A website is never "done." Hours change, you add a service, an associate joins, holiday closures come up. A site that's quietly out of date — wrong hours, a dentist who left two years ago — erodes trust and can frustrate patients at the worst moment. The trouble is that updating it usually becomes a chore nobody has time for. Here's how to keep it current without that.
What actually needs updating (and how often)
- Hours — immediately when they change, and before every holiday. The most important and most-neglected.
- Services — when you add or stop offering something.
- Team — when someone joins or leaves (an ex-associate's bio is a bad look).
- Photos — refresh occasionally so it doesn't feel frozen in time.
- Insurance/payment info — when it changes.
Why it matters more than it seems
Wrong hours send a patient to a closed door — and often to a one-star review. A stale team page or old copyright year signals "neglected." Google also subtly favours sites that show signs of being maintained. Small staleness, real cost.
Three ways to keep it current
- DIY on a builder — possible if you'll actually do it, and remember how. Most don't.
- Pay an agency per change — reliable but slow and pricey, so small updates get skipped.
- Done-for-you with unlimited changes — you email the change in plain English and someone makes it. The updates actually happen because there's no friction or per-edit cost.
The honest test
Be realistic about whether you will keep it current. If the answer is "probably not," the model that removes the friction (someone makes the change for you, included) is worth more than it looks — because an unmaintained site is the expensive outcome.
FAQ
How often should I update my website? Hours and team immediately when they change; photos and content a few times a year. Accuracy matters more than frequency.
Does updating help SEO? Mildly — but accuracy and trust are the real reasons. Don't change things just to change them.
Hate fiddling with it? We keep your site current for you — just email the change. See a free redesign with that built in — start here.