenance plan can be a sim ple solution.

The term ‘w ebsite m aintenance plan’ actually has tw o m eanings.

The irst is a plan or the day-to-day m aintenance o your site. It’s

about staying on top o� your w eekly, m onthly and annual tasks that can

enhance the value o your w ebsite. And it’s about m aking sure you’re

not in trouble w hen you need to access your site. The second m eaning

is the plan you develop to get your w ebsite back up and running i� it

ever goes dow n.

W ebsite m aintenance plans can be as sim ple as a list o� your

m onthly tasks or as detailed as a �ull-blow n docum ent that considers

all possible problem s that could arise. It’s really up to you.

Som e w ebsite ow ners only do the w ork w hen necessary and w ill

even hire a developer to do the job �or them . O thers like to keep it

sim ple and check their site at least m onthly. The answ er to w hether

you need a w ebsite m aintenance plan is a sim ple yes.

Why You Should Have a Website Maintenance Plan

Even the m ost m aintained w ebsite can have problem s w hen som e

change is m ade to its code. I you update the site, it’s essential to

ensure that sim ply getting access to your site w on’t be a problem .

1. To Keep Your Site Secure

W hen you have a m aintenance plan in place, you’ll be m uch m ore

likely to catch any changes or problem s that could lead to security

problem s �or your site. A data breach, virus, or w orm could have

devastating consequences �or a place. In addition, a data breach can

cost you a lot o� tim e and potential business.

2. To Support Your Online Marketing Strategy

A regularly m aintained site is easier to update, re�resh and m aintain

as part o� your online m arketing strategy. A support team is also m ore

50 PAYOUTMAGAZINE