Updating Your WordPress Website Is The Only Way To Keep It Secure
Your website is what people usually find first when looking for your services. Your WordPress website needs to be maintained in order to work properly. You would not want to lose potential customers because a link or a button on your site is not working properly. In order to prevent websites from breaking, or hackers from compromising the security of your site, you need to keep up with patches, plugins and themes. According to a recent survey, around 75,000,000 websites are using WordPress right now, and the WordPress company is working hard to keep all of them safe and working properly, which means they are always looking for vulnerabilities in the software.
What You Need To Do
To keep your WordPress website glitch-free and secure, you have to keep up with all the updates that are offered on a regular basis. WordPress is a complex piece of software comprising many thousands of lines of code (PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript). It’s under constant development, which means that all those files are subject to change.
Patches
In order to keep up with some of those changes, WordPress developers regularly send out security patches. These security patches are vital for protecting your website. In many respects, protecting your website can be compared to protecting your home. Not keeping up with the security patches is a lot like leaving your home’s windows open. With open windows your home is much more likely to get broken into, or at lease not be as cool during the summer.
Plugins
Plugins also need to be updated regularly on your WordPress website. They are pieces of software containing a group of functions that can be added to your website to extend functionality or add new features. This allows your website to run smoother and allows you to use new and updated features to make your website more appealing to new customers. You do not ever want your website to look “stale” and outdated. If we go back to our house analogy, this would mean you keep the curb appeal of house updated, and also make it more convenient for yourself to live in. Updating WordPress plugins could on some levels be compared to upgrading from a sink to a dishwasher or installing a wireless home network. Not updating your WordPress security plugins could be compared to leaving your home’s door wide open.
Themes
WordPress themes are a collection of templates and style sheets that basically define the look of your website. They try to capture what sometimes is referred to as Zeitgeist. Since you always want your website to look new and fresh, it is important to keep up with the themes since what we consider as modern and stylish looking always changes over time. If you run across a website that was created in the 90’s, you will find it boring and outdated. Certain things like 360 degrees videos won’t even run on such old websites. However the most important reason for being consistent within updating WordPress themes, is the security of your website. You may have consumer data on your website you need to protect. Coming back to our house comparison, not updating your theme is almost like putting a sign out on your front lawn inviting everybody in, or letting thieves know you won’t be home for a month and left the door unlocked or wide open!
Planetguide: Ask The Experts
If you need help with the upkeep of your WordPress website, call Planetguide at 504-888-5384. We offer a variety of affordable packages that can help you keep your site secure and running smoothly. Call Us Today!
