A website can look healthy while displaying an old phone number or a service you no longer offer. A short, repeatable review helps you notice those changes.
Check the customer journey regularly
Open the site on a phone. Check prices, hours, coverage and contact details. Follow the main links and send an identifiable form test, then confirm it arrived. A success message alone is not enough.
Choose a review frequency that matches how often your business changes. A monthly check can be a useful baseline, with immediate updates for changed contact information, closures or withdrawn services.
Keep technical maintenance separate
Review software updates, certificates, backups and access according to the technology used. A static website and a content management system have different maintenance needs. Assign an owner for hosting and domain renewal rather than assuming the designer handles everything indefinitely.
Check the backup by restoring a copy
A backup file is useful only if it contains what is needed and can be restored. Test recovery in an isolated location, without replacing the live site. Include databases and configuration where the website uses them, and keep secrets out of public download folders.
Refresh evidence and service information
Replace outdated project images, review service descriptions and publish new testimonials only with permission. Preserve useful article URLs or redirect them to a genuinely relevant replacement. Change the visible update date when the content is actually reviewed.
Update before deciding to rebuild
A new design is justified when the current structure no longer supports the business or the experience has clear problems. New photos, clearer copy and a reliable enquiry flow may solve the immediate need with less work.
Put the maintenance scope, response process, renewal costs and ownership in writing. Cancelling optional maintenance and cancelling hosting are different decisions; check the agreement for each.
Content reviewed: 2026-11-04