(Ahhh…) Are you finally having a sigh of relief after having launched your new Drupal site? Well, let us be the first to welcome you to the Drupal family. We are 1.2 million strong and the best community-driven Open Source CMS’s available.
Now that you have a top notch online presence, you can’t stop with building a website. Just like your car (or any major investments, for that matter), maintenance is a ubiquitous need. Even with the most robust, latest, greatest website there is, it will still require routine maintenance and servicing. Technology undergoes constant upgrades and hackers will always try to outsmart the system. So, it’s important to keep your website secure and up-to-date with modern features to ensure you and your customers are safe. Let’s look at some of the key items that you need to keep a close eye on.
#1: Drupal admin backend alerts recommending security or module updates
It’s advisable to login into your Drupal admin backend regularly, even if you don’t have any content updates for the website. Drupal admin backend will bombard you with alerts for all security/module updates. This cannot be simply ignored and may require immediate attention. Some alerts can be very technical in nature. Always check with your trusted web team before making any major updates.
#2: Check Cron Configuration and last execution status
Cron is an automatic scheduler that is set to run during regular intervals to perform certain server tasks (e.g. automatic emails to customers on a pre-set time.) If the Cron is not configured properly, it leads to the bloating of the database and increases the website’s loading time.
#3: Check Contact Form submissions
Always check if the contact forms on the website function properly. They are the window to the prospective leads. Any trouble there would run your sales dry.
#4: 404 errors/Broken images/links
The more presence of 404 errors, broken images or links on your website, the more trouble for your page rank and page load speed. You can use free tools to check for such weeds on the website and clear them.
#5: Keep a Code and Database Backup
Uncertainty is almost certain in the world of the web; anyone can suddenly hack, pose a threat, compromise your server, etc. That’s why it is a must to have a daily backup of your website so that you can quickly get back on your feet when uncertainty knocks at your website’s door. Most hosting providers have add-on packages for backup options that can be easily enabled.
The online business stores in general need to stay fresh in terms of content, style, layout etc., to stay on top of the web food chain. Maintenance should be an on-going occurrence and not a one-time factor. It not only helps website’s security but garners enough visitors to help grow your business.
Keeping your website running can be a time consuming, but vital, task. Our expert Managed Services team is readily available to help even the busiest business with their website needs.
Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help manage your website 24x7.