Who is responsible for maintaining a website?

Your website is more than just an online presence—it’s the first impression customers get of your business. But what happens if that first impression is a broken link or slow loading time? Maintaining your website can make or break your success.

So, who’s responsible for ensuring your website stays up-to-date and secure? Your internal web team or an outside agency? In this blog post, we'll discuss how you can approach website maintenance responsibilities so that your customers have the best experience possible now and in the future.

Why website maintenance is important and how it affects the business

First, it’s important to cover why website maintenance is important. Website maintenance is critical for businesses to ensure that their website remains updated, secure and functions properly. Regular security reviews can protect the site from malicious attacks or data breaches and avoid downtime that can lead to lost sales or customers.

It's also important to monitor analytics on the website in order to determine if there are any areas where improvements could be made. Analysing page visits, user engagement and content popularity can help identify any issues that should be addressed through website maintenance.

Regularly updating content on the site is another important aspect of website maintenance that shouldn't be overlooked. Regular updates to content and features can help improve website ranking and visibility on search engines like Google. Content should be accurate, relevant and fresh in order to present a professional image to potential customers, keep visitors engaged and encourage them to return again in the future.

How to determine who should take ownership of the website

Now that you understand the importance of maintaining a well-functioning website, the next step is deciding who should take charge of this responsibility. Should you handle it internally, or is outsourcing a better option for your business?

Determining who should take ownership of the website maintenance can depend on a variety of factors such as company size, budget constraints, and specific requirements for each task or feature that needs updating. Companies may choose to outsource web maintenance services from third-party providers or employ an in-house team depending on their individual needs and resources.

Essential website maintenance roles for optimal performance

Depending on the size of the website and the type of content it contains, different roles may need to be filled in order to keep the website up-to-date. These typically include web developers, content authors and editors, designers, system administrators or IT specialists and marketing consultants.

Web developers

Web developers play a crucial role in website maintenance by ensuring smooth functionality across all browsers and devices. From fixing bugs to integrating new features, they keep your website running seamlessly. They are also responsible for backend security measures, which prevent hacking attempts and optimising the site's code to improve loading times and user experience.

Designers

Designers handle the visual aspects of a website. Designers are responsible for ensuring that websites conform to the latest design trends and best practices, as well as creating a cohesive experience across all devices. Additionally, designers can help maintain the website by optimising images to improve page loading time, making sure colours and fonts used on each page are consistent, and creating a responsive layout that works properly on mobile devices.

Content authors and editors

Content authors and editors are responsible for creating content that will be published on the website. Their role is to ensure that the content is relevant, engaging and up-to-date to draw visitors to the website. Content authors and editors are responsible for conducting research to gather accurate information, writing in an engaging and concise manner, as well as proofreading the material before it is published.

System administrators / IT specialists

System administrators are important for web maintenance because they ensure that all technical aspects of the website are running smoothly. They are responsible for keeping servers up to date with the latest software and security updates, creating backups in case of data loss, troubleshooting any problems that may arise and monitoring website performance. Having a systems administrator is more common to have in your team on a large to enterprise-size company basis or if the company has offices in multiple countries.

Marketing consultants

Marketing consultants are important for web maintenance because they create strategies to position the website as an attractive offering to potential customers. They help increase brand awareness by leveraging marketing channels such as social media, SEO, email campaigns and PPC advertising. Marketers can also help maintain the website by developing the user experience (UX) that follows industry standards and creating engaging content that resonates with users and converts to sales.

All these roles play an important part in website maintenance to ensure that the site is secure, up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies and provides visitors with a great experience.

Whilst it may not be possible to hire all these roles at the start of your business, ensure those responsible for maintaining your website have at least a basic understanding of coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as a thorough understanding of the website platform the site is built on such as WordPress, Webflow, Shopify or Squarespace. They should be able to spot any errors or problems with the site's design or functionality and be knowledgeable enough to make the necessary changes.

The implications of outsourcing or using an in-house team for website maintenance

Delegating website maintenance to a web specialist means you are investing in the assurance of a high level of quality control, adherence to best practices and a fast turnaround time. Using a third-party provider means businesses can avoid paying salaries, employee benefits, and other overhead associated with hiring an in-house team since you won’t need to hire and retain web development specialists.

That being said, using an in-house team for website maintenance may require more initial investment but offer greater control over the process as well as with privacy concerns related to handing over sensitive company information. Having a dedicated team working on the website means that all changes are monitored, reviewed, and tested before deployment; it also allows for quicker response times should any issues arise.

The cost of outsourcing website maintenance will depend on several factors such as the size of the project and its complexity, the experience level of providers, and the duration needed to complete the project. As such, businesses need to carefully weigh these factors when assessing the long-term savings associated with outsourcing versus using an in-house team.

What you should expect to pay

Website maintenance plans typically range in cost from $50 to $500 per month, depending on the complexity of the website and the services required. The cost of a website maintenance plan is determined by factors such as the number of pages, plugins, and features that need to be maintained, as well as how often updates are needed. Additionally, some plans may include additional services such as security monitoring, content updates, e-commerce optimisation and SEO.

Website maintenance is a critical component of any digital enterprise. With the right stakeholders in place, each party can play an important part in making sure that the website remains secure and up to date. Finding a qualified web developer or IT professional to handle related tasks is essential as well. You must also consider the associated costs when budgeting for website maintenance. Ultimately, it's imperative to take proactive steps towards regular upkeep; otherwise, you could suffer from major performance issues or data breaches down the line.

FAQ

• What does website maintenance include?

  Website maintenance typically involves updating content, fixing bugs, enhancing security, improving website performance and ensuring compatibility with the latest web standards and technologies.

• How often should I maintain my website?

  Regular maintenance should be done monthly or even weekly, depending on the complexity and traffic of your site. Security checks, backups and content updates are key areas to monitor frequently.

• What’s the difference between outsourcing website maintenance and doing it in-house?

  Outsourcing is cost-effective and convenient, especially if you don’t have the technical resources in-house. In-house maintenance offers more control over the process but requires a dedicated team with technical skills.

• How much should I budget for website maintenance?

  Budgeting for website maintenance depends on the website's size, complexity, and required services. Plans typically range from $50 to $500+ per month for professional maintenance.

• What roles are needed to maintain a website?

  A specific role is not required. A experienced web developer is best but a technically-minded designer, content editor, IT specialist or marketing consultant can typically be capable of website maintenance tasks.

• Do I need to update website content frequently?

  Yes, fresh and relevant content keeps your website engaging for users and helps improve SEO rankings. Regular updates also ensure the accuracy of your site.

• How do I know if my website needs maintenance?

  Signs include slow loading times, outdated content, security warnings, poor user experience or issues with site functionality.

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