Having a website is a lot like dating someone new. You start out really excited because it looks beautiful and you get lots of compliments when you introduce it to people. But if you don’t spend some time getting to know it properly, you learn too late that it just sits around the house playing Xbox all day and doesn’t contribute to the rent.
To help you avoid relationship drama with your business website I’ve put together a list of important things to know:
How to log in
You should know the login URL, along with your username and password.
I recommend 1Password for keeping all your logins secure and accessible when you need them.
How to update your website content
Knowing the basics of how your website works means you can easily update prices, swap out images, or update text in your website if you need something done in a hurry.
If you have a Care Plan with Bloom Online you will have access to a set of basic WordPress video tutorials via the Knowledgebase link in your website dashboard.
WP101 offer a fantastic online course to help you learn the basics of WordPress. And if you need more personalised training, I offer WordPress website training for you or your team, so you can feel more confident managing your website content.
Technical Details
There are a lot of moving parts that go into keeping your website online. While you don’t have to be intimately acquainted with them all – it is important that you know what they are should the need ever arise.
Hosting
Your hosting provider name and login or contact information
Domain
Your domain register name and login information
Email
Your email provider name and login or contact information
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Your CDN provider name and login or contact information
Website Platform
The platform your website is built on (eg WordPress, Webflow or Squarespace)
Website Theme
If your website was built with a commercial theme or framework, you should keep a record of the theme or framework name and a link to the URL where you can download it. If you purchased the theme, you should also make sure you have a link to your account with the developer, and know how to find your licence key.
Premium (Paid) Plugins
Make a list of any premium plugins that are used on your site, along with the link to the plugin website, and your account login.
Responsibilities
Its also handy to keep a list of who is responsible for keeping your website up and running – and how to contact them.
Software Updates
The person responsible for keeping plugins & software up to date to minimise security risks and ensure stability
Website Security
The person responsible for addressing any security issues (including SSL certificate, malware, and hacks)
Technical Support
The person responsible for answering questions related to technical support for your website
Backups
The person responsible for scheduling and storing backups of your site
Billing
The person responsible for paying invoices for hosting, domain registration, support, software licences etc
Performance
To measure your website’s contribution to your revenue and marketing goals you need to be able to access your website analytics data.
For most people this will be Google Analytics & Webmaster Tools. You can access these tools from the same Google Account you use for your Google My Business listing or your business gmail account.
If you need helping gathering all this information together, get in touch and I’ll help you create an Owners Manual for your website.
Image by Olya Adamovich from Pixabay
