WordPress has earned a reputation as a user-friendly content management system (CMS). Its ease of use makes WordPress an ideal solution for organizations of every scale–including major enterprises. In fact, WordPress powers the websites of many top-name companies and publications–including The New Yorker, The Walt Disney Company, Mercedes-Benz, and Sony Music.
As you would expect, enterprises have larger websites with sophisticated and unique requirements. Also, enterprises need robust WordPress maintenance programs to ensure site integrity and security.
If you’re an enterprise that uses WordPress, you need to understand what website maintenance services are necessary for your business. Your needs are different from smaller companies, so you need a maintenance partner with deep WordPress expertise. When looking for a WordPress service provider, you should seek out three critical areas of expertise.
#1: Support for Your Site’s Continued Evolution
Many people know some basic–but essential–WordPress maintenance tasks. These activities include performing updates to the WordPress core themes, plugins, and code as new releases arrive. Routine backups and security monitoring are other typical WordPress maintenance tasks.
However, enterprises have advanced site requirements that necessitate a higher level of monthly maintenance. Many enterprises have large websites that are in constant evolution. They need to add content and functionality to keep pace with growing businesses and industry shifts.
For this reason, your enterprises need a service provider that can consult with you on your site vision and provide expert guidance. The best enterprise WordPress maintenance packages include an assigned account manager who can stay in the loop on planned site changes. Also, look for packages with dedicated developer hours to ensure you can evolve your site when needed.
#2: Speed Optimization
As sites grow in size and complexity, speed can often suffer. Unfortunately, any slow-loading pages can drive away visitors and potentially cost you business.
How fast should web pages load? Over a decade ago, Google stated that site load times should be two seconds or less–with their corporate goal being less than a half-second. Most websites are nowhere near that speed.
A recent survey from Unbounce found the average mobile load page time was 15 seconds. And most people said they’d leave a site if it took more than three seconds to load.
Speed optimization is critical for enterprise WordPress sites–and should be part of your WordPress maintenance plan. Expert developers can review factors that can cause slowdowns–such as plugin, caching, code, or server issues. This regular review will keep your site operating efficiently and improve your user experience.
Moreover, SEO services can also be included in your WordPress maintenance plan. A faster-loading website resulting from speed optimization can improve your search engine rankings, attract more visitors to your site, and ultimately boost your business's online presence.
#3: WordPress DevOps
Traditionally, developers have handled reading and releasing software, with maintenance teams handling the software in production until the next release. Today, the size, complexity, and always-on nature of enterprise WordPress websites have made that model less viable. Instead, many companies have adopted the developer operations–or DevOps–model.
What is DevOps? Simply put, it’s an approach where development and operations converge to handle software updates as needed. This process allows continuous integration and development to ensure smooth operations and the launch of new features without downtime. With WordPress DevOps, developers, and operations teams work together to ensure that WordPress sites are up-to-date, secure, and optimized for performance.
Does your enterprise need WordPress DevOps? If your enterprise website is mission-critical, or a key source of revenue, the answer is likely yes. Also, if you make frequent changes, fixes, or updates to your site, WordPress DevOps is a necessity.
You can hand WordPress DevOps off to a trusted service provider to keep your site operating at peak performance. With DevOps, you can have peace of mind knowing that your WordPress site is in good hands and that any necessary updates or improvements will be handled quickly and efficiently.
Why You Need an Enterprise WordPress Maintenance Partner
Many factors make WordPress an appealing CMS for enterprises. Known for its ease of use, WordPress doesn’t require extensive training or technical expertise to make routine content updates. Also, WordPress’s extensive plugin library empowers companies to add functionality and customizations with little effort.
However, WordPress does not offer any form of enterprise support for its users. That’s why you need a WordPress partner to maintain and evolve your site.
As an enterprise, you need more than basic code, theme, and plugin updates. You need a partner who can provide consultation and custom web development services to help you achieve your site vision. This includes custom WordPress plugin development, which can help you create unique features and functionalities that cater to your specific business needs.
Additionally, you need experts who can improve site speed and minimize load times to keep visitors engaged. And you likely need WordPress DevOps to manage the constant flow of updates required to ensure optimal site performance.
Without question, a website is a must-have asset for every enterprise. Make sure your site stays in peak condition by relying on a trusted WordPress maintenance service partner.
Does your enterprise need WordPress maintenance? Check out our risk-free WordPress maintenance packages or contact us to discuss your unique needs. We’re here to help you keep your website operating effectively and take your business to the next level.
