I was at my local car dealer yesterday with my truck getting the 23rd recall addressed and kept hearing about a mutli point inspection for my truck. While I’m sure it’s just another excuse for them to jack up my bill, I kept thinking about how important it is that we all take some and give our web site a quick multi point inspection: Here are some areas that you should be taking a look at on your web site at least once a month:

1.) Web Site Stats.  PLEASE spend some time and review your web site stats.  You can find all kinds of info in here especially any broken pages, hacking attempts, etc.

2.) Software Updates.  If you are running WordPress or any other type of blogging software, it’s critical to keep your software up to date as many updates include security patches, etc.

3.) Email.  If you tend to keep all of your messages on the server (not pulling them down into your Outlook or Mac Mail) go in and clean house once a month.  If your email accounts get full, you will no longer be able to send and receive email.

4.) Content. Time to take the Thanksgiving Pilgrim decorations off of your home page.  Keeping your web site relevant and up to date is critical for your clients and prospects.  Blow the cob webs off and keep it up to date.

5.) Copyright year.  One of my pet peeves, if you have a copyright message in the footer of your web site, please make sure it is displaying this year, not 1996.

6.) Site layout and Graphics.  Web design is constantly evolving, trends change, etc.  Be sure that your web site doesn’t have that 1990′s framed in look still.

7.) Domain name.  One of the biggest things I see clients forget about is their domain name and keeping it current.  Check in and see when your domain will expire, make sure you don’t miss that expiration date, it can cause all kinds of issues.

8.)  Backup. When was the last time that your web host backed up your web site? If you don’t know, you should make it your business to find out.  Things happen with servers, sometimes, terrible things.  Request a zipped backup from your web site once a month and you’ll sleep better at night.

9.) Bandwidth. The more traffic that a web site gets, the more bandwidth it consumes.  Some servers will automatically suspend an account if it exceeds it’s bandwidth limit, it’s a good idea to know how much bandwidth you are getting per month and how much you are using. Your host can provide you with this information.

10.) SEO Stuff. Are your keywords still relevant on your web site? Have you updated your XML Sitemap with the latest content you’ve created? What are your top ten keywords and how can you improve / maintain those top keywords in the search engines?

By taking time to address these key areas you ensure that your web site is running in tip top condition.

Need help? Give me a call: In Orlando: 407-830-4550 or Nationwide: 866-998-6886.

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