Business Article: Website Performance 101

In this blog article we focus on the core areas that need your attention to make sure your website and systems are secure and performing efficiently. All businesses need to commit to looking after their website and this post is an entry level piece for business people who are non technical and perhaps a little ignorant to the needs of website support and performance.

There are constant updates in technology. Website performance, security and how the content engages visitors are critical areas we discuss in laypersons language and at a high level below. Let’s talk the tough stuff first – protecting data and website security.

1. Website Security & Data Protection

It’s common knowledge that all websites are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Businesses large and small need to constantly work on managing the threat in what is a ‘cat and mouse’ game. The threat from cybercrime never goes away so the pursuit and prevention of penetration is never ending. Before we jump into that heady topic let’s cover website maintenance.

Website Maintenance

Do the basics well, i.e. backups and security updates of your CMS and plugins. This is one of our all time most read articles: Keep your business website safe with 9 of the best WordPress security tips! and this article is a older but what it communicates remains relevant and it’s an overall of all areas including moving to HTTPS if you still haven’t done so, plus software updates, and website design: Assuring your customers that your website is safe and secure.

BusinessBlogs Articles On Cybercrime

See these articles for some tips on how to secure your website and protect your data:

Every Business Owner Should Know About Cybercrime

Protecting Your Business From Cybercrime

4 Common Security Threats Every Business Needs To Be Aware Of

Have you heard of the acronym BYOD? It stands for Bring Your Own Device and your own staff are probably doing it already, i.e. using their own laptop, tablet and small phone to access your business systems. Does’t sound all that scary but you need a BYOD policy and be aware of threats these devices can bring to your business.

BYOD Cybersecurity For Small Business

Data Protection

With the recent GDPR and update of data protection laws in other regions it’s hard to ignore or plead ignorance to the requirements as a responsible business. Back in 2011 we published this article: 8 Principles of Data Protection & How They Affect You. They’re still relevant and the new and revised laws incorporate them. So what are you doing to protect your customer data? This is the data you’re capturing on your website and in your marketing campaigns.

Here is an article on GDPR, Data Protection and Email Opt in it’s a great read and provides tips on how to tighten up your own compliance strategy.

Don’t shy aware from capturing customer data, compliance is achievable and your website visitors will appreciate it. Your online reputation is sure to improve as visitors including your prospects and customers trust your site and visit it regularly. There will be many sites that are not as discerning so this is your chance to first comply and then push ahead with a customer engagement strategy so your website visitors share your content with their social media followers.

2. Customer Engagement – Content That Works

In the age of social media dominance content is everything. Maintaining your website includes commitment to adding unique, relevant content and this is best achieved with a business blog. We have lots of articles on how you can your business blog underway and how to populate it with the appropriate, relevant content. Even the most boring of industries have something of interest to say. 🙂

You can Build a Business Through Blogging however the starting point is understanding Blogging Etiquette.

Know you know the rights and wrongs of blogging for business here are tips on how to write content for your website.

Summary

Understanding websites, and what they need can not be expressed in one short article, so we’ve included of lots of references to other articles on BusinessBlogs that cover each specific topic in detail. There are of course other considerations for improving website performance like hosting and SEO and we will cover them in another article soon. Please take your time to read and then share your feedback in the comments section.