MStart your project

Maintenance: keeping your new website new

When you first launch your website, it feels new, shiny, exciting. But time passes. In the 90s, these websites were state of the art. Here's what to do.

But before we start, let's ask: why bother updating regularly? After all, your website may feel stale to you but new visitors are seeing it for the first time. While that's true, there are regular tasks to keep your website in good order.

Important regular tasks

Write fresh content

You want your interested visitors to keep coming back and search engines to know that your website is active (and therefore relevant). More on this here.

Audit old content

Users browse your website for value. If an article from 2018 is irrelevant today, readers are grateful for a banner that says "This article is outdated. Click here to see the updated version". When I see this as a reader, I take the website more seriously.

I would recommend a content review once a year, or at least every 3 years. Automated reminders are great for this.

External links break. It's a fact of life. Check your links regularly to make sure they still still work. This task isn't exactly invigorating, so I'd suggest an automated tool. My in-house tool checks links once a day.

Check your Web Vitals

Google's Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure your website's performance. They're important for SEO - more on that here. Guidelines change, so I recommend checking every 3 months. Search engines reward fast and accessible websites - and fast loading pages reduce bounce rates.

Nice to have

Test variations of your website

Create different headlines, images, or even entire pages, show them to a portion of users and see what converts more visiotrs into customers. This is known as A/B testing.

Update your design

Trends change. Some would say evolve. A regular tweak here and there saves you from a complete re-design in 2 years. Not only does this keep your website fresh all the time, but saves money down the road.

For instance, when Apple removed the Home Button - it changed the way that web content was displayed in Safari. Some websites with non-white backgrounds had a white area under the footer. This can be fixed in minutes.

Collect user feedback

Not all feedback is written. A tool like Hotjar records how users interact with your website. This tells you what's working well and areas to tweak. Design trends change. It doesn't necessarily mean that users will expect something different - but it's good to keep an eye.

So

It's a lot to keep up with. But would you rather a new website every few years, or new all the time?

I offer maintenance for all new projects - contact me here.

Regular content: more important than you think

So you've got your website. You want new customers and your blog is ready. If it's new customers you're after, they see the 20 articles you…

Content writing with AI: definitive guide

Want to write with AI? You must read this first. Never publish content without reading it first. And never publish something you don't find…

Branding
Matching your website to the feel of your business.
Web Design
Creating a beautiful and responsive design that works on all devices.
Web Development
Building your website using modern technologies.
SEO
Optimizing your website to rank higher on search.
Content Writing
Writing content that is both engaging and optimised for search engines.
Maintenance
The web evolves. I'll keep your website smooth and fresh.
How much does it cost to build a website?

It depends on the complexity of the website. My rates start from £1500 for a combined lot of services.

I'm happy to take 50% of the payment upfront, and the rest once you're fully satisfied.

You can get an easy quote here.

Will I be able to edit my website after it's done?

Yes. I build websites with a Content Management System. You will be able to edit anything you need.

How long will it take to build my website?

Projects typically take between 2-4 weeks from start to finish - but something complex may take longer. I will give you an accurate estimate once I know what you need.

Will you host the website for me?

Yes. I offer hassle free hosting and maintenance. Once your website is live, you won't need to think about it again. If you receive millions of views, there will be additional fees - but it's not expensive.

As part of the package, I offer setting up business domain email and renewing the domain.

Will you make small changes to the website after it's done?

Yes. I will make small changes to your website for free in the first month after it's done. If you would like to keep this option permanently, I offer a predictably priced maintenance plan.

What kind of support can I expect after launch?
Will you edit my existing website?

Regrettably, I don't offer edits to existing websites that were not commissioned with me. However, once I build your website, I am happy to keep working on it for you.

Once you submit the form, I will come back to you with an obligation-free quote.

Submit