So you launched a website. Congratulations! It looked great on day one, everyone celebrated, and then… it was never touched again. No updates, no monitoring, no improvements over time or even updates on your team. While that approach might work for a very basic website, it’s not exactly a winning strategy for something that represents your business online. Websites, like pretty much everything else that involves technology, need regular maintenance. If you don’t have website maintenance, things start to slow down or even stop working altogether overnight.
So, if it’s been a few months since you last looked at the back-end of your website, here’s what could be going on from a design and marketing perspective.
Security Risks Increase
One of the biggest risks of an unmaintained website is security vulnerability. Websites rely on software, plugins, framework, passwords, and everything else that need to be regularly updated. Just like you allow your cell phone to update while you sleep, you have to confirm your updates for several specific plugins or softwares. When those updates are ignored, hackers can easily exploit the information your website is holding including logins, emails, information, and more.
In fact, cybersecurity reports consistently show that a large percentage of website breaches happen on sites running outdated software or plugins. Even small business websites are targets because attackers often use automated tools to scan for weak points.
Your Website Can Become Outdated
The internet changes quickly. Design trends, user expectations, and technology evolve every year. Without updates, your website may start to feel outdated or difficult to use. Think about how Facebook use to look in 2012 verses it’s user interface today! Do you want your website to look straight out of 1998?
Having an outdated design due to lack of website maintenance can affect:
- Mobile responsiveness
- Page speed
- Compatibility with modern browsers
- Overall user experience
If visitors land on a site that looks old or loads slowly, they may not even give it the time of day. First impressions online matter.
Accessibility and Compliance Can Fall Behind
Web accessibility is becoming increasingly important for businesses. In fact, if you do not keep these specific needs updated, it can be a serious offense. This can affect your business offline—like getting sued. Guidelines such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) continue to evolve to make websites usable for people with disabilities.
If a website isn’t maintained, it may not meet modern accessibility standards. Routine updates allow businesses to improve accessibility features like text readability, navigation, alt text for images, and overall usability.
SEO Performance Declines
Search engines like Google constantly update how websites are ranked. Websites that are slow, and outdated usually see a decline in search performance. The more you update your website, the easier it is to get you back to the top of the search results!
Without these updates, your website may gradually lose visibility, even if it once ranked well.
Keep Your Website Working for Your Business
Ignoring maintenance doesn’t freeze your website at perfect status. It just allows problems to accumulate behind the scenes. The good news is that staying on top of updates and improvements doesn’t have to be complicated when you have the right team helping.
If your website hasn’t been updated in a while (or you’re suddenly wondering when it was last checked), it might be time for a refresh. Whether you need a full content plan, analytics tracking, or a complete site overhaul, Three Ring Focus has the tools to get you back on track. Check out of some the work we’ve done for a little sneak peek. Don’t miss out on the benefits of having an expertly crafted branding identity.