Maintenance and Backup

Websites today, both the ones you own and those used for third party web services, are like computers all by themselves [after all, they are just files on a computer] and need maintenance, mess fixing and backup.

The fact that a website has to be maintained, and probably more often than your personal computer, hits most people like a brick.

The multiple moving parts, integrations, elements and so on create an environment that requires upkeep to stay stable. Yes, stable. I often joke that people are afraid of their update buttons.

It’s not uncommon to have tons of left over junk in multiple systems as you go through the creation process. Cleaning that junk will help keep your business running smoothly.

Developing information pages, sales pages, graphics, courses, sales systems, forms and so on is a creative process. The unused parts get cut and fall to the floor so to speak. Remember to clean them up!

IT Arsenal has maintenance & backup plans for those who need it. Both one time and monthly options that are below industry average cost! Click here to see them.

Here’s the “Need to Know” I’ve Gathered Over Years of Support

• Websites get hacked. Make sure you have a complex password and don’t give it out freely. Use websites like https://www.statuscake.com to monitor if your website goes down. [these types of services are called uptime monitors]
• Make backups of everything. WordPress for instance has TWO parts: a database and the files on your web host. There are plenty of popular plugins for WordPress out there that backup just the database, but make sure you’re backing up both or have someone set up a system to do so. BackupBuddy is what I recommend for WordPress website backup.
• Update and maintain your website. Your website can become out of date and start to slow down because the software on it gets old. WordPress comes up with new versions, as do plugins, so test these and update them often. Sometimes updates cause bad results, so backing up is important even when updating.
• Clean up your files! Common problems start with never cleaning out Dropbox, your website files, unused WordPress pages and plugins.

It is awesome is that starting your own website has come to the level of the masses, but… maintaining, enhancing, fixing and migrating one isn’t as evolved, so things can get messy over time. The more prepared you are by educating yourself and your team, the better.

Beware! If you’re haphazard and careless about maintenance and backup, the day will come when an update, a third party service, a hack or user error will strike. Awareness here is a huge step over most others.

I implore you. Backup your website, everything you have online and your computer. The leading tools change often, but the principle doesn’t!