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When it comes to the wide world the web, unfortunately, there are some bad actors out there. But there’s no need to stress over hackers and ransomware if you’ve taken the necessary steps to protect your website and business.
Thus, security is the number one reason you should keep your WordPress site up to date. New updates often feature security enhancements that prevent sites from being exploited. WordPress benefits from being open source, meaning it has a community of developers and security experts who are constantly testing the software and reporting security fixes. If you ignore these security fixes, you may be making your site an easy target for hackers and malicious code distributors.
It’s helpful to have a website manager oversee your updates. Your website manager or administrator can ensure that security vulnerabilities are corrected with new WordPress releases. Updating to the newest version of WordPress will ensure that you have the latest security fix, and your website guru will make sure you don’t lose any important website features in the updates.
Keeping your WordPress site up to date refers to system updates and plugin updates. When it comes to plugins, keep in mind that new plugins offering better features or performance will not run on old WordPress software. Thus you are limiting the functionality of your site by not updating. You should also note that every time you update WordPress you will also need to update, check, and test your current plugins to ensure that they work. That’s why many people find it helpful to leave the work up to a dedicated website manager.
With a WordPress site, the plugins and any Theme Framework should be updated monthly. However, you should do so with care, as upgrading always comes with the risk of throwing things off on your site. An inexperienced website manager will make sure you have all the necessary security updates, along with plugins and themes that keep your website looking great and functioning optimally.
WordPress updates typically include improved features that allow your website to function better with superior performance. Web technology is constantly changing, thus WordPress developers are always working to make WordPress run faster and more efficiently. By keeping your WordPress site up to date, you are taking advantage of these performance upgrades and providing a better user experience.
Some previous WordPress updates included the ability to add embeds in text and video widgets, a redesigned plugin directory, and inline link editing, along with various block editing tools. That’s why when you keep your WordPress site up to date, you are unlocking features and improving your ability to add new content to your site.
Better website performance results in better SEO. If your goal is to make sure your site is organically ranked as high as possible at all times, then you need to factor in website speed. Speed is a huge factor in SEO, which is why you should always keep your WordPress site up to date to ensure maximum performance benefits. The quicker your page loads, the higher your site’s search engine rankings.
While WordPress does not play a role in displaying content, an older version means that your site can be hacked easily. When a site is hacked, all the Search Engine Page Rankings (SERPs) will get affected. And this is what can negatively impact your SEO.
Unfortunately, more than 36 percent of WordPress websites that were hacked in 2018 had an outdated version of the platform. That means that these users ignored the importance of updating their websites. This was clearly a risky decision and resulted in preventable hacks. Updates typically include the latest security solutions. In fact, some updates are released specifically to address security problems. Don’t be a sad statistic!
In addition to updating the CMS, you should also consider deleting outdated plugins as well as themes. An experienced web manager can delete old plugins and themes so they aren’t cluttering your dashboard. If you’re worried about losing data if the update is unstable, a professional website manager will be best equipped to create a backup.
Although every major release of WordPress goes through a rigorous testing process, sometimes smaller bugs slip through the cracks. While minor bugs may not affect your website, it is always best practice to update WordPress to reduce potential issues caused by these bugs. These bugs may only be minor glitches, like a web page loading wrong at first, but such issues can drive away users and potential customers. Which is bad for business!
There’s a reason that WordPress website have such a huge marketshare. They offer a huge variety of styles and themes, and they are constantly coming out with improvements via updates.
If you’re comfortable maintaining your own site, you should absolutely be updating regularly. And if you’re worried about messing with your site, an experienced website manager can help your keep your WordPress site up to date and maintain integrity and performance.