Short answer: less often than most owners assume. The way I think about it, technical stuff gets checked monthly, content gets a look every quarter, and a full redesign only comes around every few years. Splitting it up like that keeps it from turning into a constant chore.
Technical updates: monthly
If your site runs on something like WordPress, the plugin, theme, and core updates aren't optional. They patch security holes. I'd run them at least once a month. Skipping them is the fastest way I know to end up with a broken or hacked site. If you'd rather not deal with it, that's part of ongoing website maintenance. It's also one reason some people move off builders altogether, which I get into in JSX builders, page builders, and raw PHP.
Content updates: every quarter
You don't need to rewrite your homepage every week. But your main pages, like Home, About, and Services, deserve a quick look every few months. A few questions I'd ask:
- Are the prices still right?
- Did you add or drop any services?
- Is the team info current?
- Do you have new reviews or testimonials worth adding?
Blog posts: steady, not nonstop
If you blog, sticking to a schedule matters more than posting a lot. Once a week or once a month is fine, as long as you keep it going. If coming up with posts is the hard part, one post can turn into a bunch of pieces so you're not starting from scratch every time.
Full redesign: every 3 to 5 years
Most small business sites start looking dated or falling behind after three to five years. A redesign is a chance to match the site to where the business is now, not where it was when the site went up.
Keeping the technical side separate from the content side is what makes this manageable. And writing evergreen content means there's a lot less you have to keep touching.