Last week I got a call from an old client who last had work done in 2017 on some print and web stuff. She needed some changes made to her website as her email was new, her business had changed and over half the website was no longer relevant. We just had one problem…
Her site was built using Dreamweaver in 2006 and while I could edit it, lots of problems came up. Since the site is pretty old-school that meant going back to my roots to make changes and finding (not surprisingly) some things just don’t work anymore. The biggest problem we faced was an intake form that used a .php script to send the form data to her email. The form looked to be working but unfortunately no information was getting to the email.
Here’s the thing about websites. The technology moves incredibly fast and as a result we are always needing to keep up. In this clients case a new website is a must but in many cases even letting your website sit for a few months without checking in can be detrimental. Maintaining your website is prudent to giving it the longest healthiest lifespan.
In general I like to always suggest…
▶️ Check your website weekly (or at very least monthly) for any issues, updates or changes that need to be made
▶️ Don’t let your software get out of date – this is not just WordPress users – my old-school HTML friends I am talking to you too
▶️ Know when your domain and hosting are set for renewal so they do not lapse resulting in your site going down and possibly loosing everything
Proper maintenance on your website is no different than oil changes in your car, going for regular cleanings at the dentist or cleaning out your dryer lint. If you don’t keep on top of these things there will be problems and sometimes the problems cost your thousands of dollars.