We’ve all been there before: One minute, you’re busy browsing when suddenly, that annoying popup interrupts you with an alert that your software needs to be updated. If you’re like most users, you’ll likely click the ignore button and go back to what you were doing. Sure, from a user perspective, it seems like these updates often come at the most inopportune times, but software updates are critical and shouldn’t be ignored. Not only do they ensure you have the most up-to-date software features, but they often contain vital bug fixes and vulnerability patches that can help keep your information safe.
Let’s pivot from the user perspective to the business side of things. Think of your website as your digital business card. Your marketing team devotes a lot of time trying to drive traffic to your site. Doesn’t it only make sense, then, that you’d want those visitors’ information to be secure while browsing? That’s where software updates come into play.
Why Should You Regularly Update Your Website’s Software?
Keeping up with regular updates is not only beneficial, it’s essential. For starters, technology changes at a rapid-fire pace, meaning if you fall behind in the update game, your website will quickly become outdated. Software companies are always reviewing and updating their products, which are often a combination of better usability and improved security measures.
We’ve all heard about the big data breaches that have impaired even world-renowned companies. Businesses of all sizes should pay attention to the importance of software updates, especially for security. You don’t want to be known as the brand responsible for leaking their shopper’s private information due to negligence – this could seriously compromise your customers and tarnish your reputation.
You house important customer data within your systems – from personal information to credit card numbers. The last thing you want is for a lack of software updates to be why private customer information is leaked to hackers and thieves. Every software is vulnerable to malicious attacks, so you must stay on top of it and update your software on a regular basis to ensure your site is as secure as possible.
Are There Other Benefits of Software Updates?
As developers work on fixing bugs and tightening up the security of their software, they’re also looking for ways to enhance user experiences. When you update regularly, you’ll have access to the latest and greatest site functionality and new features.
These benefits can include:
- Better interfaces
- Helpful capabilities and features for your customers
- Improved user-friendliness
- Better site performance
- Improved search engine optimization (SEO)
Competitive Advantages of Software Updates
Failing to update your software regularly could actually be hurting your site performance and SEO rankings. If you’re not updating software on a regular basis, your site is much more vulnerable to being passed over by competitors who are, indeed, taking that step.
Google’s algorithms change constantly, and when they do, they’re looking for sites that are keeping up with these changes. When websites fall out of date with the search engines’ expectations and requirements, those sites also lose out on rankings. What worked for you yesterday may not work for you tomorrow if you’re not performing regular software updates; this can harm your SEO ranking, resulting in competitors ranking higher than yours on the search engine results pages (SERPs).
This is true for site performance, as well. The better your site performs, the more likely you are to rank better. With ongoing updates, your site will be more useful to your customers, run faster, and uphold your brand’s reputation as a trusted vendor for the products and services you offer.
How Do You Ensure Your Website’s Software is Up to Date?
All websites do require a bit of maintenance to keep them secure and performing well. To streamline your site’s software updates, work with a trusted agency like Zero Gravity Marketing. Our team will ensure your site stays updated with the latest security and functional features. We offer a full suite of website services, and our team of developers works alongside our SEO experts to ensure you’re getting the most out of your digital real estate.
To learn more about our digital marketing services, contact our team.
