Getting a website up and running is just the first step of building your business’ online presence. There are a lot of website maintenance and management tasks you need to complete on a regular basis, from daily to annually. The best way to tackle this wide range of tasks is to build a schedule for yourself.
You don’t need to complete every task every day. In fact, some website management points can be attended to as little as once a year. So let’s map the steps you should be taking according to suggested intervals. In order for you to know how to plan your WordPress website management routine.
Ongoing, everyday website management
Here are three website management tasks that you simply have to do daily. Skipping these steps for even a day can put your website at risk and cost you money.
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Check your website security status quo every day
You know as well as we do that malware and other security challenges are a non-stop threat to websites of any scale. Yes, there are plenty of solutions, like Sucuri, which can keep malware off your site. But you should also check security logs manually.
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Regular website backup
Backup is your chance to resurrect the site and put it back online in case your hosting or website is compromised. Thankfully, you don’t have to push the button every day. Because most hosting control panels, as well as WordPress plugins, let you forget about backups after you set them.
However, we suggest you regularly check in to see whether backups are running smoothly as part of your website management tasks. Also, ensure that backups are kept offsite. Consider trying WP Toolkit ( as part of WP Edition ) which can make automated incremental backups straight into the most popular cloud storage providers.
Moreover, if you have a lot of data to lose, consider a comprehensive backup tool like the Acronis Backup Extension. As it covers both complete server backup as well as granular down to website and single file backups.
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Monitor uptime
Does your website always load when you access it? Great, but that might not be the case for your customers. The best way to know is by using an uptime monitor which you can check daily for any signs of outages. Uptime Robot, also included in WP Edition, can provide automated alerts. Thus making website management easier.
Lots of downtime can mean you need to switch hosting or that there are coding issues on your site. Monitoring downtime means you can stop it before you lose too many customers.
Regular website management tasks
There’s a different range of tasks that you don’t need to do every day. But it’s website management you really should get around to at least once a week.
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Do usability tests on your site
Browser updates and other glitches can quickly ruin how your site appears. You need to regularly check that your website loads correctly on a range of devices, including mobiles and desktops. If you don’t fix a broken layout quickly as part of website management, you could permanently lose visitors.
Layout and formatting issues can crop up without warning. You may not necessarily notice it yourself because few of us use every type of device and browser daily. Instead, make it a point to check your website on every browser on a weekly basis.
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Tap the update button
Between WordPress itself and themes and plugins, you’ll regularly be confronted with updates that need installing. Wait too long and your site can be the victim of malware. Or you might find that functionality breaks. Therefore, check and install updates at least once a week.
Website management tasks to schedule every now and again
OK, so we’ve looked at the stuff you need to be doing all the time. A number of other points are worth putting into your calendar for monthly or quarterly action.
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Verify backups
Remember those backups you need to make? They also need checking. So make sure they are where you think they are – don’t just assume your backups work. Sometimes there are glitches in getting a backup restored. You don’t want to find this out when it is too late.
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Check your website forms
Forms can break for no reason, whether it’s the entire submission process or just a “Thank You” email. Don’t forget to check your forms as part of WordPress website management to make sure you don’t leave customers confused. Or even worse – lose customers because you’re not getting their contact form requests.
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Chuck plugins and themes you don’t need
Redundant plugins and themes drain your server resources and can pose a security risk in the long run. If you don’t need a theme or plugin, uninstall it to make sure it doesn’t cause problems in the future.
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Get up to speed with your analytics
Website analytics carry a lot of insight. Even a superficial analysis of your website traffic can help you make improvements to attract more or retain traffic. Thus, leading to more sales. So check which pages are viewed most frequently and also find out which of your pages convert the most customers.
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Keep your site speedy
Users don’t like waiting for sites to load. And worse – Google punishes slow websites in the search rankings. Websites inevitably slow down as more content and media is added and as sites become more complex.
So, as part of website management, always check load speeds to make sure it never falls below an acceptable minimum. When it does, upgrade your hosting or optimize your site to ensure you don’t lose customers.
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Database optimization
Closely linked to website speed, regular database optimization should also be performed. Check for old drafts, spam comments, and revisions that you no longer need. Do so regularly to make sure your WordPress database is always running at its peak performance.
The final website management touches
Finally, there are a couple of things you need to do around once per year. There’s no point performing these tasks every week or month. However, you should schedule an annual review of the following.
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Plugins and Themes
Yes, with website management updates should be done weekly. But once a year, look at your plugins and themes. Make sure you’re using the best plugins and themes for the job.
Consider whether authors are actively developing plugins in themes. And if not, consider a plugin or theme that’s under active development. It’s also worth making sure all your plugins and themes still have a good reputation. And that they’re following good WordPress practice.
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Update the date at the bottom
It’s common to forget to update the copyright date at the bottom of the site during website management. Or the dates inside policy notices. So schedule an annual update to make sure you don’t forget. Otherwise visitors might wonder why your business still lives in 2005.
Don’t forget your calendar
The best way to avoid forgetting any of these tasks is to use a calendar. Schedule your tasks for regularly spaced intervals and you won’t forget to do important bits like checking your website backup. If you perform all the tasks we mention like clockwork, you can rest assured that your website will perform smoothly. Resulting in happy customers.
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One comment
You’ve raised some very important points when it comes to website management! I too had struggled with it initially but after careful research, constant awareness regarding WordPress updates and finding the right Web management service to take care of my website were the key!
Would love to read more blogs regarding the upcoming WP management and hosting services 🙂