A simple website maintenance checklist for small businesses

A website is not a one-time purchase. Software ages, content goes out of date and small problems grow if nobody notices them. This checklist keeps the essentials under control.

Every week

• Open your site on your phone and computer and check it loads properly.
• Send a test message through your contact form and confirm it arrives.
• Reply to any enquiries that came in through the site.

Every month

• Install updates to your content management system, themes and plugins.
• Check that backups are running, and that you know how to restore one.
• Scan for broken links and missing images.
• Run a speed test and look for anything that has slowed down.

Every quarter

• Review your content: prices, opening hours, services and team details.
• Remove user accounts that are no longer needed and change weak passwords.
• Look at your search performance in Google Search Console.
• Check when your domain name and SSL certificate renew.

Why it matters

Out-of-date software is one of the most common ways websites get compromised, and a slow or broken page costs you enquiries without you ever seeing it happen.

If you would rather not do this yourself

Updates, backups and security are part of every Excelsites plan, so this checklist is handled for you. You focus on your business; we keep the website healthy.