Imagine you invest time and money into setting up a restaurant, let’s say. It’s open and running, and everything you dreamed of. Then you leave, move, or start a different project. The restaurant is bound to fail because you left it to fend for itself. It’s over as soon as it started.
Building a business online is the same; just because the business isn’t physical doesn’t mean it doesn’t need the upkeep an in-person business requires. Your website is not a “Set It and Forget It” project. It’s a living, breathing business asset that needs regular attention to stay secure, functional, and visible online.
You’ve built something real; here’s how you keep it
Here are 6 website reminders every business owner should know:
First: launching your website is just the beginning.
Once your website goes live, ongoing maintenance matters. That includes, but is not limited to, analytics reviews, regular content updates, monitoring what’s broken, reviewing what’s working, and keeping information current.
A neglected website eventually disappears into the “landfill of the web.”
Second: make sure YOU own everything.
You should own website admin access, hosting accounts, domain registration, email hosting, SSL certificates, Google Analytics, and social media accounts.
Never rely on someone else to hold the keys to your business assets.
Third: don’t trust auto-renewals alone.
Even major hosting companies can fail to process renewals if credit cards expire, billing changes, or notifications get missed. Set calendar reminders BEFORE renewal dates and verify renewals actually happened.
Fourth: keep a secure access spreadsheet.
Create a document YOU control that has logins, renewal dates, access permissions, hosting details, and password updates. Share only the minimum access needed with vendors or team members.
Fifth: verify licenses for photos, graphics, music & content.
Always confirm proper licensing exists for images, videos, music, graphics, fonts, and website content. And keep proof of licensing stored safely in case you ever need it.
Sixth: review annual website maintenance items.
At minimum, review these yearly: domain renewals, SSL renewals, hosting renewals, malware/security protection, backups, privacy policies, copyright footer updates, team/staff pages, services offered, and newsletter and drip campaigns. Small website issues become expensive emergencies when ignored too long.
Your website supports your reputation, visibility, communication, and customer experience. Treat it like the business asset it is.
If it sounds daunting or you need questions answered, find Susan Finch’s contact on the website; please reach out! susanfinch.com
Read more details about the topic here: https://susanfinch.com/3-tips-because-your-living-breathing-website-needs-some-love/