Ecommerce Website Maintenance: Things to Do and Who to Rely

Optimal Ecommerce Experience: Prioritize Website Maintenance

Ecommerce website maintenance is essential. Why? You don’t want potential customers to feel the frustration of a page that takes forever to load or a website glitching just as they’re about to make a purchase. 

Customers expect a seamless experience. If you do not plan on providing this, a tiny mishap will send them straight to a competitor. That’s why the maintenance should involve every aspect of your site. Read on to learn about this in detail!

What Ecommerce Website Maintenance is

It’s a continuous process of checking and optimizing your online store to ensure optimal performance. The maintenance encompasses various activities, such as updating software and plugins, fixing broken links, providing site security, etc. 

Regular maintenance ensures every product image loads correctly, every payment gateway works seamlessly, and every customer query responds promptly. Hence, your online store remains reliable and trustworthy for customers to shop.

3 Types of Ecommerce Website Maintenance

Every online store owner should be familiar with the three main pillars of this maintenance. Below is a brief explanation of each:

1. Storefront Maintenance

They are the visible parts of your website that your customers interact with. It ensures that product listings are accurate, images load correctly, and descriptions are up-to-date. 

Also, you need to check that all the links are working, pages load quickly, and the site layout remains responsive across different devices. Regularly updating featured products, banners, and promotional content also fall under this category. 

2. Security Maintenance

It involves updating security plugins, monitoring suspicious activities, and implementing measures like SSL certificates. Stay updated with the latest security protocols and ensure the sources of any third-party integrations or plugins.

3. Marketing Maintenance

This focuses on the tools and strategies you use to attract and retain customers. Regularly updating SEO strategies, ensuring that email marketing links work, and monitoring the performance of paid ads are all part of this. 

2 Benefits of Doing Maintenance on Ecommerce Website 

Diligently maintaining your website comes with many benefits. Here are the most important ones:

1. Better User Experience, Better Google Ranking

When pages load quickly, links work as they should, and the responsive site layout gives visitors a smoother browsing experience. This positive interaction encourages them to stay longer and increases the likelihood of them making a purchase. 

Also, Google loves it. Search engines prioritize websites that offer a good user experience. Regular maintenance ensures your site remains optimized, error-free, and updated with fresh content.

2. Lower Cart Abandonment

It’s disheartening to see customers adding products to their cart but not completing the purchase. Often, this cart abandonment is a glitch or a slow-loading checkout page. 

So, reduce the chances of customers leaving their cart by optimizing the checkout flow, ensuring payment gateways work efficiently, and promotional codes or discounts apply correctly.

3 Disadvantages of Neglecting Maintenance

Neglecting your e-commerce website maintenance comes with severe disadvantages. Here’s what can go wrong if you let things slide:

1. Vulnerable to Hackers and Update Glitches

Neglecting regular updates leaves your website exposed to potential threats. Outdated plugins, themes, and software can have vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. These cyber-attacks can lead to data breaches, compromising sensitive customer information. 

Moreover, with timely updates, you might avoid glitches after an update. These glitches can disrupt the functionality of your website, leading to a poor user experience and potential loss of sales.

2. Get Labeled ‘Suspicious’ by Web Browsers

Web browsers aim to provide a safe browsing experience for their users. Suppose your website’s security certificate expires or there are malware issues. In that case, browsers like Chrome or Firefox might flag your site as ‘suspicious’ or ‘not secure.’ 

This warning can deter potential customers from visiting your site, fearing their data might be at risk. Ensuring that all security certificates are up-to-date and addressing potential threats can prevent this scenario.

3. Reduces Traffic and Google Rankings

Websites that are not regularly maintained can face multiple issues like slow loading times, broken links, or outdated content. These issues give a terrible user experience and signal to search engines that your website might not be the best, trusted source of information. 

As a result, your site’s ranking can drop, leading to reduced visibility and decreased organic traffic. Remember, search engines prioritize websites that offer users valuable, fresh, and error-free content.

5 Things to Do in Ecommerce Website Maintenance

Do the following tasks to make your site a safe, secure, and enjoyable place for your customers to shop.

1. Update Website’s Plugins, Theme, and Security

Your website’s plugins and theme updates often come with security patches that protect your site from known vulnerabilities. An outdated plugin or theme can be an open door for hackers.

Moreover, with every update, developers fix bugs, improve performance, and ensure compatibility with the latest version of the platform.

2. Backup Customer and Store Data

From customer details to order histories, the data you collect is invaluable. Regular backups ensure that in the event of a technical glitch, cyber-attack, or even human error, your data remains safe and can be restored quickly. 

Automating backups is advisable so they occur at regular intervals, be it daily, weekly, or monthly. Store these backups in multiple locations, including cloud storage, to ensure they’re easily accessible when needed.

3. Update Product Content, Broken Links, and  FAQs

Your product listings, descriptions, and images should always be up-to-date. If a product is out of stock, ensure it’s reflected on the site. Regularly check for broken links, which can frustrate customers and harm your search engine rankings. 

Also, keep your FAQ section updated. As your business evolves, your customers’ questions or technical problems might change.

4. Optimize Website’s Loading Speed

A slow-loading website can deter potential customers, leading to lost sales. So, check your website’s loading times and identify any issues causing delays. Compressing images, minimizing code, and using content delivery networks are some ways to enhance loading speeds.

5. Monitor Website’s Analytics

You can gain insights into customer behavior, popular products, and potential areas of improvement by monitoring the site’s analytics. Track metrics like bounce rate, average session duration, conversion rates, etc. 

These insights can guide tweaks and changes to your website. For instance, if a particular product page has a high exit rate, it might be worth revisiting its design or content.

Who Can be Relied On?

Who can be trusted to handle this e-commerce website maintenance task if you don’t have the time to do it? Let’s explore the options!

1. Your In-house Team

Having an in-house team manage your e-commerce website offers the advantage of familiarity. They know the ins and outs of your business, understand the brand voice, and are available for immediate tasks or emergencies. However, maintaining an in-house team can be costly.

2. Freelancers

Hiring freelancers can be cost-effective, especially for specific tasks or short-term projects. They offer flexibility, and you can hire them based on the exact skill set you need. 

3. Agencies

Opting for an agency means entrusting your website maintenance to a team of professionals. Agencies often have a structured approach, access to the latest tools, and a broader perspective from working with various clients. 

They can offer comprehensive services, from design and development to marketing and analytics. Also, you won’t have to worry about hiring, training, or managing challenges, as the agency handles all that.

Keeping your ecommerce website in top shape is like giving it a regular health check. It ensures everything runs smoothly for your visitors. If you’re ever looking for a hand with this, Dreambox is here to help. 

Our ecommerce website maintenance service specializes in optimizing performance, making sure your online store remains efficient. Reach out anytime you want a chat or some consultation. Our team’s committed to simplifying things for you!