Every week
- Confirm that backups ran and are stored somewhere other than the web server.
- Apply updates to WordPress, plugins and themes, then check the site still works.
- Look at the security scan and uptime report for anything unusual.
Every month
- Submit every form on the site and confirm the message arrives.
- Check for broken links and missing images.
- Test page speed on your main pages. See website speed and Core Web Vitals.
- Review the list of user accounts and remove any that are no longer needed.
- Make pending content changes: prices, staff, hours, announcements.
- Look at analytics and Google Search Console for errors or sudden drops.
Every quarter
- Restore a backup to a test location to prove it works.
- Review installed plugins and remove any that are unused or no longer supported.
- Check the site on a phone and in more than one browser.
- Review your main pages for accuracy.
Every year
- Confirm renewal dates for the domain name, hosting, security certificate and paid plugin licenses.
- Check that your hosting runs a currently supported version of PHP.
- Review your privacy policy and cookie notice against what the site actually uses.
- Decide whether any pages should be rewritten, merged or removed.
How to update safely
- Back up first.
- Update one group at a time, so you know what caused a problem.
- Where possible, test major updates on a staging copy before the live site.
- After updating, load the main pages and submit a form.
Who should do it
None of this is difficult. It is recurring work that is easy to skip, which is why it goes undone on most small business sites. Give it an owner, inside the company or outside. See why it's smart to have someone manage your website.
Our website hosting and care covers all of the above for $450 per month. See website design, hosting and care.