EPISODE SUMMARY

Website Maintenance Made Fun:
Your Squarespace TLC Checklist (Do This Every 6 Months!)

We all know the feeling: that neglected houseplant in the corner, leaves drooping, soil dry as a bone. Websites can fall victim to the same neglect! Just like your favorite greenery, your Squarespace site needs a little TLC every now and then to stay happy, healthy, and performing at its best. The good news? Website maintenance doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, with the right approach, it can be a breeze!

Think of website maintenance as a chance to show your website some love. It's about ensuring a smooth experience for visitors, keeping your content fresh and engaging, and staying on top of SEO best practices. Ready to give your Squarespace site a spa day? Let's dive into a handy checklist you can use every 6 months to keep your website thriving!

First up: Forms

The forms on your website are the bridge between you and your audience. Whether you're collecting email sign-ups, processing orders, or hosting a fun quiz, you want them to work flawlessly. Here's the secret weapon: testing! Fill out your forms with different information, pretending to be a new customer or a first-time email subscriber. This way, you can catch any glitches before your real visitors encounter them. Don't forget the power of a personalized "thank you" message after someone submits a form! It shows appreciation and gives you a chance to offer a special discount or exclusive content.

Next: Broken Link Review

Ever click a link with excitement, only to be met with a frustrating error message? Broken links are the buzzkills of the internet, and they can seriously hurt your website's reputation. The good news is that hunting them down doesn't have to be a nightmare. There are tons of free tools available online that can scan your entire website in a flash, revealing any hidden link monsters lurking in the shadows. Once you have your trusty link-checking tool in hand, unleash it on your website! Fixing a broken link is usually as simple as replacing it with the correct URL, or removing it entirely if the original page no longer exists. By taking a few minutes to banish those broken links, you'll keep your website running smoothly and ensure a frustration-free experience for your visitors.

Create Current Content

The internet is a fast-paced world, and your website content needs to keep up! Think about it: would you rather read a dusty old newspaper from the year 2000, or a fresh, informative website packed with the latest news and updates? Exactly! Here's why keeping your website content fresh is a website maintenance superpower:

• Search engines love fresh, relevant content! Regularly updating your website with new blog posts, product descriptions, or service offerings helps you climb the SEO rankings.

• Fresh content keeps your audience engaged. People crave new information and experiences.

By regularly updating your content, you give visitors a reason to keep coming back for more.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

Listen to the full episode of ThinkInsideTheSquare above!

This is just a taste of the website maintenance tips and tricks that I cover in in episode 45 of Think Inside the Square! We'll explore additional checklist items like website analytics, mobile testing, and keeping your social media share images up-to-date. Listen to the full episode here on this page, or find ThinkInsideTheSquare wherever you happen to listen to podcasts.