WordPress is extremely popular these days, powering over 40% of websites! The core software plugins and themes need to be kept up to date however, for some really important reasons. We go through some of the key ones here.
Security
However this makes it a tempting target for hackers. Keeping your WordPress core, themes and plugins up to date makes it harder for them to break in. Unauthorised access to your website control panel or it sending out spam emails could be disastrous for your business.
“Patchstack estimates that 99.31% of all security bugs from 2021 were in components – WordPress plugins and themes.”
https://patchstack.com/whitepaper/the-state-of- wordpress-security-in-2021/
Speed
Speed is important to maintain search engine results – vital if you rely on search engine traffic to attract new clients or customers. A fast site also keeps visitors happy and people will leave in droves if your website takes too long to load.
Functionality
New features are introduced to WordPress regularly that can make your site faster and easier to use. Whether it’s a new text editor, support for better image formats or new privacy tools, these new features are often vital to running a modern website.
So how often to update?
We recommend updates are done monthly, but quarterly is better than nothing if you’re on a budget! I do all my own sites weekly to be on the safe side.
What’s Included?
Our WordPress maintenance service includes all the key things to keep your site safe, secure and speedy;
- Full backup of site files & database
- WordPress core updates
- Plugin updates & updates to free themes
- Notification of any abandoned plugins that could be a security risk
- Minor fixes to your theme (if we created it)
- PHP updates (subject to your hosting supporting required versions)
- Testing of contact form and checkout
- Check of the ‘site health’ tool
- Advice on anything else needing attention like any quick speed wins
Get in touch
If you’re interested in a quote for us to maintain your WordPress/WooCommerce website or have any questions, please drop us a line and we’ll be glad to help.