Website maintenance: an essential step

by our Web Agency Optimize 360

The maintenance of a website is essential to the success of any company wishing to take full advantage of the web.

However, it's not always easy to understand the different types of maintenance, or to grasp their full importance, let alone take advantage of them.

In this article, we invite you to think about a clear and concise definition of website maintenanceand its various components and objectives.

So we'll be looking at how to put in place the right strategy to carry out this crucial task.

Understanding the concept of website maintenance

The term website maintenance is generally used to refer to the following services We carry out a wide range of tasks designed to maintain, improve and guarantee the optimal operation of a website. The actions included in this field vary in terms of their purpose and can be aimed at :

• The aesthetics of the site and its graphics,
• Technical and safety performance,
• L-adaptability to referencing,
• or the incorporation of new content.

That said, maintenance also involves all the stages associated with developing and updating digital projects. Different professionals are likely to be involved, from web developers and systems administrators to UX/UI design specialists.

Maintaining and improving your website: why is it so important?

To put the maintenance of a website into perspective, we need to consider the following factors which is why it should be an integral part of any global digital communications strategy. These parameters include :

• • User satisfaction A web user needs a fluid, fast experience, with no unpleasant surprises, in order to stay on a site and return at a later date. Any malfunction can quickly bore visitors and damage your brand image.
    
    
  • Protection against computer attacks Cyber attacks and other hacking attempts are becoming increasingly frequent and sophisticated. Regular maintenance helps to correct vulnerabilities and limit the risks associated with human and technical error.
    
    
  • Keeping pace with technological developments The digital world is constantly evolving, with one trend following another and innovations revolutionising site management. Keeping abreast of the latest developments will enable you to guarantee a ergonomics and optimal user experience (UX).
    
    
  • SEO referencing The visibility of your site depends to a large extent on its technical quality and its compliance with search engine requirements. Losing a place in the results can lead to a drop in traffic, or even a domino effect that can curb your growth.

The different categories of website maintenance

Let's now return to the question of the content of maintenance and its main facets. There are generally four main categories:

1. Corrective maintenance Troubleshooting: This is intervention to resolve an actual or potential malfunction on the site. This includes software bugs, 404 errors, security problems and other anomalies.
   
   
2. Preventive maintenance This strategy involves anticipating potential problems so that they do not arise and cause problems. Examples include regular updates, backups, server optimisation and monitoring.
   
   
3. Upgradable maintenance The aim is to constantly improve your site in line with identified needs and your marketing objectives. This includes adding new functionalities, improving the design or developing mobile applications.
   
   
4. Adaptive maintenance : Finally, this last approach refers to all the actions taken to ensure that your website remains compatible with new technologies and market trends, and integrates them as they emerge.

Now that we have established the broad outlines of website maintenance, it is possible to come up with a complete and coherent definition:

Website maintenance is a set of technical, aesthetic and marketing actions aimed at guaranteeing the integrity, security, performance, evolution and conformity to market standards of a digital project, as well as satisfying the expectations of Internet users and optimising the use of the site. SEO positioning.

How do you set up an effective website maintenance programme?

That said, how can you organise your maintenance tasks to ensure rigorous and effective monitoring of your website? Here are a few tips:

• Defining your objectives : First and foremost, you need to ask yourself what your priorities are in terms of digital communication. Do you need to give your company a new image? Do you want to increase your traffic or sales? Once you have identified these factors, you can focus your efforts more effectively.
  
  
• Use appropriate monitoring tools Choosing the right key performance indicators (KPIs) will enable you to measure the state and quality of your site in real time. Applications such as Google Analytics, Moz Pro or Uptime Robot offer interesting features for agile maintenance management.
  
  
• Drawing up a maintenance schedule Regular, scheduled servicing can help give you peace of mind, with the assurance that nothing will escape your vigilance. The recommended frequency will vary depending on the problems you encounter, but a quarterly visit is generally a good compromise.
  
  
• Mobilising the right skills Finally, the success of these initiatives depends first and foremost on having access to the necessary human and technical resources. Depending on your needs and the size of your company, you can opt to hire specialist in-house staff, or outsource to an external agency.

In conclusion, we can say that website maintenance is a rich, cross-disciplinary concept that shapes the success (or otherwise) of a digital project. As a result, you need to be diligent and methodical if you are to exploit its full potential and maximise the positive impact on your company's brand image and commercial results.