Website backups and maintenance — a simple routine

A website isn't a piece of furniture you buy once and forget. It's more like a car — it runs best with a little regular care. The good news is that the maintenance is simple, and most of it can be set to run on its own.

Why a website needs maintenance

A website is built from software that's updated all the time — the system itself, the theme, and any add-on modules. When these go out of date, two problems arise: security holes that others know about, and features that stop working properly.

Most break-ins on small sites happen precisely because something out of date had a known hole. Maintenance is largely about closing those holes before anyone finds them.

Backups: the net beneath you

A backup is a saved version of your website that you can restore if something goes wrong. It's the single most important measure you have, because it makes almost any mistake reversible.

A good backup routine has three qualities:

• Automatic. Backups that rely on someone remembering get forgotten. Set them to run by themselves.
• Stored elsewhere. A copy kept in the same place as the original disappears along with it if something happens.
• Tested. A backup you've never tried to restore is just a hope. Check at least once that restoring actually works.

Most hosting providers take automatic backups. Check that yours does, how often, and how far back they go.

The ongoing maintenance routine

You don't need to do much, but you should do it regularly. A simple routine covers most of it:

Keep the software updated. The system itself, the theme, and add-on modules. Set updates to automatic where you can, and look over the manual ones at regular intervals.

Check the site works. Click through the most important pages now and then. Send a test through the contact form. Better that you spot a fault than a customer does.

Keep an eye on speed. Websites tend to get heavier over time as images and features are added. A quick check now and again catches the problem before visitors notice.

Clear out what you don't use. Old add-on modules, unused accounts and outdated content are both a security risk and clutter. Remove them.

A realistic frequency

You don't need to do this daily. A sensible rhythm for an ordinary small-business website:

1. Weekly or monthly: check that updates have run and the site works.
2. Quarterly: click through the site more thoroughly, test forms, look over speed.
3. At least once: confirm the backups can actually be restored.

Most of this takes minutes once the routine is settled. The point isn't to spend a lot of time, but not to let the site drift unattended for a year at a stretch.

What happens if you let it slide

A website that's never maintained decays quietly. The software grows old and vulnerable, features stop working without you noticing, and the site gets slower. Usually you only discover it the day something breaks — and by then it's more expensive and harder to fix.

What we tend to tell businesses is that maintenance is the cheapest insurance you have. A little regular care costs almost nothing, while a neglected site quickly becomes a big project to rescue.

Frequently asked questions

Doesn't my hosting provider take backups for me?

Many do, but not all, and not always as often as you'd think. Check specifically what applies to your provider: how often they back up, how far back they go, and how you actually restore a copy.

How often do I really need to update the website?

Security updates should be applied quickly — ideally automatically. The rest of the maintenance manages on a fixed rhythm: a quick monthly check and a more thorough quarterly review is enough for most.

Can I set it all to automatic and forget it?

A lot can be automated, especially backups and simple updates. But a human eye now and then catches things automation doesn't — that a button has vanished, that a page loads slowly. A little oversight is still worth it.

This is general guidance. Which routine suits your site exactly depends on how it's built and what it's used for.