{"id":4607,"date":"2022-10-26T08:21:32","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T15:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webcentsmagazine.com\/?p=4607"},"modified":"2022-10-26T08:21:32","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T15:21:32","slug":"the-complete-website-maintenance-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webcentsmagazine.com\/?p=4607","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Website Maintenance Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Website maintenance – 20 Things you need to do this year to maintain your website.<\/p>\n

Website maintenance is something we all know we need to stay on top of if we want to keep our site healthy and working properly. Where do we start? What needs to be done – and how often do we need to do it? Brian Glassman from Dreamhost tackled those important questions and has shared them in the following article.<\/p>\n

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by Brian Glassman, Dreamhost.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Your site may be running smoothly now. However, there\u2019s no guarantee that it will perform at this optimal level forever.<\/p>\n

Similar to a vehicle, your website requires ongoing work to keep it in tip-top condition. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve created this complete website maintenance checklist for your WordPress site.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll discuss why maintenance is the key to a high-performing, secure, and profitable online presence. We\u2019ll then share a whopping 20 maintenance tasks that you need to do this year. We\u2019ve organized the tasks based on how often you need to complete them to keep your site spick and span:<\/p>\n

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  • Weekly Website Maintenance<\/a><\/li>\n
  • Monthly Website Maintenance<\/a><\/li>\n
  • Quarterly Website Maintenance<\/a><\/li>\n
  • Annual Website Maintenance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n

    Why Site Maintenance Matters<\/h2>\n

    If you neglect important maintenance tasks, then the consequences can be disastrous. During the first six months of 2021, the Wordfence Web Application Firewall blocked\u00a0over 4 billion malicious requests<\/a>. With people actively trying to break into WordPress websites, even a small lapse in security could put your site at serious risk.<\/p>\n

    WordPress maintenance isn\u2019t\u00a0just\u00a0about spotting the big issues, though.<\/p>\n

    Over time, small problems can gradually diminish your\u00a0site\u2019s performance<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0search engine rankings<\/a>. By pinpointing and addressing these minor errors early, you can reduce the negative impact they can have on your site.<\/p>\n

    Maintenance also involves evaluating various aspects of your site. This puts you in a strong position to identify opportunities to\u00a0optimize your content<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0drive more conversions<\/a>. In this way, you can keep your site\u00a0ahead of the pack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    Get Your Site Up to Date<\/h2>\n

    Technology is constantly moving forward and keeping up can be a chore. We’ll upgrade your outdated, insecure software to get you back on track.<\/p>\n

    Learn More<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    <\/a>Weekly Tasks<\/h2>\n

    Let\u2019s start with regular maintenance tasks. Here are five things we recommend you perform every single week.<\/p>\n

    1. Review Your Metrics<\/h3>\n

    Most successful websites\u00a0record a range of data<\/a>. This includes tracking how visitors behave,\u00a0your best traffic sources<\/a>, and the content that drives the most conversions.<\/p>\n

    By regularly analyzing your metrics, you can pinpoint problems that need to be addressed. Here, speed is everything. To remain competitive, it helps to review this data weekly.<\/p>\n

    \"TheWhen viewed in isolation, you may struggle to properly evaluate your performance. If this is the case, you might also want to\u00a0review your competitor\u2019s metrics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    2. Back Up Your Site<\/h3>\n

    Creating regular backups<\/a>\u00a0is one of the most important items on your to-do list. If you fall behind, then you risk losing all of your recent work \u2014 or even your entire website.<\/p>\n

    While you can\u00a0create backups manually<\/a>, some hosting providers can perform this vital maintenance task for you. For example, at DreamHost, we offer\u00a0automated daily backups<\/a>.<\/p>\n