If you are business owner, or prospective for an agency which builds Websites or Apps, this article is for you. Let’s be honest in the pricing and effort it takes to maintain a website. The below points are mainly involved scenarios which every creative agency go through. And this article assumes the agency is build the websites/web applications based on WordPress. People think, after initial setup of website, configuration, and working website/web application, what is there to  maintain. Probably they haven’t come across the jobs involved in maintenance.

Framework version changes.

The websites mainly use the frameworks like WordPress or Drupal or Joomla or any .NET or JSP or core PHP . These languages or frameworks will get upgraded every year. Some frameworks will get new features and get improved every quarter. Accordingly, the websites need upgrade often.

For Ex: When WordPress get updates/ php comes with new version, your website need to be updated.

The upgrade process involves, backing up the entire site, entire database and upgrade to the new version. Whenever it happens, admin has to run all necessary tests again as a fresh website to make sure everything works fine as earlier. You wont believe there will be at least two updates happen in typical  WordPress website, sometimes it is with plugins or theme or php version or WordPress version. The show must be running without a single minute of unexpected downtime. Or, it shouldn’t exceed the given downtime to the client. It is time critical and risky as well. One small step will erase all data from website or exposed to  malware.

Plugin compatibility for the latest framework

The plugins (shot code scripts for small functionality) play a vital roles in CMS(Content Management System) websites powered by Joomla, Drupal and WordPress. The version of your CMS and compatibility of your plugin should be aligned always. So, the admin has to keep his eyes open on all these addons always.

Cache handling

People always look for page speed. It means, the site should load instantly like big websites like amazon, Facebook, Gmail, msn. Because user doesn’t want to wait till website gets loaded. He moves on, and increase the bounce rate. But, the infrastructure and investment should be optimal. If this has to be achieved, then admin will enforce the caching at server level to increase the speed of the page load. This may increase the speed, but, if the content or data is altered in website, user will see the old data. If a regular user of your website doesn’t find the new tariff changes/ package changes from your website, he can sue you.

Hence the caching at browser level is ideal, but prospects always complain about page speed. Here admin has to make sure clearing the sever caching(if enabled) or tune the performance better.

Periodic Backup

Why to backup the site and database periodically? Answer is little complex. If your website updates once a month, you can schedule run the backup once a month. If you are running, classifieds, dynamic content, eCommerce, then you need to backup the data everyday. You can automate the entire process. But, what about the space/storage it takes for backup data. If you website has 300MB data, and taking the backup everyday, you will exhaust the cloud data limit in a week or two. So, admin has to clear the backup and make sure to have relevant data at different servers as a shallow copy.

Performance tuning

As explained in the previous point, the performance tuning involves many other methods, like image compression and resizing the images according to their rendering screen, css optimization, proper use of color codes, and removing unwanted codes and plugins. This involves spending a great amount of spending time and patience.

Security check

The web is volatile. Hacking is not only for money. It’s about data, User details, images, videos. The malware, Phishing attack happens always on websites. You never know when your website is injected with spam ware. Suddenly you see the exhaust in your server resources, slow in speed, and finally seeing unwanted ads in your website. Admin has to check each website he developed every day. He has to touch base with all the points to secure the website. Any email can disturb his late night sleep.

Periodic Functional Check

As a client, you may not visit or test your website regularly. But admin does it. He always test each nook of the website periodically and make sure everything is at right place for a right reason. You need not to ask an admin to run a check, because he feels responsible for for all the work he has done.

 

These are few points make the admin work much to admire. And If you feel maintenance work is not required for your website, then probably you are stepping towards a downfall.

 

Good luck.