Do you never change the oil in your car? Ignore the check engine light or never fill it with gas? I’m guessing no, cars get a bit fussy if you ignore them right?
One of the topics I see come up a lot with my colleagues are ignored sites that crash – and they do. Anything can happen from outdated software that no longer works to a malware infested site. If you ignore your website it is a matter of when, not if, it will fail.
I’m going to give you some tips to prevent those costly website recoveries. Being a smart business owner – I bet you are doing at least 1 of these steps.
Where is the Check Engine Light for Websites?
Sorry, but there isn’t an all encompassing alert your website needs servicing. Just like a car, they do require regular ongoing maintenance to stay operational. There are a lot of working parts to a website including software, databases, servers, third party plugins and files. Many of these are changed often and are outside your control. A good comparison – how often do you need to update your smartphone software and update your apps?
Your Website Needs the "Oil Changed"
Your website isn’t going to go out of its way to let you know maintenance is required. There are only a few notifications available in your dashboard. For example, "worn down parts" aren’t obvious they need attention or replacing. Here’s some tips to avoid a publicly displayed server error in place of your site, or the "white screen of death."
- Renew your domain name URL. All domain name providers send out a renewal notice annually by email. Did you save it as a contact so it doesn’t go into the junk folder? How about your account contact info so they can email you, or your auto renew billing info? Is it up to date?
- Update your WordPress software. Letting this slide is one of the top reasons a website is hacked or fails. Many of the software updates for WordPress are security and maintenance releases to keep up with changing technology. WordPress is up to 3.9.1 – check your version.
- Update Plugins. If you are using WordPress, those third party plugins also need to be updated. Think phone apps, plugins also receive regular updates.
- Automated offsite backups. Don’t rely on your webhost, many don’t maintain backup copies of your website. Use Vaultpress or Backup Buddy (affiliate link) to keep a full backup – peace of mind for $60-80 annually.
- Security Maintenance. Use services like Sucuri (affiliate link) and/or WordFence to keep the worst of the worst from compromising your site. Be patient, if you have WordFence or other security programs, they can lock you out for failed login attempts. Trust me – once you see those scary logs of the many attempts to break into your website daily – you will be patting yourself on the back for being a savvy business owner.
- Your Website has "Expired." Once you get past 3 years, things can get iffy (remember your smartphone). Get past 5 years, and oh boy, we are talking eminent website drama. Many server companies are updating to PHP 5.4 this year and most older sites top out at PHP 5.3 (psst – most don’t give much or any heads up). Check your website on Sucuri, under "Website Details" tab look for Powered by:PHP/ which will display your version.
My advice, 3 years is an eternity on the web. Expect to update your website theme design, at maximum every 3 years to be accessible. After that your web design will look outdated. If you are past 3 years, for example, right now you are most likely providing a squinty view on those phones and what do site visitors do – leave. A three year run is about the most you can reasonably expect.
There you go – web design insider secrets to keeping your site humming along and staying strong.
If this all seems to much – we do offer security maintenance for the overwhelmed, the techno phobic, or the “get er done” folks. No matter your reason – keep your website safe and online.