How to tune-up a website

Websites do not stay the same. The shiny new website you started with can start looking old and outdated within just a few years. Time, technology, and design trends continue to evolve, and small business websites must keep up or get left behind. Many small business owners are unaware of this website degradation and feel its pinch (sometimes knowingly but often not). A website tune-up helps fight website atrophy and keep a website secure, performant, and relevant.

What is a website tune-up?

Like a car, a website needs regular servicing and maintenance. Websites degrade over time, so it is important to keep things running smoothly. That's what a website tune-up is. It is what we do to analyse how well a website is functioning and then fix and improve anything that needs it.

Why do websites need tuning up?

Websites are not static. As technology and time progress, websites must keep up. Outdated websites present security risks as well as turning off users who expect a slick, modern design and user experience. At the very least, website maintenance is about staying relevant. They do not require constant design overhauls or technology upgrades. Tuning a website is about making minor tweaks and updates to keep it secure, performant, and delivering results for your business.

How often should you tune up a website?

Some things, like security and technology updates, should be ongoing. Most website platforms offer automatic updates, which take care of this for you. If not, it is something you, or your developer, want to stay on top of.

For acute tune-ups, I'd recommend once, twice, or at most three times a year. An acute tune-up identifies a few key areas where your website is underperforming and implements fixes for them. The reason you only want to do this a few times a year is that it can take months for you to see the effects of your changes.

What's involved in a website tune-up?

A website tune-up consists of two main things. You want to fix all bugs, remove outdated content, and update your technology. Doing these things ensures your website remains relevant, usable, and secure. In my website tune-up service, this is the lowest tier.

I dedicate the higher tiers of my website tune-up service to supporting business goals. That means optimising user experience, creating a brand-aligned design, and growing visibility through SEO enhancements. To make the most of this side of a website tune-up, you need to know your website goals and how your site currently performs against them.

How do you tune up a website?

Depending on your website goals, there are many ways to tune up your website. That said, there are some low-hanging fruit that everyone should include in a basic website tune-up.

Identify and fix website bugs

Look out for broken forms and links, and content that doesn't load. Go through every page with a fine-tooth comb. List everything that needs fixing and either send that to your developer or do it yourself. 

If you want to fix things yourself, it has never been easier. Take your list to ChatGPT and ask it to guide you through the process of fixing everything. You'll be surprised by what you can do.

Optimise speed and performance

Use Google's Page Speed Insights tool to identify performance issues with your website. This comprehensive tool gives an in-depth analysis of your website's performance and actionable insights on how to fix it. Again, you can list the issues and send them on to your developer, or fix them yourself.

Perfect your on-page SEO

Install the Detailed SEO Chrome Extension and identify areas to improve your on-page SEO. This tool provides a comprehensive overview of your website's on-page SEO and offers fixes for any issues it finds. It offers insights into everything from meta descriptions and headings to links and even your structured data schema.

Make sure your website looks great on all browsers and devices

Sign up to BrowserStack for a free trial. This tool enables you to test your website on every device and browser imaginable. If bugs exist on some devices, you can use ChatGPT or hire a developer to fix them. Fixing cross-browser issues provides peace of mind by ensuring every user has a great experience using your website.

Do you need to hire someone to tune up your website?

In short, no. You can do it yourself. I have a few clients who hire me only for the more technical parts of their website maintenance. They take care of the low-hanging fruit.

As with anything, there is a learning curve. If you are technically-minded, by all means, tune up your website yourself. If not, hiring someone to tune up your site is a great option. As I mentioned earlier, my website tune-up service helps small service business owners make subtle, impactful improvements to their websites. If you're interested, use the form below to provide your email address, and I will send the complete list of my services and pricing directly to your inbox.