The Importance of Website Maintenance: Keeping Your Site Secure & Functional

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A website is not a “set it and forget it” asset—it requires ongoing maintenance to ensure it remains secure, functional, and optimized for performance. At Duck Feet, we believe in empowering businesses with the knowledge they need to maintain their websites effectively. Whether you manage your own site or need professional support, here’s what you should be doing regularly to keep your website in top shape.

1. Security Updates & Patching

Security is one of the most critical aspects of website maintenance. Failing to update your CMS (WordPress, Joomla, Shopify, etc.), plugins, and themes can leave vulnerabilities that hackers exploit. Regular updates help prevent data breaches, malware infections, and unauthorized access.

✅ Best Practice: Schedule monthly updates and remove unused plugins to minimize risks.

2. Performance Optimization

A slow-loading website frustrates users and harms SEO rankings. Keeping your site running smoothly requires regular performance checks.

✅ Best Practice: Optimize images, leverage caching, and ensure your hosting provider meets your performance needs.

3. Backup Management

Backups act as an insurance policy for your website. If something goes wrong—whether from a cyberattack or an accidental deletion—you need a recent backup to restore your site quickly.

✅ Best Practice: Set up automated daily or weekly backups and store them securely off-site.

4. Content Updates & Broken Link Checks

Outdated content or broken links create a poor user experience and can damage credibility. Regularly updating your content keeps your site fresh and ensures that all links direct visitors to the right pages.

✅ Best Practice: Use link-checking tools to find broken links and refresh old blog posts with new information.

5. SEO & Analytics Monitoring

Search engine algorithms change frequently. Keeping an eye on SEO performance and visitor analytics helps you adapt to trends and maintain traffic growth.

✅ Best Practice: Use Google Search Console and Google Analytics to monitor traffic, keyword rankings, and technical issues.

6. User Experience (UX) Testing

Websites should be easy to navigate across all devices. Regular UX testing ensures that your site remains user-friendly and conversion-optimized.

✅ Best Practice: Test your site on different devices and browsers to identify any usability issues.

7. Security Scans & Malware Protection

Cyber threats are always evolving, so routine security scans help detect vulnerabilities before they cause damage.

✅ Best Practice: Use security tools like Sucuri, Wordfence, or Cloudflare for regular malware scans and firewall protection.

Need Help with Website Maintenance?

At Duck Feet, we offer tailored website maintenance plans to keep your site secure, up-to-date, and running at peak performance. Whether you need occasional support or full-service management, we’re here to help.

💡 Want peace of mind? Contact us today to discuss how we can keep your website in top shape while you focus on growing your business!

Choosing the Right Web Design Company

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Choosing the Right Web Design Company: What to Look For

In today’s digital world, a strong online presence is essential for any business. Whether you’re a small startup or an established company, having a well-designed website can make all the difference. But with so many web design agencies available, how do you choose the right one?

If you’re searching for web design in Hampshire, Winchester, or Southampton, you need a company that understands your vision, delivers quality results, and offers ongoing support. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting a web design company.

1. A Proven Track Record

Before committing to a web design agency, take the time to review their portfolio. Look for past projects that align with your industry or style preferences. A reputable company will showcase a variety of websites that demonstrate their versatility and expertise. Case studies or client testimonials can also give insight into their ability to meet expectations.

2. Custom Designs Over Templates

While template-based websites might seem like a cost-effective solution, they often lack originality and flexibility. A professional web design company will create a custom-built website tailored to your brand and audience. Custom web design ensures your site stands out and functions exactly how you need it to.

3. SEO & Mobile Optimisation

A great website isn’t just about aesthetics—it must also perform well in search engines. A strong web design agency will implement SEO best practices from the start, ensuring your site ranks well in Google searches. Additionally, mobile responsiveness is crucial, as more people now browse on their phones than ever before.

4. User-Friendly and Scalable

Your website should be easy to navigate and scalable as your business grows. An experienced web design company will ensure your site is built with the user experience in mind, making it intuitive and engaging. They will also provide solutions that allow for future expansion, whether through additional pages, e-commerce functionality, or integrated booking systems.

5. Ongoing Support & Maintenance

Websites require regular updates and maintenance to stay secure and efficient. When choosing a web design company, consider whether they offer ongoing support. Whether it’s software updates, security patches, or content changes, having a team you can rely on will save you time and stress in the long run.

6. Local Expertise

For businesses in Hampshire, Winchester, and Southampton, working with a local web design agency has its advantages. A local company understands the regional market and can provide tailored solutions. Additionally, they are more accessible for in-person meetings and ongoing support.

7. Transparent Pricing & Communication

A trustworthy web design company will be clear about pricing and deliverables from the outset. Hidden fees and vague timelines can lead to frustration, so ensure you choose an agency that values transparency and open communication.

Final Thoughts

Selecting the right web design company is an important decision that impacts your business’s online success. By considering experience, customization, SEO, scalability, support, and local expertise, you can make an informed choice that benefits your brand.

If you’re looking for web design services in Hampshire, Winchester, or Southampton, choose a team that offers creativity, reliability, and long-term support. Your website is the face of your business—make sure it’s in the right hands.

Online Safety SSL Certificates and Google

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Change is on the horizon for how Google handles websites with & without SSL certificates

As of July 2018, Google’s Chrome browser marks all non-HTTPS sites as ‘not secure’!

Your website may not have changed recently, but Google Chrome has. The new version of Google Chrome was released this summer and may well have an impact on the visitors to your site

Secure websites utilise an SSL certificate. This is what changes the HTTP at the start of a web address to HTTPS (plus a ‘lock symbol), and lets people know the website they are browsing is secure and trust worthy.

Google Chrome now displays ‘not secure’ in the address bar of any website that isn’t using SSL and the other web browsers will very likely follow suit fairly soon.

How Could This Affect You?

In recent times people are becoming more and more aware of the need for online security and so a notice stating ‘not secure’ in your address bar is likely to scare away a number of potential customers.

In future, Google intends to mark the insecure notice in red, which will go even further towards driving visitors away.

In order to further encourage the use of SSL certificates google is now ranking those ‘with’, above those ‘without’ and so if you are not ‘secure’ you may well see a slide in your position on google!

What should you do?

Fortunately adding an SSL certificate to your website is a fairly straight forward undertaking for a competent web design company based in Winchester like Duck Feet and so if you would like to discuss how we can help with this just get in touch and we’ll see that you are secure in no time.