If you own a WordPress based website, you may have asked yourself “Do I really need to install all those updates? I mean WordPress, Plugins, Themes, it seems endless!”
Updates accomplish the following for you:
- Better Security
- Bug Fixes
- Additional Features and Functionality
Ever been hacked? If not, you are one of the lucky ones. Software updates improve the security of your site by patching vulnerabilities and strengthening against attacks. Any WordPress expert will tell you the first line of defense in protecting your site is to install updates. Hackers and other malicious individuals comb the internet reading blogs and product release notes looking for vulnerabilities. Once they learn of it, they start into their attacks. The sooner you apply updates, the safer you are. Over 80% of WordPress sites that get hacked were not updated! Outdated versions of PHP, WordPress, Themes, Plugins open you up for attack.
In addition to vulnerabilities, there are also bugs! Ever experience issues with your site that you just couldn’t figure it out and then out comes an update and BAM, no more issue? Software developers are human, as such are likely to make mistakes. No matter how many tests you run, inevitably there are always bugs. Some bugs are related to compatibility issues with newer versions of software, some are coding issues. Updates are a developers way of fixing the problem for you!
Lastly, updates provides new features and functionality. Software is somewhat of a living organism. Often our needs are simple at first but as our use increases, so does our needs and requirements. Good software evolves. That evolution occurs through feature and functionality releases. Think of the internet. In my lifetime, I have seen the internet explode from simple dialup Bulletin Boards to where it is today. That is rapid growth! To keep pace with changes in technology and society, software is ever evolving, so should your site.
This is a great time to review your plugins and themes and remove the ones you’re not using. In general, the less code you have in your site, the fewer places there are for hackers to get in.
Some simple things we recommend are:
- Read the release notes or changelogs to see what the updates change,.
- Test the update on a development site. That way if anything breaks, you can determine and fix the issue before affecting your live site.
- Backup, Backup, Backup. You should be performing regular backups of your site already, but never make a major change/update without first backing everything up.
- Install the updates.
- Test and review your site, paying close attention to the items noted in the release notes or changelog.
Of course, not everyone wants to “do it yourself” or has the time to keep up with the updates. Why not consider using our Maintenance Service? Our maintenance service includes security review and hardening, regular backups of your site, a mirror of your site on a test server, updates and monitoring.