When you have a WordPress site as the owner or manager, its maintenance may not look like a big deal to you but it is among the greatest activities that you can engage in to secure and even develop your site. Since WordPress updates not only add jam-packed features but also solve bugs and enhance the performance, much important is whether it addresses the security holes.
This current blog post will cover the importance of maintaining an up to date WordPress installation as well as covering the various different types of updates, and how to handle them safely with zero chance of breaking your site.
Why WordPress Needs to be Updated
1. Security Enhancements
Security is the best reason to upgrade WordPress. WordPress is the most used content management system (CMS) in the entire world and thereby it is a common target of the hackers. Whenever vulnerabilities are found in security, updates are released by the WordPress core team so as to mitigate them.
In case you fail to upgrade your WordPress, plugins, or the themes used, your site might still be exposed to the existing threats. Hackers usually check on old installations to inflict on.
2. Stability and Bug Fixes
All the WordPress versions are packaged with bug fixes. The bugs may not be essential at all but they may still change how your site appears in the way that the plugins work. Such problems may result in the layouts breakage, outage of the function, or even outage.
Since WordPress and plugins have updates, by updating these, the site will operate according to expectations and existing issues will be fixed.
3. Improved Performance
Speed and performance of ware site is an important usability factor and also in search rankings. The performance of sites is usually improved as new updates in WordPress are found. A newer version of WordPress site usually uses less server resources, and or may give the visitor a smoother experience.
4. New Function- New Features
Every new release of WordPress contains some new features and advancements of the given platform. To cite an example, with the release of the concepts like the Gutenberg block editor, full site editing, and new customization tools, the user experience of designing websites has been vastly enhanced.
By keeping up, you can be current with the greatest features, and the finest that WordPress has to give you, no matter what you do; be it putting up a blog, an eCommerce store, or a business establishment.
5. Plug In and Theme Compatibility
Most of the WordPress plugins and themes are designed to work with the present version of WordPress. Unless you update your core WordPress installation, it can become incompatible with newer versions of the themes and plugins, not to mention the fact that you can find yourself struggling to maintain the functionality or experience some errors in your site.
Conversely, on the other side, when you update the WordPress, and update the plugin, you may find conflicts. Maintaining all of this synchronised minimises compatibility problems.
What in WordPress should be updated?
By WordPress keeping up to date we are not referring to the word press core only. You should keep up the following elements:
1. WordPress Core
-The primary software which operates your site.
-These updates can be security patches, enhancement of performance and features.
2. Themes
-Graphic and layout files.
-Thematic updates contain bug fixes, enhanced compatibility and occasionally design enhancements.
3. Plugins
-Functionality extending add-ons (e.g. SEO tools, forms, backup).
-Security patches and including features in the plugin are not an uncommon thing.
How to Safely Update WordPress
WordPress is simple to update, though there are some precautions you ought to make so that everything will proceed smoothly.
Step 1: Backup of Website
It is always necessary to backup your site fully ( files and database ) before you make any updates. This is so that in case of anything; you are able to reinstate your site very fast.
The backup plugins can include:
-UpdraftPlus
-BackupBuddy
-Jetpack Backup
Step 2: The Right Sequence of Updates
To be safe and compatible:
1. The first ones to update are the plugins
2. Then themes
3. And as a last measure, upgrade WordPress core
This assists in eliminating the possibility of bugs or a malfunctioning code.
Step 3: Make a Test After the Update
After the updates have been done:
-Go to your site and perform some important page checks
-Payment forms or test forms, checkout process (if it is an eCommerce site) or log in/log out
-Admin dashboard errors Check
When everything appears fine, you are good to go. In the event of something happening, revert to your backup.
Is it possible to automate WordPress?
Yes, WordPress is automatically updatable when it comes to minor core updates (such as 6.1.1 to 6.1.2), as well as theme and plugin auto-updates as well, within a lengthier auto-update option. This is however risky and particularly in case you have a complicated site.
To have a greater control:
-Install an all-in-one WordPress management plugin such as manageWP or MainWP.
-Or use manual updates in case you can check on your site frequently.
What goes wrong if you do not update?
The non-update of WordPress may result in:
-Site getting hacked or malware infected
-Defective functions and user usability
-Conflicts of Plugins or Theme
-Search engine penalties (there is a chance that your site is either slow or insecure)
-Customer lack of trust
In summary, security updates prompted by lack of attention would pose more risk and decrease the value of your site in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a WordPress site is not only about using the newest features, because making it secure, fast, stale, and future-proof is what matters. Being a common blogger or entrepreneur the updates are quite necessary to secure your investment and preserve your viewers.
Get in the habit of making it your weekly practice to check updates at least once monthly. Install auto backups and you seriously need to dismiss those WordPress update messages.
Regularly updating WordPress core, plugins and themes will lower the chances of attacks, make your SEO better and provide better experience to your visitors.