Most of us choose to create our websites ourselves. Thanks to technology, creating websites doesn’t need any technical knowledge. You can achieve that simply by dragging and dropping some widgets and plugins, and you get a fully functional website. Or, at least, that’s what we think.
The fact of the matter is, while creating websites may not be difficult anymore, maintaining them is a whole different matter. Unless we have the technical expertise, which we don’t in most cases, we’ll face issues without having any idea how to fix them—much less understand why they occur in the first place. You might reach the realization that you need an experienced web manager to run your website, but if you decide to do it yourself, here’s the ultimate guide to help you through it.
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Audit Your Website
You may be complaining about specific issues, but the best way to tackle the problem is to get a detailed analysis of the current state of your website. Many of the issues that arise serve as an indication that there’s something bigger going on. So before tackling each problem individually, the wisest course of action is to audit your website and analyze everything about it.
The audit will cover everything about your website, from the code to the design and functionality. One of the best ways to perform an audit is to get an analysis of your SEO and how optimized—or not—it is. While most business owners are familiar with SEO as a tool that helps them rank better on search engine result pages, getting an SEO analysis will give you all the insight you need into the problems on your website. An SEO specialist will then explain the report to you and help you fix all the problems.
Common Problems & How to Fix Them
An SEO audit will give you a better understanding of your website, but sometimes you just want to find a quick fix for the problem you’re facing. In this case, here are the most common problems and how to fix them:
1. Website Not Loading
This is a very common problem, and often, the reason is quite simple. Your website might not be loading because you don’t have an active internet connection. If you’ve double-checked and the issue is persistent, then it might be because your server is temporarily down. Try using a VPN program and refresh the page; it will usually work.
2. Outdated Design & Content
There’s nothing that can turn your visitors away like an outdated website. After all, your competition is making sure they’re on top of the game in this digital age. If you have an outdated website in which the design and content are just too old to stay interesting, you’ll benefit from an SEO audit by a specialized SEO provider. You’ll probably need their services to update your website and get it competing again.
3. Confusing Website Structure
The same goes for a confusing website structure or a website that’s too full of clutter and ads. Having a website offering easy navigation is critical for presenting your business in the best way and get more traffic. If you can’t do it yourself, then hiring a website manager can be the smartest course of action.
4. Poor Ranking on SERPs
Your website is supposed to be one of the strongest marketing tools to increase your organic traffic, promote your business, and accelerate your sales. The best way to do that is by optimizing it for the search engines, and poor ranking means that you’re not getting the most benefits. This is another thing that a specialized SEO provider will fix for you.
5. Security Issues
Most security issues stem from problems with the SSL certificate. The most common cause is that your certificate has expired, but it can also be because your website host is down. Make sure that your certificate is up to date, and if you keep facing the same problems with your web host, then it’s time to look for other options.
Sometimes, you’ll be faced with website issues without having any idea where they came from. That’s only natural; you might not be a web expert after all. The best way to fix your website issues is to get a web manager who constantly updates and maintains your website. However, to have a clearer idea before taking any actions, you should get a website audit that uncovers the true state of your current website. Once you know what’s really wrong, you’ll be able to take the proper corrective actions.