One of the most fundamental things you can do for your website is to prevent it from breaking. Alarmingly, there are still many business owners who don’t take web maintenance seriously enough. It’s natural to think that, since you built it, you can manage it. But having a hands-on approach to your site care simply isn’t sustainable over the long run.
How much do you know about website care plans? What are your questions on professional website care? If you’re seeking answers to these questions, read on.
1. Why are care plans so important?
Your website is powered by software, just the same as your phone and your computer/laptop. And as you are well aware, software needs to be kept up-to-date to keep the bad guys out, to fix bugs and problems that have been discovered, and to add new features and capabilities.
So your website is no different, there are constant modifications and improvements to its software that you are highly recommended to keep up with. While it may not be so important to add all the latest bells & whistles, it is vital to ensure that your website won’t fail when a visitor tries to use it (for example, buy something, send you an enquiry, or sign up for your newsletter). It is equally vital that you don’t let others break in and take control of your website through security faults in the software. Just think, if you found one of your windows at home wasn’t closing any more, you’re more than likely not going to leave it that way or you risk someone burgling the place. So it is with your website, don’t leave those back windows with broken locks.
This is real-world stuff too, and I’ve had a number of clients come to me after being stung. One organisation had recently launched their new website, it was hacked and defaced with less-than-pleasant content, and they lost the whole investment. Website security and maintenance wasn’t their ‘thing’ (and absolutely no reason for it to be) but they paid a hefty price for just assuming everything could be left alone once the site was published.
2. My website isn’t that big or complicated, do I still need a care plan?
No matter how simple your website, as mentioned above, it is powered by software – and someone needs to look after that software to keep it updated. I’m a big fan of continuously making small updates, rather than waiting for long periods and then catching up with everything in one go.
Waiting longer means risking your website getting attention of the wrong sort while a security hole has been discovered, even though there’s a fix which you haven’t got yet. It also means there are more significant software changes which risk incompatibilities or untested jumps from old version to latest version.
Small updates often is the go!
3. Can’t I just run the updates myself?
Of course you can! You can service your own car too. And fix your own plumbing. And a myriad of other DIY tasks, at work or at home.
But here’s the thing – what’s the best use of your time? I know for a fact that you have exactly the same 24 hours in every day that I do. What would be the best way you can spend your work time and avoid losing your leisure/family time?
I would guess that while most updates are quick and easy, sorting things out when there’s a hiccup is not going to be a favourite activity of yours.
Outsourcing your website care to a professional who has the tools, the knowledge and the experience to keep your website humming is an investment in your business, freeing you to spend that time on growing and building your business.
4. It doesn’t seem that complicated, so what’s included in a care plan?
Website care from Winch Websites is more than simply ensuring that the website software is updated every so often. Those updates are an essential element, but on top of that, all websites under our website care have a range of additional “add-ons” activated to make sure the website is all good.
For example, daily backups that are independent of webhosting. What if there’s a fire at the data-centre where your website (and its webserver backups) are housed? That was an event that took out thousands of websites in March 2021. Eek! 😱
Website security is another benefit of website care by Winch Websites – if your site is hosted with us, you already get excellent security protections, this is stepped up for website care clients.
Higher website care plans include blocking spammers from using your website forms, and 24/7/365 monitoring with auto-alerts (to us) if your website disappears for any reason.
One thing may particularly appeal to busy people is that all plans include some time to make changes to your website – update that paragraph, amend that pricing, replace that photo etc. Send an email and it’s taken care of for you.
5. Doesn’t my hosting company do that?
Horses for courses. Your dentist is good at teeth, but I don’t know that you want to be buying home-made toothpaste and/or toothbrushes from her/him. Hosting companies may provide some elements of website care – you should certainly expect them to be maintaining the underlying webserver that powers your website software, for example.
Hosting is not a high-profit-margin business though, so one way or another you’d need to be paying for additional attention given to your site. Your site is unique, with its combination of words, images, functions and tools. It’s not an environment that works particularly well for highly automated mass-scale operations.
So while you could expect site backups, good security, and reasonable performance, investing in someone who is familiar with your site, can give it one-on-one attention, and who can help you make sure your website is doing positive things, is an investment that will pay dividends.
For more info about website care by Winch Websites, take a look at the range of plans available and what they include. These are structured to help you as the owner of a website be confident that it is doing what it should and that there’s someone on hand for when it isn’t, and to assist in keeping it accurate, correct and fresh. Get in touch if you’d like to chat about website care for your website.
I would especially love to hear from you if you have ideas and advice on what else a website care plan needs to be of value to you.
