Posted January 9, 2017
The new year is the perfect time to resolve to finish up the “little things” you’ve been putting off–the finishing touches that will help your business, help your site visitors, and protect the investment you’ve made in your website. If any of these to-dos are still unchecked after 2016, it’s time for action.
Hackers aren’t only after the big corporations, and they’re not only after valuable credit card data–some of them just want to mess with you, and every day there are new vulnerabilities, new kinds of malware, and new automated means of attack. Even if your site doesn’t handle financial transactions or sensitive customer information, you can’t afford for your website to go down–or to suffer the embarrassment of having your site defaced by hacker graffiti or (ahem) “unsavory” images. (Re-visit our post WordPress Security Made Simple.)
Last year, more than half of website visits came from mobile devices, yet more than 80% of all websites are still not optimized for mobile–including 40% of Fortune 500 companies. Stop the madness! You can test your website’s mobile readiness with Google’s Mobile Ready Test. In about one minute, you’ll know whether your site is up-to-snuff, or whether you still have some work to do. It’s a minute well-spent, and your future customers will thank you for it. (For more about mobile-readiness, check out our post on mobile friendly ranking requirements.)
Faster website response and optimized loading time helps your website visitors, and helps your Google ranking. There are simple measures that any website owner can implement to help speed up their site, including file minification, GZIP compression, and file caching through the use of plugins or through Content Delivery Networks like CloudFlare. Let this be the year that you pick up the pace. (You can find details about site optimization in our post about boosting WordPress website performance.)
This is the year that all websites need to implement SSL, or suffer the consequences. By the end of February, both Chrome and Firefox will flag unsecured connections with full page warnings, advising users not to proceed. You don’t want that to be users’ first impression of your website, and your business. Don’t delay any longer–it’s time you added SSL to your website. (For more on this topic, check out our post about Adding SSL Security to Your Website)
And, of course, if your website to-do list is still so long or so far behind that you can’t imagine making a significant dent in it, it may be time for a fresh start. Technology changes fast, and odds are that if you haven’t tackled any of the items above, your site may be approaching the end of its useful life anyway. Most sites have a lifespan of only 2-3 years before they’re ready for a facelift, or a major overhaul.
If 2017 might be the year you finally upgrade, we’d love to help you brainstorm some fresh ideas, and provide a quote for the work. You can request free estimates year-round through our website.
Happy New Year! We look forward to helping you make it a great one for your business, your brand, and your online presence.
Tags: custom web design, custom web development, wordpress website design, wordpress website development
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