What Should Be on a Website Update Checklist?

What should a website update checklist include?

A website update checklist should begin with the things most likely to affect customers or cause problems if they are wrong. Contact information, prices, opening hours, service details, forms and important links deserve regular attention.

A practical website update checklist could include:

• Check telephone numbers, email addresses and opening hours.
• Review prices, packages and service descriptions.
• Test contact and enquiry forms.
• Check important buttons and links.
• Review key pages on a mobile phone.
• Install appropriate software and plugin updates.
• Remove outdated notices, promotions and events.
• Check that backups and security measures are working.

The exact frequency depends on how often the business changes, but the checklist itself should remain simple enough that somebody will actually use it.

Why do contact details and prices need checking?

Contact details and prices need checking because they directly affect whether somebody can buy from or contact the business. A website update checklist should always prioritise information that can cost the business an enquiry when it becomes inaccurate.

Old telephone numbers, outdated prices and discontinued services can create confusion very quickly. Businesses sometimes update information on social media or Google Business Profile but forget that the website still shows the previous details.

Review the pages customers visit most often first. The homepage, service pages and contact page usually deserve more attention than an old article that receives very little traffic.

How often should website forms be tested?

Website forms should be tested regularly because a form can appear perfectly normal while messages fail to reach the business. Adding a simple form test to a website update checklist can catch this before several enquiries are missed.

Submit the form exactly as a customer would and confirm that the message arrives at the intended email address. Check any automated confirmation message as well.

If the website contains booking, payment or registration features, test the most important customer journeys periodically rather than assuming they still work because the pages load.

Do website software updates really matter?

Yes, website software updates matter because supported software is regularly changed to fix bugs, security problems and compatibility issues. A website update checklist should therefore include WordPress core, themes and plugins when the website uses WordPress.

The National Cyber Security Centre advises organisations to keep software up to date and explains that unsupported or outdated software can increase security risk. Its small organisations cyber security guidance provides practical advice on maintaining supported software and devices.

Updates should still be handled sensibly. Backups and compatibility checks are valuable because occasionally one update can affect another component of the site.

Should old website content always be deleted?

No, old website content should only be removed when it is no longer useful, accurate or relevant. A good website update checklist should help you improve useful content rather than deleting material simply because it is old.

Google advises website owners to focus on helpful, people-first content rather than adding or removing pages simply to make a site appear fresh. An older article that still answers a real question may remain valuable after a small update.

Update statistics, dates, prices and recommendations when they change. Remove pages that genuinely have no continuing purpose, but do not create unnecessary work simply to change a publication date.

What if you do not have time to maintain the website?

If you do not have time to work through your website update checklist yourself, occasional professional support can handle the tasks that require more time or technical confidence.

JigiWeb provides website maintenance services and ad hoc website support for WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, GoDaddy, IONOS and other popular platforms. Support can cover content changes, forms, images, links, plugin updates and common website fixes without requiring a long-term contract.

Use your website update checklist to identify what needs attention first, then deal with simple changes yourself or request help with anything you would rather not tackle alone.