WordPress powers nearly 40% of all websites in the world. The content management system (CMS) makes running a website fast and easy. But when a CMS powers more websites in the world than any other platform, it also becomes a target of hackers. Small business owners don’t have the time or resources to spend on adequate WordPress website management and maintenance. Regular website maintenance and care can help you keep your business up and running without worrying about malware being installed and downloaded by your users, defacing, data breaches or other attacks.
Site owners should take a proactive approach to their WordPress site’s care and maintenance by:
Updating the CMS and Plugins
WordPress needs to have its core regularly updated along with any plugins that you have installed. Some updates are more important than others, but you’ll want to make sure that updates that fix security issues are made rapidly. Due to the widespread usage of WordPress, it’s important to update your CMS when prompted to stop any potential hackers from using known exploits to hack your website. Plugins are also potential security risks and can allow unwanted access to your site and server. Routine updates are required for the proper care and maintenance of your website. If you skip out on these updates, you risk your site’s security in the process.
Performing Regular Backups
A key part of every WordPress website maintenance plan should be backing up the site regularly. The site may need to be backed up when a new update is pushed, or if changes to the database occur. Backups can help you quickly get your site back online if errors do occur.
You should be backing up your site’s:
- Database
- Files
Regular backups help you go back to a previous state of your site that didn’t have errors or wasn’t hacked if a hack did occur.
Fixing Any Errors
Plugins, updates and themes can all cause errors on your site. Some errors are small and may only impact certain pages of the site while others can cause your entire site or admin panel to go down.
It’s imperative that your site’s errors be corrected rapidly to maintain:
- High level of security
- Usability
- Consistency across all pages
Many errors are caused by not updating themes leading to some functions or features not working properly with new versions of WordPress.
Updating Themes Regularly
Themes help your business differentiate itself from the crowd. When you purchase a theme, or have one created, it’s essential that the theme be updated regularly. Updates can fix bugs that cause the site to run slow, load improperly or function incorrectly. When theme updates are applied, it’s important to check the site to make sure that it’s running as expected.
Secure the Platform Against Hackers and Malware
Small business owners are a potential target for hackers and malware because you have a lot to lose. Data breaches can steal the identity of your customers or can be used to tarnish your business’ reputation. Malware can also be installed on the server and be sent to you customers.
Routine care and maintenance of your WordPress site means:
- Ensuring file and folder permissions are correct
- Updating your CMS core and plugins
- Installing potential security plugins
- Enable two-factor authentication
- Changing passwords periodically
- Install SSL certificates
- Monitor changes to files
- More
WordPress is easy to use and the world’s most popular content management systems. While the platform is secure, staying ahead of hackers takes diligence. As a small business, working with a dedicated team to handle WordPress website maintenance, frees up your time to spend on more important business tasks.
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