website maintenance

Reasons Why You Need A Website Maintenance Plan

1. The majority of customers conduct online research

Before making a purchase online, 87% of people conduct online research. People that are considering buying a product from you will likely end up on your website.

If your website gives them a negative impression of your company, they’ll likely continue their research on a competitor’s site, and you could miss out on a sale.

2. Your website informs users’ first impressions

If your website doesn’t work properly or looks outdated, customers will often click away. It will set a negative first impression of your business. If your website looks unprofessional, customers may think that your business is too.

3. Your website helps grow your sales

Your website plays a crucial role in guiding users toward making a purchase. In the case of e-commerce sites, your site facilitates purchases. If your site doesn’t work properly, you’ll miss out on potential sales.

4. Site visitors value user experience

Among consumers who have a poor user experience on a site, 89% will shop with a competitor instead. Regular maintenance prevents these poor user experiences and encourages potential customers to stay on your site, increasing your chances of making a sale.

5. A website maintenance plan improves security

Cyber attacks cost U.S. companies £15.4 million per year. Repairing the damage caused by cyberattacks is often costly, plus you may lose customers who no longer trust your company with their personal information.

Regular maintenance helps protect your site from cyber threats by keeping your security systems up to date. When you maintain your security protections, customers will feel more comfortable making purchases on your site.

6. Website maintenance supports your SEO strategy

If users frequently leave your website shortly after arriving on it, Google may view this as a sign that your site isn’t relevant. This increase in bounce rate can lead to lower rankings in search results, which means you’ll drive less traffic to your site.

Persistent technical issues, security issues, and outdated website design, structure, or content all contribute to diminishing your search engine rankings.

What’s the website maintenance cost?

Website maintenance costs may vary depending on the type of site. Here are a few examples of potential website maintenance costs for various types of websites:

• A personal website will have low maintenance costs, typically from €15 to €25 per month
• Small business website maintenance may cost up to €100 per month
• A corporate website may have maintenance costs of €200 to €1600
• E-commerce website maintenance costs may range from €1500 to €2500

Additional website maintenance costs

Some website maintenance costs to keep in mind include:

1. Domain name renewal

When you created your website, you purchased a domain name, which is your website’s address. For example, Google’s domain name is google.com.

You might pay for your domain name on a monthly or yearly basis. Domain names typically cost from €0.80 to €1 per month or €2 to €20 per year.

While a domain name typically isn’t too expensive, it’s essential to keep up with the payments so that someone else doesn’t buy your domain name.

2. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate

You’ll also want to ensure that your website has an SSL certificate, which helps keep your site secure. An SSL certificate enables your site to receive and transfer sensitive information securely.

Sites that have an active SSL certificate have HTTPS, instead of HTTP, in their URL. They also have a padlock image next to the URL in many browsers.

Sometimes you can get an SSL certificate for free if you’re using a hosting website, but generally, you’ll pay for an SSL certificate. SSL certificates typically include features, such as higher encryption rates, which can be beneficial for businesses. Their costs range from €0.80 to €125 per month or €10 to €1500 per year.

Be sure to keep up with your SSL payments so that your certificate stays active and your site stays secure.

3.     Website hosting

Website hosting is another website maintenance cost to consider. You can either host your website yourself or hire a hosting provider.

When it comes to website hosting providers, you have several options.

• With a shared host, your website shares a server with several other websites. It’s the least expensive option at €24 to €120 per year.
• Website builders like WordPress and Wix are user-friendly and cost between €60 and €180 per year.
• If you choose a virtual private server (VPS), you still share a server with other sites. However, the provider divides the server up into several VPSs, giving your site a dedicated amount of server space. VPSs cost €240 to €600 per year.
• With a dedicated server, you get full access to your own server. This option costs between €1000 and €20,000 per year.