This week we have debuted our new Proactive Maintenance Programs and we are excited to get your feedback. We’ve been hearing a few questions so we thought we’d try to help you determine if (and why) you might need web maintenance.
Websites needs regular maintenance to update content and graphics and to keep the web site current. This may include showcasing the latest products and services that your business offer, communicating changes in your company, or to add/update latest features currently used by web sites like ecommerce, SEM (search engine marketing), new technology etc. No website is immune to time and you need ongoing web site maintenance to make sure that you are getting the highest return on website investment.
You need website maintenance if:
1) You often need quick changes or a quick turnaround on updates and new features
2) You have a lot of little updates that add up quickly when billed separately
3) You don’t have a website backup plan
4) You have know idea how much traffic your site is getting or how to increase it
Just some of the benefits of Proactive Maintenance:
1) It’s like having a web designer on staff – we are just a phone call or email away if you need changes to your site.
2) Priority service – faster turnaround
3) Cost effective – a proactive approach can help you avoid costly repairs that can be foreseen.
4) Save money on additional labor – sites on one of our maintenance programs receive discounts on additional maintenance hours
5) Know your website’s performance – get performance reports and recommendations to track the success of your site
Check out the FAQ below for some of the features our Proactive Maintenance plans can help you with.
What is a domain and why does it need to be renewed?
Your domain is the url you type in to get to your site. You pay a yearly price to have the domain name point to your hosting server where your web pages sit waiting to be served up when someone enters the domain. If you do not pay the yearly fee, your domain will no longer point to your web pages. We monitor when your yearly renewal fee is due to make sure it doesn’t expire!
Why do I need to check for dead links?
If you are linking to any external sites, you run the risk of having dead or broken links. We test all your links to make sure that your links are current.
Why do my forms need testing?
Updates to your hosting server can affect how the functional parts of your site work. By testing your forms, we make sure that your customers can use these forms to contact you.
What are downtime reports?
A downtime report let’s you know how often (if at all) your site was unavailable due to hosting downtime, domain expiration, hacking, etc. We monitor your site 24/7 so that we will be alerted if your site goes down. If it does, we check into it immediately so your customers don’t lose access to your site.
Why do I need a backup of my website?
Your hosting company most likely does daily backups of your website. But what if your site is hacked or a database is corrupted and it goes unnoticed for a day or two? We make backups of your site once a month and keep up to 3 months of backups so that your site can be restored in the event of an emergency.
What is hosting? Why do I need it?
Hosting is a service that allows your web pages to be put on a server that the domain points to. You cannot have a website without hosting. Alt Creative offers several hosting plans, but with all of our maintenance plans, hosting is free!
What is a Google Analytics Report?
Google Analytics is Google’s web statistics feature. It is free to use, but it takes a trained eye to determine what it says about your site traffic. Along with each report, we’ll help you determine how effective your online marketing is and how it can be improved.
What are WebsiteGrader recommendations?
WebsiteGrader.com provides information on the marketability of your website based on your site’s code and interface. We will run the report monthly and make recommendations on how to improve your site.
What is a CMS and why do I need CMS/Blog Maintenance?
CMS stands for Content Management System. If your site was built on WordPress or Joomla, you are running a content management system. These systems are constantly updating to add new features and need to be maintained properly to make sure that your site functions properly.
