Did you know that, as of May 2020, there are over 455 million WordPress blogs and websites on the web?
That’s a lot of WordPress users and for a good reason, as the content management platform is the best of its kind.
Doing so will help you get the most out of your website, helping you reach your goals in the process.
You have an option to choose a WordPress support company to do your maintenance as well to save you time. If you have still decided to do this yourself, what exactly should be on your website maintenance checklist? What are some things that you can do to keep your site running fast? And how can you make sure your site doesn’t fall behind the competition?
We’ve got the answers to those questions and more in this article, so keep reading to learn what you need to know.
Browse Your Site for Errors
If you’re not sure where to start with your WordPress checklist, consider starting by browsing your site itself.
More specifically, take a look around your site and make sure everything looks and works the way that it’s supposed to.
If your site is extensive, with tons of pages and articles, check out a few of each to confirm nothing needs to be corrected. Keep a notepad nearby, too, so you can jot down any changes or ideas that you may have while navigating your site.
Check Your Page Loading Speeds
Page loading speeds are extremely important, especially if you don’t want users closing out of your site within the first few seconds. That’s why you need to make sure your site’s pages are loading quickly using an online page speed checker.
Not sure which page speed checker to use? Google offers one that’s free, easy-to-use, and won’t harm your computer.
Update Your Theme and Plugins
Once you’ve made sure that your site is working properly and loading fast, take a look at all of your plugins to confirm they don’t need to be updated.
Not keeping your plugins updated can cause your site to glitch, and even not work at all, which isn’t what you want. So, make sure you check them often and click the “update” button as soon as you notice it.
Also, your theme needs to be updated occasionally in order to continue to work well on newer devices.
Like your plugins, you need to check for updates often. Postponing these updates can lead to your site glitching and not being usable, causing you to lose out on traffic and revenue.
Confirm Your Site Is Backed Up
As a website owner, the idea of something happening to your site, and thus losing all of your content is your worst nightmare. This is especially true if your site has ads and makes you or your business money.
That’s why if you haven’t already, you should invest in routine backups for your site. Doing so helps you recover from a disaster quicker, as well as prevent you from losing all of your older content.
Even if you have routine backups set up already, checking to make sure they’re working properly every month or so is a good idea.
Make Sure Your Hosting Plan Doesn’t Lapse
When doing maintenance on your site, your main goals are to correct and prevent issues that cause your site to not work properly, or at all. If there’s one thing that can take your site down, and fast, it’s a lapsed hosting plan.
Even if you have the auto-renew feature engaged, have an idea of when your hosting and domain name expires. That way, when it gets close, you can make sure everything is ready to go.
Also, confirm that the credit card that you on file is still active. An expired or canceled credit card obviously won’t work, which can lead to your servers going down for an extended period of time.
Check Google Webmasters
There are tons of outside tools that you can use to keep your WordPress website running smoothly. But if you were only going to pick one of those tools, we recommend Google’s Webmasters above all the others.
Webmasters will help you with many different things.
From SEO tools to website functionality, Webmasters can help you make your website the best that it can be.
If WordPress isn’t your strong suit, but you still want to get the most out of your website, consider investing in a WordPress maintenance service. Having a professional by your side is always helpful, and who knows, you may even learn some new tips and tricks!
Update Your Content Plan
When performing maintenance on your website, it’s a good time to look at other useful information, like analytics. Using that information, you can create a content plan, or tweak an existing one, to help you make the best content possible.
So, what are some key factors you should look for when creating a content plan? Well, pageviews are, without a doubt, the biggest deciding factor on what type of content you should create.
With that being said, content that gets lots of clicks but it also quick and easy to write is a smart business strategy, as you can post more frequently that way.
Creating a Website Maintenance Checklist
Well, there you have it! Those are seven items you need to have on your website maintenance checklist!
Remember, browsing your website and experiencing what your users experience is a great place to start. Doing so will allow you to confirm everything is running properly, as well as help you plan for any changes you may want to make in the future.
Make sure your site is backed up, and your theme and plugins are up to date. Also, check your page loading speeds using Google’s free page speed checker tool.
Last but not least, make sure your website’s hosting isn’t about to lapse. Confirm the credit card on file is still active; that way, you don’t lose your servers for any amount of time.
Are you looking for more web hosting tips and tricks? Check out our blog!