If you own a car you know that there are different kinds of car maintenance. There are regular things you do like washing your car, filling it with gas, and checking the air pressure on the tires. Most of these you probably do yourself. Then there are things you do semi-regularly, like changing the oil, rotating the tires, and topping the fluids. These are things you could do yourself, but for which you probably take the car to a mechanic. Then, there are big things that, unless you’re an expert, require taking the car into the dealer or a mechanic once a year or so. The same is true of your website. Your website needs regular maintenance, some of which you may do yourself and some of which requires professional help.
For your website, everyday maintenance includes regularly creating new content. New content, both images and text, is sort of like gas for your car, content keeps things running. If you don’t update your site regularly, SEO bots will index your site less often, resulting in a lower organic search ranking. If you do not have writers and designers in house, outsourcing content is a great way to keep your website in good shape. It’s important that your content be high quality. It wouldn’t make sense to drive a new Mercedes with an engine from an old Chevy Impala. It might look good, but it won’t get you where you need to go.
Just like you get an oil change for your car every few months, you should also check your site regularly to make sure all of the content is still accurate and helpful. You can use Google Analytics much like you would a mechanic as a way to check in on your site and make sure your referrals are high, your bounce rate is low and that people are spending time on your site. Google Analytics is fairly easy to learn how to use, but a reliable marketing or SEO company can help you use the features to gain greater insight into how your site is operating and where any weak spots or trouble might be lurking.
Most website platforms require regular updates for bug fixes and other changes. Like rotating the tires on your car, technically, this is something you could do yourself but in reality, it makes more sense to let the person or company who built, maintains, or hosts your website to make these changes. Having one person, or company, who maintains your website will also be helpful in keeping track of when it’s time for a major overhaul.
Just like a car engine, no matter how well-maintained, the backend of most websites eventually becomes outdated and needs to be rebuilt. Having a regular mechanic, or webmaster, is a great way to know when trying to make a fix is no longer worth it and instead, it’s time to update themes or even switch content management systems.
A website should be seen as a living document. In the same way someone who loves their car continuously maintains it, washes and polishes it, and purchases new parts like rims or body kits for it, you should do the same for your website. Many companies have a bad habit of getting a new site and letting it get old, dirty, and unmaintained resulting in their new site becoming like the one that they were trying to replace in the first place. It is essential that your site is seen as an asset of your business that is constantly getting updates and upkeep to ensure it’s an effective tool.
Most people like to form a lasting relationship with a trusted mechanic, so that they don’t have to constantly second-guess the mechanic’s opinion, and so that they know someone is keeping an eye on things. The same is true of website maintenance and updates. If you have multiple people working on your website’s design, content, and maintenance, you may find yourself missing small details or necessary updates and fixes. At Marstudio we provide comprehensive website services and would love to talk to you about your needs.
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