eCommerce maintenance checklist: Keep your online store running smoothly

Running an online store is a lot like owning a physical shop — you can’t just set it up and leave it unattended. Regular maintenance is essential to ensure everything runs smoothly, your customers enjoy a seamless experience and your sales keep growing.

Neglecting upkeep can lead to broken features, security vulnerabilities and frustrated shoppers who may take their business elsewhere.

To help you stay on top of things, here’s an eCommerce maintenance checklist that will keep your online store in top shape.

Update your software, plugins and themes

Your eCommerce platform (whether it’s Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, or Joomla with extensions) is regularly updated to fix bugs, improve performance and patch security holes. Running outdated software leaves your store vulnerable to hackers.

• Check for platform updates weekly.
• Update plugins, extensions and themes.
• Test updates on a staging site before applying them to your live store.

Monitor website performance and speed

Slow websites drive customers away — in fact, even a one-second delay can hurt conversions.

• Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
• Optimise images and use a content delivery network (CDN).
• Review hosting performance and upgrade if necessary.

Backup your website regularly

Imagine waking up to find your site hacked or accidentally broken after an update. Without backups, recovery can be stressful (and expensive).

• Schedule daily or weekly automated backups.
• Store backups securely off-site (eg. cloud storage).
• Test backups occasionally to ensure they work.

Test checkout and payment gateways

A broken checkout process means lost revenue.

• Run a test order at least once a month.
• Confirm that payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, Afterpay, etc.) are working.
• Check that shipping options and tax calculations display correctly.

Review product pages and inventory

Out-of-date product information or broken links frustrate customers.

• Check that product descriptions, prices and images are accurate.
• Remove discontinued items or clearly mark them as out of stock.
• Audit your inventory levels to avoid overselling.

Keep security tight

Security is critical for an eCommerce website, where customer data and transactions are at risk.

• Ensure your SSL certificate is active and valid.
• Install and update security plugins or firewalls.
• Use strong admin passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
• Regularly scan for malware or suspicious activity.

Test forms and contact channels

If customers can’t reach you, they’ll lose trust in your business.

• Test contact forms, newsletter signups and chatbots.
• Check that emails from forms are being delivered correctly.
• Review customer support response times.

Review analytics and conversion data

Your analytics tell you how your store is performing and where improvements are needed.

• Monitor traffic sources and conversion rates.
• Track abandoned cart rates.
• Identify top-selling products and underperforming ones.

Refresh content and SEO

Search engines love fresh, relevant content — and so do customers.

• Update product descriptions with trending keywords.
• Add new blog posts or buying guides.
• Review metadata (titles, alt text and meta descriptions).
• Fix broken links and redirects.

Test mobile responsiveness

Most shoppers now browse and buy on mobile.

• Test your store on different devices and screen sizes.
• Ensure menus, buttons and checkout fields are mobile-friendly.
• Keep load times short on mobile connections.

Review policies and compliance

As your business evolves, your policies need to stay relevant and legally compliant.

• Check your shipping, returns and privacy policies.
• Ensure compliance with GDPR, Australian Privacy Laws, or other regional regulations.
• Update terms and conditions as necessary.

Maintaining your eCommerce store doesn’t need to be overwhelming. By following this maintenance checklist, you’ll minimise downtime, strengthen security and create a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back.

Think of it as regular “health checks” for your online store — a little time invested now can save a lot of stress (and lost sales) later.

If you’d like help keeping your online store performing at its best, our team specialises in eCommerce website design and ongoing support.

Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you maintain and grow your online business.