A website is like a vehicle: it works best with regular servicing. Skip maintenance and small problems quietly grow. Plugins go out of date, pages slow down, forms stop sending, and eventually the site gets hacked or simply stops bringing enquiries.

Use this checklist to keep your website healthy. You can do it yourself, give it to a staff member, or hand it to a provider on a care plan.

Every week

  • Test your contact routes. Submit your contact form, click the WhatsApp button and the call button. Make sure enquiries actually arrive.
  • Check the site loads. Open the homepage and two key pages on your phone using mobile data.
  • Reply to website enquiries within one working day. Speed wins customers.

Every month

  • Update WordPress, themes and plugins, after taking a backup. Outdated plugins are one of the most common ways sites are hacked.
  • Check backups. Confirm automatic backups are running and stored somewhere other than the website server.
  • Review security alerts from your security plugin or host.
  • Check Google Search Console for coverage errors, mobile usability issues or manual actions.
  • Look at your analytics. Which pages get visits? Which bring enquiries? Which ones do people leave quickly?
  • Fix broken links and remove outdated offers or events.
  • Add something new: a project, a photo, a testimonial with permission, or a blog post.

Every quarter

  • Speed test your main pages with Google PageSpeed Insights. Compress large images and remove plugins you no longer use.
  • Review your keywords. Are you appearing for the searches that matter? Our guide to choosing keywords explains how to check.
  • Update team, prices and service details so they match reality.
  • Review user access. Remove logins for people who no longer work with you.

Every year

  • Renew your domain and hosting before they expire, and confirm they are registered in your business's name.
  • Renew SSL if your host doesn't do it automatically, so the padlock stays.
  • Review the design and structure. Does the site still reflect your business? Are new services missing pages?
  • Check legal pages: privacy policy, cookie notice and terms.

Signs your website needs attention now

  • It takes more than a few seconds to load on a phone.
  • Google shows "Not secure" next to your address.
  • Forms send nothing, or you get lots of spam.
  • Strange pages, links or pop-ups appear.
  • Enquiries from the website have dropped suddenly.

Let us look after it

Maintenance is easy to forget when you're running a business. Our website management plans cover updates, backups, security, uptime monitoring, content changes and a monthly report, so your website keeps working while you focus on customers.

Need a full check-up first? Book a free website review or WhatsApp +254 782 137 201.

JD STUDIOS AFRICA Team
Mentors and trainers at JD STUDIOS AFRICA, a nonprofit tech and creative hub in Nairobi.