WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world. No matter what way you are using it, you need to keep WordPress updates frequent. This means both the WordPress core and any other plugins or themes need to be kept in their best shape.
Read on to see how why you need to keep your website up to date and ticking along.
Keep Your Site Secure With WordPress Updates
This is probably the main reason to keep a current version of WordPress installed on your website. Due to the fact it is one of the biggest CMS’s, WordPress is a prime candidate for all sorts of scams and hacks.
The folks at WordPress combat all of these by releasing up to date patches and updates, deterring attackers and stopping their attempts and keeping your website secure. This is why you need to keep your site up to date. Out of date website cores and plugins make your site vulnerable and weak to attacks that can be easily avoided with WordPress updates.
The efforts involved in keeping a website up to date are minimal in comparison to recovering your website after its been hacked and damaged.
WordPress Updates Bring Useful Features
With each new update that WordPress brings out, they bring along features to help you improve your website. Sometimes these can be to help you with design, technical aspects of your website or a whole host of improvements. Either which way, by not having these on your site, you are losing out in comparison to your competitors.
The same goes for plugins, which will have even more updates than the WordPress core. These updates will help with compatibility but also your experience using them. Usually offering both extra features and improved quality of life for both you and your website’s visitors.
Keeping both WordPress itself and your plugins up to date means you can enjoy the best of all worlds for your website.
Major Update Compatibility
After a major WordPress update, your plugins will need to be updated in order to guarantee they function as intended and their. Some updates may be slower to roll out than others, so check regularly. Another option is to enable auto-updates for your plugins.
WordPress Updates and Backups
When a major update comes along, it is vital that you backup your site. This can be done manually, or with some hosts/plugins they will automatically create backups of your site. It is highly recommended to backup the site for a multitude of reasons. New updates can break your website causing it to be down until you can fix the issue, which can be a very long time if you do not have the skills to fix the issue.
How To Know When To Update Your Website?
This is an easier thing to keep an eye on when managing your website. When you go on to your dashboard, you will see a few different prompts for updates. One will be in the admin bar at the top, another will be under the dashboard heading in the side menu and then, under themes and plugins there will be another prompt. These are usually shown with a red circle or with two arrows in a circle. Just give them a click, follow the steps and off you go.
You should check for updates a few times a month to ensure you are staying on top of everything. Updates let you get the most out of your website and take full advantage of all that WordPress has to offer. If you want your website kept up to date and managed, then we here at Meath Web Design can help you on your journey.
