What’s included in a Website Support Plan?
Keeping your website running smoothly can feel like just another thing on your never-ending to-do list — but it doesn’t have to be. Our WordPress website support plans are designed…
We’ve all been there: you’ve just had a beautiful new WordPress site built and a few months later an email pops up in your inbox about the next updates. That was fast! But I promise WordPress isn’t just trying to annoy you, it really is trying to keep your website as secure and optimised as possible. And the best part is that keeping your site updated is actually super simple.
Do I really need to update my WordPress site already? Yes! If you want to have a secure, efficient and bug-free website, then it’s vital to keep on top of all the regular and necessary updates the WordPress developer’s throw at you. If you don’t, your website (and business) will suffer!
If you still can’t bring yourself to hit that update button, or if you’re not sure what you’re actually supposed to be updating in the first place (looking at you, plugins), I can help.
In this blog I’ll break down the facts around WordPress updates; from why you need to do it, to whether it’s worth trying to update your site yourself.
There are countless reasons to update your WordPress site: from security to functionality and, of course, not forgetting those pesky bugs.
But I get it: your new WordPress site is out there in the world doing its very best to represent your business online. You followed all of my 12 golden rules for improving your website, and actually it’s been doing a great job… When suddenly you’re hit with an update reminder! Why?! It’s been working fine, it’s young and healthy, so why do you need to update it?
WordPress is a community of very talented developers, but this collaborative approach means that there’s not just one set of goalposts. So we have hundreds, if not thousands of goalposts moving all the time. It’s a lot for anyone to keep track of!
WordPress and independent plugin developers are constantly working behind the scenes to keep up with bug fixes, new features, improvements and industry standards. So, even though your website is doing a great job right now, our approach should always be preventative when it comes to the web. After-all, we don’t want an easily avoided disaster to strike and take your site offline.
There are 3 main reasons why you should never ignore an update reminder:
Site security is probably the most important reason to keep your site up to date. Because WordPress is such a popular platform for businesses (about 30% of websites globally are built using WordPress), it’s an equally popular platform for hackers and data thieves. This threat means that WordPress code experts are constantly looking for any weaknesses hackers might exploit, so their developers can quickly create a solution to stop the hackers in their tracks. Often before they even expose the vulnerability themselves. I told you WordPress developers were good eggs! So if you’re asking yourself, ‘is it really worth updating again so soon?’ the answer is yes. Always.
And it’s not just WordPress itself you need to worry about when it comes to hackers. Plugins, created by all sorts of clever developers and coders from across the world, also become vulnerable from time to time. Therefore the same rules apply; if they tell you they’ve developed an update, it’s for an important reason! And trust me when I say, it takes much longer to fix a hacker attack than it does to install a few updates.
With each WordPress update comes a host of new and improved features. While your site was the best it could be when it was created, improvements are being developed all the time. Whether it’s enhancing accessibility, improving user experience or adding simpler ways to edit your content, don’t miss out!
Whatever is included in the latest update is guaranteed to make you, or your site visitor’s life easier.
Despite the developers at WordPress being total geniuses, bugs do still slip through the cracks. Hence why updates always end up with multiple decimal points; why the most recent WordPress version 5.9 is now 5.9.3. Those added numbers are usually mini updates to fix bugs that have been flagged up in previous versions. Although a lot of the time these bugs are just minor inconveniences, and you might never come across them at all, a developer has worked really hard to fix their mistake, and it’s completely free. It’d be rude not to update right?
Luckily, WordPress developers have laid it out in an easy list entitled ‘updates’. All you have to do is head to the ‘updates’ section in your website’s WordPress menu and you should be able to see any new versions that have been created and are ready to update. What you need to update will really depend on your website, but at the very least you’ll have to update the core theme and any plugins you have installed.
But it’s not quite as simple as just hitting those update buttons one after the other: before any updates take place you need to create a backup version of your site, just in case something goes wrong.
At a glance auto-renew sounds like a great solution: a site that updates itself without you having to think about it, what could go wrong? Well, actually quite a lot! You know those bugs I mentioned earlier, the ones that even the cleverest WordPress developers let slip through the net? Sometimes even the teeny tiniest bugs can mean big problems. If you auto-renew without backing up, and this new version of WordPress has those big problems, it might be a while before you even notice, and the damage to your online business could be catastrophic. An experienced web support agency (hi!) will always be hyper vigilant when installing any updates, and if anything does go wrong? Our trusty site backup will be activated, while those bug fixes are developed, and your online visitors will be none the wiser.
The short answer is yes! The longer, more truthful answer is still yes but please ask for advice before you go hitting those update buttons. And not just because of those pesky potential WordPress bugs; sometimes when you update one plugin, it can cause the code to go a little wonky, make another plugin stop working, or cause compatibility issues with your theme. If you just hit all the recommended update buttons in the list and something does go wrong? It might be hard for you to isolate the cause of the problem. That’s why I adopt a purposefully methodical approach to WordPress updates, so if something does go awry, I can fix it straight away.
It’s also worth noting that some plugins are more prone to update problems than others. Common plugins like SEO or analytics plugins are generally smooth sailing when it comes to updates. But take a more complex plugin like an eCommerce or pop up plugin, and you could run into choppy waters.
It sounds daunting, but as long as you have a sturdy site backup, any problem you run into can be easily fixed. Perhaps you’re reading this blog because you just updated without a backup, your site’s fallen over and you’re now panic-Googling for a solution? Well, you’re in the right place. We can provide levels of support completely tailored to what you need, as well as advice to build your confidence enough to handle some aspects yourself, if that’s a skill you’re keen to add to your bow!
Yes! We have a VERY exciting new package in the works for all your technical support needs. Keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks as this super special bundle will cover all those regular WordPress updates that constantly crop up. It’s what the auto-renew function wishes it could be! With consistent backups, technical support and regular checks for updates, you’ll never have to worry about your website falling behind or becoming vulnerable again.
Fancy finding out about this new package before it officially hits the public? Get in touch and let’s have a natter.
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