Creating a Website Maintenance Plan

You finally did it! You hired a web designer and now you have your very own website that is live and available to the world! So what now? Does the site run itself and magically bring you more business without any effort on your part? As much as I would love to say yes, that’s simply not the case. Each website has its’ own unique requirements for staying live and relevant.

So how exactly do you keep a website happy once it’s launched? Here are important factors to consider for an effective website maintenance plan:

• Maintenance

• End of Project Expectations

• Updates

• Communication Plan

Let’s take a closer look at each one!

Maintenance

Will you hire someone or take this on yourself?

A site can’t run itself and will need someone to manage the upkeep. If you want to maintain your own site, ask yourself if you are tech savvy or a total beginner? For every web design project I do, this is the first thing we figure out before I even start designing. It’s so important to know how you want to take care of the site once it’s launched. If you want to maintain the site yourself and are a total beginner, your site should be designed differently than someone who wants a complex site with a plan to hire out the maintenance.

End of Project Expectations

What should you receive at the end of the project?

Unless a different plan was agreed upon, you should own everything at the end of the project. You should also receive all branding materials that were created. Did your web designer create and use a unique graphic on your site? You should receive that graphic in a JPG, PNG, EPS and PDF file so you can use it for future projects. You should also have access to the backend of your website but be prepared for limited editing access* if you are paying someone else to maintain it.

*This is to keep anyone from accidentally deleting or changing something on the site. Websites are fickle and can be broken by one letter or symbol being deleted or changed on the backend. Limiting access to those who are unfamiliar with code can keep issues like this from happening.

Updates

Will your site need to be changed regularly?

• Is there an announcement section that needs to be updated daily?

• Are you writing a weekly blog?

• Do merchandise photos need to change depending on sales?

• Is there a calendar that must be updated?

Websites are rarely ever left untouched once they are launched. It’s actually better for SEO if they are edited regularly! (Click here if you don’t know what SEO is.) Maintaining your site will be much easier if you have a clear plan of what needs to be done each day/week/month to keep your website up to date.

Communication Plan

How will you bring people to your site?

Unfortunately, having a website does not guarantee that people will see it. It’s important to have a plan of how you will get people to regularly visit your website. Creating an effective communication plan can be a tricky process but here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Social Media Posting Schedule

• Marketing Emails

• Marketing Campaigns to Engage Your Audience

• Snail Mail

• Billboards, Magazine Ads, etc.

Your main goal in most advertising campaigns should be to drive traffic to your website. If you want more ideas on how to create a plan, you can read about that here.

And there you have it! Those are the most important factors to consider when creating a website maintenance plan. Do you have any questions for me? Feel free to reach out and I will be happy to answer them the best I can!

Have a beautiful day,

- Heather

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Heather Brockell is a Web Designer and Copywriter based out of North Dakota, USA. When she isn’t designing websites or writing, she performs as a professional figure skater and singer in ice shows all around the country.

Want to hire Heather to create something magical for your online presence?