A practical answer for UK small businesses on how often a website needs updating, what actually needs changing, and what happens if you leave it alone.
Business owners ask this a lot: is my website supposed to be updated, and if so, how often. The honest answer depends on what kind of update you mean, because "update" covers a few different things that matter for different reasons.
This breaks down what actually needs regular attention, what can sit untouched for years without any harm, and what happens if you leave the whole thing alone.
Content updates: opening hours, services offered, prices, photos, seasonal offers. This is about staying accurate, not about search rankings.
Technical updates: the software, plugins, hosting, and security patches underneath the site. This is about staying safe and working, and it has nothing to do with how the page looks.
Confusing the two is where most businesses go wrong, assuming a site that "looks fine" does not need anything doing to it.
Opening hours over holidays, seasonal offers, and anything time-sensitive should be updated as soon as it changes, not left for a quarterly review. A website still showing last Christmas's opening hours in July looks abandoned.
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Madill Digital builds websites for local businesses across the UK, including North Yorkshire. Email hello@madilldigital.co.uk.