You and your team are constantly busy. You have to ensure your marketing business is continuously operating to keep getting new customers and client happiness.
At the same time, you must make sure your website runs smoothly. That way, there are no roadblocks for your users or a security risk for your business. The best way to guarantee smooth operation for your marketing business is to schedule regular tech maintenance.
Here’s more on why that should matter to your business.
1. Reduces Downtime From Cyber Attacks
A regular tech maintenance plan is highly important for keeping your systems updated. Doing so will prevent cyber attacks, which can cause serious issues for your marketing business.
When businesses don’t regularly update their computer systems, chances are higher for a cyber attack to hit your business. The longer you go without properly maintaining your devices, the more likely hackers will find a way to steal your data.
Stolen data is a nightmare scenario for any business owner — and there are various ways cybercriminals can get into an organization’s computer systems. For example, they can trick employees into downloading “free antivirus software” through a fake website and hack their way into your network.
Most people assume this won’t happen to their business, but it often occurs, according to the chart below.
This survey shows that 44.6% of IT professionals claimed one to five successful cyberattacks against their company within the past year.
That’s why taking precautions is important because there’s always a chance for one to occur.
2. It’s an Investment In the Future of Your Business
Almost every business owner knows that technology is constantly changing. People are developing new software, hardware and platforms daily — and keeping up with these changes can be much easier if you have a dedicated tech team.
They can perform regular maintenance to ensure your company stays current with new tech. That way, it continues to make an impact on customers’ lives.
It also means your business stays ahead of the competition. That’s because your business will run smoother than those who don’t maintain their systems as well.
3. Helps You Stay Compliant With Regulations
Regular tech maintenance is especially critical for marketing businesses. Because you collect personal data, you must comply with regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
The GDPR requires companies to do more than inform users about how they collect and use their data. Companies must also receive consent from users before collecting it at all.
If your company were to break compliance with a data breach, you could receive a hefty fine, a price most businesses can’t afford to pay.
4. It Helps Users Get Where They Need to Go Faster
Slow loading times can make for a poor experience for users. It can be frustrating for website visitors trying to reach their end goal. And if the content doesn’t load quickly enough, users will leave the site and may never come back.
Marketers know how unfortunate it is to lose website visitors, which contributes to lower Google rankings and conversion rates. In fact, slow loading times are the top reason consumers leave a website.
Source: https://www.marketingcharts.com/customer-centric/customer-experience-226234
One survey shows that 57% of site users will leave in the middle of a digital transaction or task if the page takes too long to load.
Additionally, your search engine rankings decrease if Google finds your website slow — meaning less traffic overall.
That’s why regular tech maintenance is important. Clearing old code and optimizing content can ensure your site runs smoother and quicker than ever.
5. Early Detection of Issues
Early detection of issues is key to ensuring your business is operating smoothly. When you regularly monitor your services’ technology, you’ll catch problems and fix them before they grow bigger and cause damage.
For example, a software issue might prevent you from sending emails for a few hours. And if that same problem were to occur during a busy time, this could cost you thousands in lost revenue.
Early detection could prevent something like that from happening in the future and avoid any further losses.
6. Maximizes Software Efficiency
A regular software routine can also maximize the efficiency of your software, ensuring it runs smoothly. Software efficiency leads to improved performance, faster load times, less downtime and better security.
For instance, suppose you’re using a cloud-based marketing platform like Marketo or Hubspot Sales Cloud. Regular software maintenance is particularly important for maintaining security for all users.
Therefore, whenever your software notifies you of a new update — ensure you install it to prevent data breaches.
7. Prevents Data Loss
Data loss is an issue that can be costly and dangerous for any business. It’s one that you can prevent by taking care of your tech equipment properly.
For example, if you’re using a computer — you must use software that backs up your data on a daily basis. Otherwise, cybercriminals can use harmful tactics that cause your device to crash, preventing you from getting your files back.
As a result, you can experience several losses in your business — from future work opportunities with potential clients to the financial costs of replacing damaged equipment and other factors.
The graph below shows how costly a cyber attack can be for companies.
Research shows that 24% of firms reported losing $50,000 to $99,999 in 2022. A financial loss like this can be hard to come back from in business.
8. Helps You Document IT Issues
Routine maintenance is a must for documenting any IT issues. During the process, you benefit from various aspects of documentation, including the following:
- When you identify an issue, you can keep track of the problem, find the root cause and prevent future problems.
- Ensures you resolve problems more quickly. That way, if a similar issue occurs, you can quickly jump back into solving it rather than waste time going over it again.
- Documenting changes as they occur means you will have them recorded for posterity. This protects you or other personnel from repeating the same mistakes down the line.
9. Helps You Stay Focused On the Important Things
Regular maintenance is a key part of running a business. It may not be a glamorous task. But it helps you stay focused on the things that matter most in your marketing business.
These days, it’s easy to get distracted with tasks that need attention, no matter how great the tool or app performs. An issue can occur and prevent your team from their regular work done.
That’s why upkeep is crucial. It helps your team stay on task, so they keep delivering amazing results for your business.
Tech Maintenance Tips For Marketing Businesses
To ensure your networks, systems and hardware are in their best condition, consider implementing these top maintenance tips.
- Hire IT support: You may not be comfortable performing routine system maintenance. Yet, you can free up your schedule by outsourcing IT support to a team that’s available 24/7.
- Perform routine network assessments: Before creating an effective maintenance plan, you must evaluate the state of your infrastructure to help you decide which areas to focus on.
- Conduct employee training: Train and encourage your team to take care of your business’s devices. That way, it keeps your equipment from breaking down in the first place.
Keep Your Business’s IT Systems in Tip-Top Shape
It’s important to invest in a regular maintenance schedule for your IT. The benefits of it are numerous and help your company in various ways. From saving money on downtime and cyber attacks to staying compliant and maximizing efficiency — there’s no denying that regular tech maintenance is worth it.
About the Author: Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philadelphia with her husband and pup, Bear.