Website Maintenance is often talked about but IMO rarely understood. If you want to do it yourself, what exactly are the steps and is it hard? Below we outline the exact steps that we use to do quarterly maintenance packages for our clients.
Check Errors & Functions
The first thing we do is check with the owner if they are noticing any issues. If they do not, then we test the contact forms and several predominant links. We check the site speed at GTMetrix, the Google Search Console for manual actions or any anomalies.
We will also check SiteKit plugin, if installed. If not installed, we will check Google analytics, looking for anomalies.
We make suggestions for improvement on SEO, speed and more if we see anything obvious.
Backups
We next run a full backup of database and files on the server. We store that offsite for 30 days. If the client agrees, we install and configure Updraft Plus Backup plugin – and connect to Dropbox so that the backups aren’t stored in the same place as the site.
We usually recommend a daily backup schedule for databases, and weekly for files. We keep up to 3 months of backups on rotation. Also be sure that the backup is accessible and easy to restore. No sense having a backup if it doesn’t work!
Upgrades
This is the easiest part – clicking the upgrade button for plugins, themes and WordPress core. Of course we do it in the correct order, and we test any major versions on a staging site too.
Upgrades are the #1 thing you can do for security – after selecting a strong password of course!
Security Scan
We use blogvault and Malcare to scan files and provide alerts when something is amiss. Sucuri provides a complimentary scan as well I believe. You should do this weekly!
Plugin Review
We review all plugins. See this post for our recommended plugins. We will classify plugins and make recommendations based on four categories:
- the plugin is undoing or redoing something that is already built into WP, therefore it is unnecessary
- 2 or more plugins are repeating each other, making one of the pair redundant
- simply unused or unnecessary
- insecure or causing speed issues / conflicts
We make repairs, as requested and then re-test speed at GTMetrix. We send along a report with all the details and your website is all safe and secure for another little bit.
Email Marketing Checklist
Looking at email marketing? We show you how to 4x your open-rates right away! We also break down opt-in incentives, sign-up placement, evaluations and put it all in a quick checklist format! You’re welcome!
Cathy Mitchell
Single Mom, Volunteer, Lifelong Learner, Jesus Follower, Founder and CEO at WPBarista.