If your site is created with WordPress, it is very important that you update regularly. In this article we'd like to explain why.
- Why do you need to update?
- How do you keep your WordPress site up-to-date?
- Easier maintenance with Managed WordPress
Why do you need to update?
Maybe your motto is, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." For a lot of situations, that's a commendable philosophy, however not when it comes to WordPress or software in general.
So why do you need to update? Three reasons:
1 - Security
The most important reason to keep your WordPress website up-to-date is security. More than 40% of all websites are made with WordPress, making it by far the most used CMS in the world. Due to its popularity, WordPress is a popular target for hackers and malicious code distributors.
Every WordPress update includes release notes, listing what has been fixed and changed in this update. Hackers read the release notes and then try to exploit them by searching for sites that haven't been updated yet. If your site is running on an older WordPress version, this means that it has known vulnerabilities.
Don't forget your plugins and theme!Besides the core installation, plugins and themes can also be exploited. So make sure to update those as well.
2 - Bug fixes
All software has bugs, and WordPress does too. Bugs are mistakes in a computer program or system that make it behave unintentionally. They can cause weird errors or make things crash. It's essential to implement these fixes to ensure your website keeps running smoothly.
3 - New features and improved performance
WordPress is never finished and is continuously being improved upon. Every major release contains new features and performance improvements.
Besides the WordPress core installation, plugins also are continually being updated. Our WordPress development team is constantly working to improve existing one.com plugins, like the staging plugin, and adding new themes to our parent plugin "one.com themes and plugins". If you don't update, you would never even know they exist.
How do you keep your WordPress site up-to-date?
Every time you log in to your WordPress dashboard, the number of available updates is highlighted in the menu to the left. Simply click "Updates" and install those that are available.
Minor releases that include security and bug fixes are updated automatically, but you can also allow WordPress to install major releases automatically. You can configure this manually in wp-config, or set it up with the help of a plugin called Easy updates manager. This plugin allows you to select what should be updated automatically and what not.
Tip: If you have used the one.com 1-click WordPress installer and our one.com plugin is active, we will periodically send you an email, to remind you to keep your WordPress up-to-date.
Easier maintenance with Managed WordPress
We have developed an add-on plan for WordPress with additional plugins and extra features called Managed WordPress. It can be activated as an add-on service per domain. Check out our guide for more information.
What is one.com's Managed WordPress?
With our Managed WordPress, you have access to the integrated Update Manager and additional security features which will help you optimise the security of your installation. It will make keeping your website up-to-date much easier.
Related articles: