If you read the introduction to [why your website sucks]({{ site.url }}/website-sucks "Your website sucks because you don’t maintain it.") (hint: it has to do with what you do after you build it), then you know that today is the first day of the Website Maintenance Guide for Business Owners.
Howdy do and welcome!
There are a lot of blogs out there that help you learn individual skills, and those are great. In fact, I'm sure I'll be referring to some of them as we go through this guide.
What there isn't, is a comprehensive guide helping you string together a plan for maintaining your website without going crazy.
Website Maintenance: What is it?
Let's talk about what I really mean.
There's a few different aspects to website maintenance:
- Content
- Workflow
- Technical
- [Backup]({{ site.url }}/website-fix "Website Emergency Survival Plan")
In this guide we are mostly going to discuss content and workflow, but I will do my best to break down some of the basic technical details - if only to help you be aware of potential issues you can get help fixing.
Ultimately, to keep good website maintenance you need to learn how to recognize problems and have a good idea of how to fix them.
Re-evaluating Goals
Before you get into scoping out each of the four sections of website maintenance, you want to get back in touch with your goals.
Have things changed since you first established your website?
Have you learned anything new about what works for your audience?
Is your website performing poorly?
Have you found a new style of writing or workflow that you think would work better for your site?
[Think about your site like you were starting anew.]({{ site.url }}/small-business-website-guide-how-to-plan-for-the-best-website "How to plan for the best small business website ever.")
What is the ultimate site goal?
Who is the target audience?
What is your voice?
What are the needs of your target audience?
What language does your target audience speak?
Content Scope
If you're the one writing the content for your website (particularly if you're writing a blog) you'll be shocked to see how fast your writing style changes and improves.
When you go back and read things that you wrote even only a month ago, you'll wonder what you were thinking!
Reviewing Static Content
When I talk about static content, I'm talking about regular pages on your website that typically wouldn't change very often.
This could be your Contact page, your About page, or your FAQ page.
Define your expectations!
Before re-reading each page, quickly jot down what you expect to be addressed on the page.
Try to think of yourself as a new visitor who is unfamiliar with your business, brand or products.
After getting in the mindset, add anything else you thought of that would be useful to find on the page. [If you need to refresh your memory about effective content, click here.]({{ site.url }}/small-business-website-guide-seo-writing-for-the-web "6 Lessons To Powerful Content For The Web and Small Business SEO.")
Try to explain all the following in your notes:
- Information you expect to find (example: Business location on a Contact page)
- Content tone you expect to feel (example: Personal and friendly OR Corporate)
- Pictures you expect to see (example: Picture of store front)
- **Flow **you expect to experience (example: Store location on the top with a store history below)
Visit the page.
Okay, time to read! After you've written your expectations of the page, go ahead and read the page.
What did you find?
I know it will be a blow to your past's self-esteem, but go ahead and write down all the things that were lacking about your page.
- Did you find all the information you expected?
- Did the content tone feel right?
- Did you see the images you hoped to see?
- Did the flow satisfy your desired experience?
Rinse and repeat!
Repeat this process for each of your pages.
Since you're just scoping now, keep your notes for each page collected and organized. You'll get to rewriting the page later.
Homework: Re-evaluate your content this weekend.
It's time to go through your static pages and test where you're at.
Don't forget to think about the expectations of a customer, not your own expectations of your own website.
Check back in here after you've evaluated!
What do you do if you don't have static pages?
I highly suggest you make some static pages.
Very rarely will people not expect at least an About or Contact page! I suggest making at least one page of consistent content that is available from anywhere on the site (i.e. either available in the header, footer or sidebar of your blog).
Report back with your findings!
I said it just above here but don't forget: tell me how you did!
Was your content already fantastic? Was your content so horrible you were tempted to take it down immediately?
Want more out of this series?
To stay in the loop and get extra tips as we continue this Website Maintenance Guide, sign up for periodic emails here:
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If you need fresh eyes, just ask.
You can ask for feedback here in the comments, on the [Facebook Page]({{ site.url }}/facebook), or even [send me a Tweet]({{ site.url }}/twitter) asking for some outside review.
I can't wait to hear how you did!
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