“Update your website” can mean two very different things. One is keeping the software safe. The other is keeping what visitors read accurate and useful. Each has its own rhythm.
Software updates: every week or two
If your site runs on WordPress or a similar platform, its core software, theme and plugins release updates often. Many of those updates fix security problems. Out-of-date plugins are one of the most common ways small business sites get broken into.
- Take a backup before updating, so you can roll back if something breaks.
- Update one thing at a time on a busy site, and check the main pages afterwards.
- Remove plugins you don’t use, rather than leaving them switched off.
Content checks: every month
Once a month, read your key pages as if you were a customer.
- Are your hours, prices, phone number and address still right?
- Do the forms still send, and do the messages reach the right inbox?
- Is there anything seasonal or out of date, like last year’s holiday hours?
Bigger refreshes: once a year
Each year, look at what has changed in your business. New services, a new area, a new kind of customer. Update the pages that describe them, add fresh photos, and retire anything you no longer offer.
Signs it’s time for more than an update
- You’re embarrassed to send people to your site.
- It doesn’t work well on a phone.
- You can’t make simple changes without help.
- The site doesn’t connect to the tools you now use for bookings or follow-up.
If several of these are true, a rebuild may cost less in the long run than patching. Our monthly website care checklist, in Free Resources, turns the routine above into a list you can tick off.