Just like your car or home, your WordPress website needs regular maintenance to keep it performing at its best.A WordPress site is made up of several working parts —WordPress core, themes, and plugins. These all need to be checked and updated to their latest versions on a regular basis.WordPress’s offerings are fast-growing and expanding, with more features and functions being added and perfected almost daily. Relevant “housekeeping” will help ensure you keep pace and avoid any problems. Better yet, your website will be up-to-date and operating as the robust system your visitors and customers expect.Read our starter guide to find out how to keep your WordPress site in prime working condition.
WordPress maintenance — it never ends.As with any maintenance, maintaining a WordPress site is an ongoing task. Whether it’s fixing a broken link or updating a plugin, there’s always something that needs doing.Your WordPress site contains three types of software — core files, plugins, and a theme — all of which require regular updates to ensure continued compatibility and security. Site maintenance is more than just installing updates, though. You also need to make constant site improvements to ensure optimal site speed and performance.We know the process of keeping your WordPress site in first-class working condition can seem overwhelming. There are so many moving parts to keep track of, so we’ve broken it all down into bite-sized chunks to make it easier to digest and manage.
WordPress coreWordPress core files are the foundation on which your WordPress site is built. They control its basic functionality and appearance, as well as how you administer changes.Regular updates, bug fixes, and patches on the WordPress core software are released throughout the year to address security and maintenance issues and introduce exciting new features and performance upgrades. Installing these quickly ensures that your site’s foundation remains stable. Which WordPress core file updates are needed?Security releasesThe top two reasons for sites being hacked are insecure passwords and outdated (vulnerable) software. WordPress regularly releases security updates to its core to fix bugs and safeguard against any vulnerabilities detected before websites can be attacked.Software updatesWordPress developers regularly update the core software to improve how it operates. These relate to a wide range of functions, for example, improvements in the Editor, migrating from HTTP to HTTPS, or fixes to the front-end.Continuous improvementsWordPress is constantly adding new features, releasing upgrades, and improving functionality. Whether they provide better video support in Editor or adding new default themes, the list is endless.
What can go wrong with outdated themes?If you don’t update your WordPress theme, it could lead to headaches down the road. Themes updates fix bugs, improve performance, and increase security. These updates need to be installed in a timely manner to ensure your theme is performing well.If your site is using a licensed theme, it’s essential to renew the license every year so that you can continue to receive updates and support from the theme’s developer.Deleting unused themesDo you have themes you’ve installed that you’re not using? You may have installed a few when you started, even finding another that you perhaps preferred. Time to get rid of them.Here’s why you should delete unused WordPress themes:They slow down your site.You need to update the themes regularly when the theme developers provide an update. If you or the developer don’t update the theme, your site becomes vulnerable to security breaches.
Why should you update your WordPress plugins?WordPress can’t guarantee that all plugins are free of vulnerabilities. There are tens of thousands of plugins to choose from, and the more plugins you install, the more ‘at risk’ your site could become. Having the latest WordPress plugin updates installed helps prevent functionality failures, security risks, and fatal site errors.Auditing pluginsIt’s crucial to audit your plugin collection regularly to ensure all of your software remains compatible between them and your themes. You should also deactivate and delete any unused or unnecessary plugins to improve site performance.After you’ve updated your site, it’s a good idea to give it a quick test to make sure it’s functioning as expected. This will ensure that the new themes, plugins, or even WordPress itself haven’t introduced new functionality that adversely affects your site or changes how your site operates.
Offsite website backupsWe recommend backing up files independently of your hosting provider. Backing up your WordPress site on an independent server will save space on your server and will ensure optimal performance for your site.Top tips: Make backups often, so they’re up-to-date. Always backup your site before an upgrade/update. Use a server backup and restoration tool. Have external/offsite backups ready.
Free up your timeRather spend your valuable time running and growing your business, not stressing about keeping up with all the latest requirements when it comes to your WordPress website’s accessibility, SEO, security, etc.
Enjoy peace of mindKnow that none of those tedious but important maintenance tasks will be missed, and no mistakes will be made. Find comfort realizing that everything possible is being done to guard your site against any downtime or attacks.
Ensure a fine-tuned siteWordPress maintenance professionals know best how to refine your website and are on-call to make recommendations and implement improvements along the way.
Know that everything's coveredYour theme, plugins, and core software will always remain in tip-top shape. Your site speed and performance optimizations, web security, backups, and more will all be taken care of.
What do I do if a WordPress update broke my site?If you can, go back to the previous version before updating or restoring your site to the most recent backup. If you don’t have this option, you’ll need to diagnose the problem then fix it. Start with your plugins, as these are often the culprits.Can I auto-update my plugins and theme?Yes, this feature is available in WordPress version 5.5 and above. You can turn auto-updates on for individual plugins and themes directly from the WordPress admin dashboard. Why is my WordPress site super slow?The main causes for a slow WordPress website are web hosting and bad plugins. When your web hosting server isn’t properly configured, it can hurt your website speed. If you’re using a poorly coded plugin, then it can significantly slow down your website.What are the best plugins to optimize site speed? There are many ways to improve site speed with plugins. You can use: caching plugins, minifying plugins, lazy loading plugins, and some additional plugins that allow you to make various tweaks to your website. Does the number of plugins influence my site speed?Most plugins are pretty simple, but some perform complex actions that are “expensive” in terms of back-end processing and will slow a website down. In other words, you could have a quick loading website with 80 plugins, and add a single, complicated plugin and lose half a second (or more) of loading time. There is no clear answer here; it just depends on the plugins used.
What is managed WordPress hosting?It is a service where the host manages all the technical aspects of running a WordPress site. This includes security, speed, WordPress updates, daily backups, and scalability.When is managed WordPress hosting worth it?If you don’t know much about WordPress, servers, and all the other technical tasks involved in running a website, this could be for you. It’ll save you time and stress, and your site will be safer and perform better. Also, you’ll get readily available help whenever you need it.Do I need web hosting for a WordPress site?If you’re a beginner starting a blog, then no, you don’t need managed WordPress hosting. You can start with regular WordPress hosting. However, if you’re a small business or have a high-traffic website, it makes sense for you to get managed WordPress hosting. The decision really boils down to your needs. If you lack the technical skills, then average web hosting can become a hassle as your site grows.
How do I increase memory limits for my site?You can do it yourself if you have the technical know-how or contact your hosting company to do it for you. Here are the steps to follow to do it manually. What should I consider before changing my WordPress theme?First, back everything up. If you’re using a widget-enabled theme, make sure that your new theme is widget-ready; otherwise you’ll lose all of it. Also, make sure you update things like: tracking codes; RSS feeds; etc., and make the switch in maintenance mode. What are the essential WordPress plugins?Make sure you have plugins for your website that cover: SEO, site security, spam protection, firewall, contact form, Google Analytics, etc. Here is a list of the top 24 plugins for websites.
What are the most common WordPress security threats?Brute-force login attempts, DDOS attacks, Backdoors, Pharma hacks, SQL injections, Malicious redirects, Cross-site scripting attacks.Are some WordPress security updates automatic?The WordPress Security Team resolves some security threats with automated security enhancements. These enhancements update and install automatically, with no action required from the site owner or administrator.Where can I see WordPress security notifications?When a new release becomes available, a notification will appear on your site dashboard to alert you to upgrade your WordPress software.Where can I see what changes have been made to my version of WordPress?After a manual upgrade, you will be redirected to the About WordPress screen for details of changes. You will receive an email after an automatic update has been completed detailing the changes.How can I secure my WordPress site against hackers?Follow these best practices when securing your WordPress site: Use safe plugins and themes.Make use of a firewall.Monitor your site with a security plugin.Run updates regularly.Make passwords strong and change them often.Limit login attempts.Limit access and manage user permissions.