In the age of hacking, keeping your website core application and plugin extensions up to date is critical. Each update will have addressed the vulnerabilities that have most recently come to light, making your site more secure.
In the WordPress environment, though rare, it is possible for a plugin, when updated, to conflict with another plugin. This happens because the various plugins are written by myriad developers, and though vetted by the WordPress organization, are not all tested against one another in a controlled environment. The benefits of WordPress exist because it’s a community. The limitations of WordPress exist because it’s a community.
Does your website languish, getting more and more out of date because you’re afraid of what will happen when you click the “Publish” button?
When it comes to deciding how to handle these updates – application and plugin updates as well as content updates — the good news for small- and medium-sized businesses is that it’s not all or nothing. It is possible to find a web developer who will take care of the updates you’re afraid to touch leaving you to do the ones that fall within your comfort zone.
Functionality Updates
- Back up the site
- Update plugins
- Update themes (or templates)
- Update core application
Content Updates
- Add a blog post
- Update text on a page
- Create a photo gallery
- Change a slide in the image carousel
- Create a link to a PDF document
Which items can you do without feeling that you will blow up your site? Do those. And ask your web developer to do the others.
How often should you update the core application and plugins? Ideally you should update as soon as the next version becomes available, but once a month should suffice.
Do you have questions about your website or WordPress? Contact me. I’ll do what I can to answer them.
