Ensuring that your web designer is actively maintaining your website and keeping plugins updated is crucial for the security, functionality, and performance of your site. Here’s how you can tell if your web designer is genuinely performing these tasks:
1. Regular Communication and Reports
A professional web designer should provide regular updates about the maintenance tasks they’ve completed. This can include:
- Monthly or Bi-weekly Reports: These should detail what has been done, such as plugin updates, security patches, backups, and any changes made to the website.
- Communication Channels: Your web designer should be accessible via email, phone, or project management tools, and should promptly respond to any inquiries about the status of your website.
2. Access to CMS and Logs
If your website is built on a Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, you should have access to the backend. Here’s what to look for:
- Plugin Logs: Within the CMS, you can check the plugin status. If a plugin was recently updated, it should show the date of the update. Regular updates indicate ongoing maintenance.
- Backup Logs: A well-maintained website should have regular backups. Your designer should use a plugin or service that logs each backup, which you can verify.
3. Monitoring Performance Metrics
Website performance should remain consistent or improve over time. Degraded performance could indicate a lack of maintenance. Some indicators include:
- Page Load Speed: Regular maintenance ensures that your website remains optimized. If you notice slower load times, it could be a sign that necessary updates and optimizations are being neglected.
- Security Issues: A well-maintained site should be free from security breaches. Frequent security issues could indicate outdated plugins or neglected security patches.
4. Automated Update Notifications
CMS platforms and plugins often send notifications when updates are available. If you have administrative access, you can check for pending updates. If there are many pending updates, it may indicate that your web designer hasn’t been keeping up with maintenance.
5. Testing and Functionality Checks
You can manually check if updates and maintenance have been performed:
- Functionality Testing: Test the website’s key features (e.g., forms, e-commerce functionality, etc.) to ensure they work correctly. Broken functionality could suggest that updates or maintenance weren’t properly handled.
- Visual Consistency: After an update, the design or layout of your website should not change unexpectedly. Significant visual changes might indicate that updates were performed incorrectly or not at all.
6. Security Scans
Run a security scan using tools like Sucuri or Wordfence. These tools can detect outdated plugins or vulnerabilities in your website’s code, indicating whether your web designer is neglecting updates.
7. Feedback Loop
Ask for a summary of the updates they’ve made and compare it with the CMS logs or notifications. A transparent web designer will not hesitate to provide you with this information.
8. External Monitoring Tools
There are services like UptimeRobot, Pingdom, and Google Search Console that can alert you to issues with your website. Regular downtimes or security warnings could indicate lapses in maintenance.
9. Contractual Agreement
Your maintenance contract should clearly outline the frequency of updates and maintenance activities. If you feel that the designer isn’t meeting the agreed terms, refer to the contract to hold them accountable.
10. Website Audits
Periodically, hire a third-party expert to audit your website. This can help you confirm whether the necessary maintenance and updates are being performed and identify any gaps.
Conclusion
To ensure that your web designer is genuinely maintaining your website and keeping plugins updated, stay engaged in the process. Regular communication, access to logs, and performance monitoring are key. By actively overseeing these elements, you can ensure your website remains secure, functional, and up-to-date.
At Windy City Web Designs, we aim to provide this for our clients by emphasizing creating websites that can achieve our client’s digital marketing goals. Every step of the way, we prioritize brand identity, growth, and profit-inclined actions. Whether it concerns a website redesign or content creation, we ensure our clients have a good online presence. Contact us here to see how to partner with us.