Analytics & SEO, Technology, Thought Leadership

The Importance of Website Maintenance

Written by  Jordan Perkins

A website is the cornerstone of your brand’s digital presence. It communicates who you are, what you offer, and why customers should trust you. In today’s digital-first marketplace, your website is often the first, and sometimes only, impression a prospective customer will have of your business. That makes maintaining it not just a technical task, but a strategic business priority.

Owning a website is a long-term investment. It reflects your brand, reputation, values, and offerings, and it directly influences key performance indicators (KPIs) such as lead generation, conversions, and customer engagement. Consider how much time and budget go into designing and building a website. Once the site goes live, the work doesn’t end there; ongoing maintenance is critical to ensure it continues to run optimally.

The risks of neglecting website maintenance are extensive. Common issues include:

Security Vulnerabilities

  • Outdated software, plugins, or CMS cores are prime targets for hackers.
  • Data breaches and malware infections can cause reputational harm and legal consequences under GDPR/CCPA.

Website Downtime or Broken Functionality

  • Incompatibility between themes, plugins, and core updates can cause errors.
  • Features such as forms, checkout, or search may stop working.
  • Downtime often results in lost revenue and poor user experience.

Slow Performance

  • Slow load times drive users away and increase bounce rates.
  • Performance issues also negatively impact SEO and conversions.

SEO Ranking Loss

  • Google penalizes sites with broken links, outdated content, slow speeds, and security warnings.
  • Dropped rankings reduce organic traffic and visibility.

Incompatibility with New Browsers & Devices

  • Without updates, sites may not display correctly on modern browsers, mobile devices, or assistive technologies.
  • This degrades accessibility and excludes segments of your audience.

Poor Analytics & Marketing Integration

  • Broken or outdated tracking scripts produce inaccurate analytics data.
  • Failed conversion tracking undermines ROI measurement and marketing opportunities.

Higher Long-Term Costs

  • Neglected fixes can escalate into costly rebuilds.
  • Emergency remediation is significantly more expensive than preventative care.

Brand Reputation & Trust

  • Errors or outdated content signal neglect.
  • Visitors may assume the business is unreliable, making trust difficult to regain.

The ROI of Regular Website Maintenance

Proper maintenance is a business-critical investment with measurable ROI. Regular updates and monitoring strengthen security, preserve performance, ensure compliance with accessibility standards, and protect user experience. With a clear process in place, maintenance safeguards your digital presence, reduces costs, and supports outcomes such as improved lead generation, e-commerce revenue, and stronger brand trust.

Here’s a breakdown of the ROI across multiple dimensions:

  • Reduced emergency costs: Preventative maintenance is far cheaper than emergency fixes. Recovering from a hack, data loss, or system failure can cost 3–5x more than routine upkeep.
  • Sustained SEO rankings and traffic: A well-maintained website performs better in search results. Search engines penalize slow, outdated, or broken sites, while optimized ones attract and retain more visitors.
  • Improved user experience and conversions: Fast, functional websites reduce friction. HubSpot reports that 88% of users are less likely to return after a poor online experience.
  • Lower risk of security incidents: Regular patching of CMS cores, plugins, and dependencies reduces exposure to cyberattacks.
  • Extended site lifespan: While most websites are redesigned every 2–3 years, consistent updates and optimizations can significantly extend their useful life.

Why Start Early

It’s important to begin discussing website maintenance with your agency during the planning stages of a new site, as it can influence technical decisions and long-term requirements. Maintenance packages vary depending on your team’s resources, and a trusted agency partner can help define core tasks, expectations, and responsibilities. For organizations with tighter budgets, we’ve also seen success with automated solutions that handle routine updates.

Maintenance as Business Insurance

Website maintenance is more than applying updates—it’s business insurance.

Organizations need to uphold security, performance, accessibility, SEO, GDPR compliance, and other standards that directly affect user experience and, in many cases, legal obligations. Working with Oomph ensures these processes are streamlined, proactive, and aligned with your business goals. If you’re looking to protect your digital investment, let’s explore a maintenance approach tailored to your team’s needs. Learn more about our maintenance services.

Related tags: Analytics & Measurement APIs Migration Mobile & Responsive Technical Architecture

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More about this author

Jordan Perkins

Senior Digital Project Manager

As a Digital Project Manager at Oomph I love building and fostering relationships with both my team and clients, which ultimately leads to delivering amazing work. Organization, close communication and transparency are the key to co-creating work that everyone is proud of. I truly enjoy the dynamic essence of the advertising world that allows me to work on a variety of projects and work with clients and team members located all over the world.

I have extensive experience in the digital agency world and have worked on a wide variety of projects including strategizing and delivering end to end marketing strategies, traditional broadcast media and digital solutions. I’ve had the pleasure of working with both mom and pop shops and mega conglomerates.

Outside of work you’ll catch me outdoors with my family. Located in San Diego, I take advantage of the beautiful year-round weather, whether it’s taking a long walk around a lake, playing at the park, exploring the city or digging my toes into the sand at the beach. When I’m not outdoors you’ll find me reading a book while snuggled up with my fluffy Persian Bellatrix.