KINGPINWEB.CODESWebsite Maintenance Checklist: What to Check Every Month After Launch
Launch day feels like the finish line, but it is really the start. Software needs updates, links break, forms stop sending, and content goes out of date. None of this happens overnight, so it is easy to ignore until the day a customer tells you your contact form doesn't work.
The checklist below takes less than an hour a month for most small business websites. Do it yourself, or hand it to your web team.
Every month
1. Test your forms, buttons and chat
Submit every contact and quote form yourself and make sure the message arrives. Tap the call and WhatsApp buttons on your phone. If you have live chat, send a test message. Broken forms are the most expensive problem a website can have, because you lose leads without knowing it.
2. Check that backups are running
Confirm that your website and database are backed up automatically, and that the backups are stored somewhere other than the website's own server. A backup you have never checked is a hope, not a plan.
3. Apply updates
If your site runs on WordPress or another CMS, update the core software, themes and plugins. Most hacked websites are hacked through old plugins. Update one thing at a time and check the site afterwards. For custom-built sites, ask your developer to apply security updates to the framework and its packages.
4. Look at Google Search Console
Search Console is free and tells you how Google sees your site. Once a month, check:
- Any new errors under Pages or Indexing
- Mobile usability or Core Web Vitals warnings
- Security issues or manual actions
- Which searches are bringing clicks, and whether they are rising or falling
5. Review your analytics
In Google Analytics, compare visitors and enquiries with the previous month. Look at which pages get the most traffic and which ones lead to enquiries. A sudden drop in either is worth investigating early.
6. Check your website on a phone
Open your site on your own phone, ideally on mobile data. Is it still fast? Does everything look right? This takes two minutes and catches a lot of problems.
Every three months
7. Run a speed test
Test your key pages with Google PageSpeed Insights. Large new images, extra plugins and new tracking scripts slowly make sites heavier. Compress images before you upload them. Our speed guide explains the scores in plain English.
8. Fix broken links
Use a free broken link checker to find links that lead nowhere, both on your site and to other sites. Fix them or remove them.
9. Refresh your content
Update prices, services, team members, opening hours, photos and anything that mentions a year. Add a recent project or a blog post. Fresh content tells visitors and Google that the business is active.
10. Check your SSL certificate and security warnings
Make sure your site still shows the padlock and loads on HTTPS everywhere. Most certificates renew automatically, but renewals do fail occasionally.
Every year
11. Renew your domain and hosting
Check renewal dates and turn on auto-renew where possible. Losing a domain because a card expired is more common than you would think, and it can take weeks to recover. Make sure the domain is registered in your business's name and that you know the login.
12. Review access
Remove admin accounts for staff or freelancers who no longer need them. Make sure every remaining account has a strong, unique password and, where possible, two-factor authentication.
13. Read your legal pages
Review your privacy policy, terms and cookie notices. If you have added new forms, tracking or payment options, these pages may need updating.
14. Ask whether the website still fits your business
Businesses change faster than websites. Once a year, read your site as if you were a new customer. Does it describe what you do today? Does it make it easy to contact you? If not, it may be time for an update or a redesign. If you do redesign, our 10-step checklist helps you keep your Google rankings.
Print-friendly summary
- Monthly: test forms and buttons, check backups, apply updates, review Search Console and analytics, check on a phone.
- Quarterly: speed test, broken links, refresh content, check HTTPS.
- Yearly: renew domain and hosting, review admin access, update legal pages, review the whole site.
Prefer to hand it over?
Every website we build at Kingpinweb.codes comes with lifetime support. We can handle updates, backups, speed checks and fixes, so you can focus on running your business. Get in touch if you would like help looking after your website.