WordPress powers 39.5% of all websites online and constantly evolves, regularly releasing new features and security updates.
This means that if you are using an older version, your site may be outdated or insecure. It’s like using outdated operating software on your smartphone.
Updating WordPress is therefore recommended for your site to function at its best and to avoid potential issues.
However, maintaining WordPress must be done with caution and rigour to prevent any complications, especially with regard to WordPress plugins or theme updates.
In this article, Digitize.au, your go-to Adelaide custom software developer and hardware solution supplier, will show you why it’s crucial to keep WordPress updated.
We will also see what benefits this brings to website owners as well as some of the best practices to update WordPress.
Some of the main reasons to keep your WordPress version updated are for the functionality, security, longevity, and search engine optimisation of your website.
Updates improve the overall user experience on WordPress websites.
By fixing bugs and addressing compatibility issues, updates make your website more responsive, smoother, and more reliable.
This can help attract and retain visitors and improve your online presence.
New features and improvements added through updates can also enhance the functionality of your website and provide a better user experience.
Another critical reason to keep WordPress sites updated is for security reasons. Outdated software usually has some vulnerabilities, and WordPress is no exception.
When you update WordPress to the latest version, you can take advantage of the latest security patches and bug fixes.
These will help protect your WordPress website from hackers and other malicious actors.
Keeping WordPress updated also helps extend the life of your website. You should note that the average website lifespan is 2 to 5 years.
By using the latest version of the software, you can continue to use the latest plugins and themes, which will keep your WordPress website looking fresh and modern.
Furthermore, by regularly updating WordPress, you can avoid obsolescence and ensure that your website continues to perform well for years.
Updating WordPress can also positively impact your website’s search engine optimisation (SEO).
The latest version of the software is optimised for search engines, and updates often include improvements to how WordPress handles meta tags, URLs, and other critical SEO elements.
By keeping your website up to date, you can ensure that it’s optimised for search engines, which can help you to achieve better visibility and rankings in search results.
Regular updates also ensure that your WordPress website remains compatible with the latest plugins and themes.
By keeping your WordPress site up to date, you can avoid compatibility issues arising when you use outdated software with new themes or plugin updates.
This can help you to avoid frustrating errors and maintain a seamless user experience on your website.
Here is a simple and useful checklist to perform your WordPress updates efficiently while minimising the risk of crashes.
This is the first essential and non-negotiable step! You must make a backup of your WordPress site in the state of your website before launching any update.
This will ensure that you quickly restore your WordPress site if something goes wrong. Whether you are a beginner or a WordPress expert, ignoring this step is madness!
Figure out which plugins and themes need to be updated, then update them one at a time so you can test each change after it’s been made.
Test your WordPress site by browsing different pages and posts before moving on to the next plugin updates.
Yes, WordPress has an auto-update feature. Now, at first glance, it seems attractive to activate it because it is often tempting to let technology take care of doing uninteresting tasks for us.
However, we strongly advise against this.
This is the best way to generate bugs and not realise them immediately.
The automatic WordPress update feature does sound great, but it finally seems to bring more risks of crashing.
It seems logical, but we still prefer to indicate it just in case. If you can, we recommend you update WordPress outside of your site’s peak hours.
This will allow your website to be in maintenance mode for as long as possible while applying the WordPress update when there are fewer visitors.
Website owners often ask why they should outsource the updating of their WordPress website to a professional team rather than doing it themselves.
The answer is simple. Professional teams of experienced WordPress developers like Digitize have technical expertise and knowledge.
These are required to ensure that your website updates are done smoothly and correctly.
They can also troubleshoot any issues that may arise during the updating process and provide ongoing support to ensure that your website remains up-to-date and secure.
Keeping WordPress updated is essential for the functionality, security, longevity, and SEO of any website built with this platform.
Regular WordPress updates bring new features, bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements.
Together, these help to improve user experience, protect your website from malicious actors, and extend the life of your website.
They also help you get theme and plugin updates and optimise your website for search engines.
If you’re based in Adelaide and looking for professional assistance with keeping your WordPress website updated, look no further.
Our team of experienced WordPress developers can provide you with the peace of mind that comes with regular updates, so you can focus on growing your business.
Get in touch with us today to find out more!
At Digitize we are a focused team that invest constantly in improving so that we can provide the best capabilities to our clients. Our processes and teams are built around being flexible so we can deliver tailored solutions instead of trying to make existing solutions fit.
Each client has a dedicated account manager that will ensure you are always getting the best service possible.