Why regular website health check is crucial for your business website

First impressions matter—especially in business. Your website is the digital storefront and the first interaction many customers will have with your company. A "website health check" is essential for ensuring your site always puts its best foot forward, stays secure, fast, and performs well.

Neglecting to perform regular website health checks can lead to a host of problems, including security vulnerabilities, reduced performance, outdated features, and even display issues across different devices. Users may sometimes receive browser warnings that your site is unsafe, which can drive potential customers away. Shockingly, according to the "Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024", 50% of UK businesses reported experiencing a cyber security breach or attack, with phishing affecting 84% of companies.

At NetSwifter, we offer tailored solutions to prevent these issues, such as our seasonal "Autumn Website Health Check" and "Spring Website Health Check", designed to keep your website secure, optimized, and performing at its best all year long.

Why your website needs regular health checks

If you consider your website your business's digital face, keeping it in top condition makes sense. Regular website health checks ensure everything works as expected—quickly and securely—while giving you peace of mind that your online presence is in great shape.

A website that looks broken, has missing images, or is displayed incorrectly on different devices makes a poor impression. Customers might think your business is outdated or unprofessional. Regular checks ensure that your site works smoothly across all platforms, from smartphones to desktops, and that every page looks exactly as it should.

A slow website can be a deal-breaker. Statistics show that users expect sites to load within three seconds, and if they don’t, many will simply leave. The faster your site, the happier your visitors will be. A health check helps keep your website up to speed (literally), ensuring that potential customers don’t lose patience before engaging with your brand.

Imagine visiting a website only to see a “Not Secure” warning. You’d probably leave right away, right? Security is critical to building trust. An outdated website is vulnerable to hackers, spam, and data breaches, which can damage your reputation. Regular health checks keep your website secure and up to date, protecting your customers and your business.

For UK businesses, compliance and security are even more critical, especially with regulations like the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Non-compliance with data protection laws can lead to significant fines, which can reach up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover—whichever is higher. You can read more about it in the ICO guide to GDPR. Ensuring your website meets these standards keeps you compliant and builds customer trust.

Key elements of a website health check

A comprehensive website health check involves several vital elements.

Technical Performance Audit: We use several tools to evaluate key metrics like speed, caching, and image optimization. We aim to maintain high performance so visitors have the best experience possible.

Security Evaluation: Your website’s security is vital. We verify that your SSL certificates are in place, check for plugin vulnerabilities, and apply best practices to harden your site against potential threats.

Content & SEO Analysis: We ensure your content is up-to-date, fix any broken links, and look for opportunities to improve internal linking—all of which contribute to a higher SEO ranking.

Mobile and User Experience: Today, a significant portion of website traffic comes from mobile devices. We ensure your site is fully responsive and easy to navigate on all devices, providing a seamless user experience. Statista said mobile devices accounted for over 55% of global web traffic in 2023, making mobile optimization crucial.

Common issues uncovered during health checks

Through our seasonal checks, we frequently find recurring problems that can hurt your business.

Display errors, outdated plugins, or misconfigurations can cause your website to look broken or incomplete. This is a major turn-off for visitors and can make your business appear unprofessional.

Security vulnerabilities and un-updated plugins and themes can leave your site vulnerable to attacks. One small gap can be enough for a hacker to slip through, damaging your business and credibility.

Slow-loading pages, unoptimized images, excessive scripts, or outdated code can drastically slow down your website. Regular checks allow us to fine-tune and optimize your website so it stays fast and responsive.

Benefits of seasonal check-ups with NetSwifter

Our seasonal health reviews are designed to prevent these issues before they become problematic. We focus on keeping your website optimized and secure so that you can enjoy:

• Peace of Mind: Know that your website is being looked after by experts, and focus on what you do best—running your business.
• Customer Trust: A well-maintained site builds trust. No one wants to see error messages, missing images, or security warnings.
• Better Performance: From faster load times to improved search visibility, our health reviews help your website perform at its peak, which leads to better engagement and more potential customers.

Ready to take the next step?

Don’t let minor issues hold your website back. Book a website health check with NetSwifter today and ensure your online presence remains solid and reliable.