How often should you perform a website health check?

Your website works 24/7 to attract, inform and convert customers. But like any well-oiled machine, your website needs regular maintenance to function at its best. That’s where a website health check comes in.

Just as you’d regularly service your car or visit the doctor for a check-up, your website also needs periodic reviews to ensure it’s performing optimally, securely and in line with your business goals. But the question remains: how often should you perform a website health check?

In this article, we’ll explore what a website health check is, why it’s important, what should be included and how often you should do it to keep your online presence running smoothly.

What is a website health check?

A website health check is a comprehensive review of your website to identify issues, inefficiencies or areas for improvement. This can include technical performance, security vulnerabilities, search engine optimisation (SEO), content quality, mobile responsiveness and more.

Think of it as a diagnostic process to detect small problems before they grow into big, expensive ones.

Why website health checks matter

Many business owners launch their website and forget about it. But a “set and forget” approach can result in:

• Broken links and outdated content
• Slow loading times
• Security vulnerabilities
• Poor SEO performance
• Decreased conversions
• Loss of trust with customers

Regular health checks help you maintain a strong user experience, stay competitive in search engines and avoid potential downtime or penalties.

What should a website health check include?

A proper website checkup should be thorough. Here are the main areas you should review:

Performance & speed

• Page loading times
• Server response time
• Optimisation of images and scripts
• Mobile performance

Security

• SSL certificate status
• Plugin/theme vulnerabilities (especially with CMS platforms like WordPress or Joomla)
• Malware scanning
• Backups and restore processes

SEO health

• Meta titles and descriptions
• Broken links
• Sitemap and robots.txt
• Keyword usage and page indexing
• Duplicate content

User experience (UX)

• Navigation clarity
• Mobile responsiveness
• CTA (call-to-action) visibility
• Accessibility (eg. alt tags, contrast ratios)

Content relevance

• Is the content still accurate and up-to-date?
• Are blog posts or case studies being added?
• Are contact details and service offerings current?

Analytics & tracking

• Is Google Analytics properly installed and functioning?
• Are key conversion goals being tracked?
• Is your website connected to tools like Google Search Console?

How often should you perform a website health check?

The answer depends on the size and purpose of your website, how frequently you update it, and the type of platform you’re using. Here’s a breakdown by task frequency:

Weekly checks (quick wins)

These are lightweight tasks that help prevent obvious errors from slipping through the cracks:

• Test contact forms and enquiry submissions
• Check for broken links using tools like Broken Link Checker
• Review page load speed with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix
• Review your CMS dashboard for pending updates or plugin alerts
• Ensure backups are running and up to date

Best for: Active websites, blogs or ecommerce platforms.

Monthly checks (performance & security)

Each month, take a closer look at deeper performance and security metrics:

• Update plugins, themes and CMS core (eg. WordPress or Joomla)
• Run a malware scan and security audit
• Analyse website traffic and bounce rates
• Monitor uptime with a tool like UptimeRobot
• Review keyword rankings and organic traffic
• Review conversion rates and sales funnel metrics

Best for: Most small business websites.

Quarterly checks (strategic assessment)

Every 3 months, step back and assess the website’s broader strategy and alignment with your goals:

• Evaluate if your design and content still reflect your brand
• Audit your SEO strategy (technical and content-driven)
• Review competitors’ websites for inspiration or trends
• Check site navigation for ease of use
• Look for opportunities to add new case studies, blog posts or testimonials
• Review ADA and accessibility compliance

Best for: All businesses – especially those using their website to generate leads or sales.

Annual checks (deep dive review)

A yearly deep dive helps keep your website modern and aligned with your business growth:

• Perform a full UX and design review (is it outdated?)
• Assess whether the website meets your current business goals
• Consider a website refresh or full redesign if the site is more than 3–5 years old
• Revisit your SEO strategy and keyword targets
• Clean out outdated pages or posts
• Audit your security infrastructure

Best for: Businesses with established websites or evolving service offerings.

A suggested website health check schedule

What tools can help with website health checks?

You don’t have to do everything manually. Here are some helpful tools:

• Google Analytics – For traffic insights and goal tracking
• Google Search Console – For crawl errors and keyword performance
• Ahrefs / SEMrush / Moz – SEO analysis and competitor benchmarking
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider – For in-depth technical SEO audits
• GTmetrix / Google PageSpeed Insights – Page speed optimisation
• UptimeRobot – Monitors website uptime and alerts
• Wordfence / Sucuri – Security plugins for CMS platforms
• Broken Link Checker – Quickly identify dead links

Should you do it yourself or hire a pro?

For small websites, a business owner with some tech skills may handle basic checks themselves. But for anything more advanced — especially technical SEO, security hardening or UX optimisation — it’s worth hiring a professional.

A web design or digital agency can provide monthly maintenance packages or quarterly audits that go far beyond surface-level analysis. These checks can also be paired with digital marketing campaigns or SEO services to maximise ROI.

Signs your website needs a health check now

Even if you haven’t set up a routine, here are red flags that it’s time for a website check-up:

• Your site is loading slowly or timing out
• You’re seeing a drop in search traffic or rankings
• You haven’t updated your CMS/plugins in over a month
• Forms are not being submitted or emails are being missed
• Customers are complaining they can’t find information
• You’ve recently been hacked or had a malware alert
• You haven’t reviewed your website in over a year

Your website is one of your most valuable business assets. Regular website health checks are essential to ensure that it’s fast, secure, user-friendly and aligned with your business goals.

In summary:

• Do weekly checks for performance and functionality
• Do monthly checks for security and analytics
• Do quarterly checks for strategy and UX
• Do annual reviews for bigger picture improvements

Whether you're a small business owner managing your own site or working with a web design agency, creating a website health schedule is a smart investment in your digital future.

Need help with a website health check?

As a professional web design company, we offer tailored health check services to keep your site running at peak performance.

Contact us today to book your free consultation.