At DWS Studio, we’ve helped numerous business owners fix broken WordPress sites, and even recover hacked websites. While we provide detailed instructions to clients on maintaining their custom websites, there are a few key upkeep tasks that apply to all WordPress sites. Below is a list of maintenance tasks to help keep your site healthy and running smoothly.
1. Set Up Regular Backups
One of the most important things you can do for your WordPress site is set up regular backups. You never know when an issue might arise—whether it’s a plugin conflict or a hack.
✹ Recommended Tools:
We recommend using UpdraftPlus for automated backups, as well as server-level backups through your hosting provider. This ensures you always have a recent version of your site to restore if needed.
Read: UpdraftPlus: The best plugin to back up, migrate, and restore your WordPress site
2. Check Contact Forms
A major problem we often see is broken contact forms. If your clients can’t reach you, it can cost you business.
✹ Tip:
You can use a service like Tally Form Builder to get notified if your forms aren’t working. Alternatively, periodically check the form manually to ensure it’s functioning.
3. Update Plugins
Keeping your plugins up to date is crucial for security and functionality. However, make sure you know the risks involved with auto-updates. One plugin update can potentially conflict with another, causing issues.
✹ Pro Tip:
Set up a staging environment (a duplicate of your website) to test plugin updates before pushing them live. This will help you catch any conflicts without affecting your live site.
4. Update WordPress Core
WordPress regularly releases updates that include security patches and new features. Staying on the latest version is critical for protecting your site. However, always back up your site before updating, as some updates can cause conflicts with plugins or themes.
5. Update Your Theme
Just like plugins, your theme should be regularly updated to ensure compatibility with the latest version of WordPress and other site components. Most themes also come with security updates, so staying up to date is key.
6. Risks of Auto-Updates and How to Alleviate Issues
Auto-updating your plugins, WordPress core, and themes can be convenient, but it also comes with some risks. Since all site components work together, one update can cause another to break.
✹ Here’s how to reduce the risks:
- Back up your site regularly.
- Test updates on a staging site before applying them to the live version.
- If an update causes an issue, restore from a backup and troubleshoot in the staging environment.
7. Ensure Your Site is Up
It’s shocking how many business sites I come across that are just down, costing potential clients. I recommend using a service like DownNotifier.com to get alerts if your site goes offline.
8. Keep Site Information Updated
Make sure your site’s information—such as hours of operation, email addresses, phone numbers, and staff details—are always up to date. Outdated info can confuse visitors and harm your credibility.
9. Clean Up Unused Content
Your site’s performance can slow down with excess plugins, media, and other unused content. Regularly clean out:
- Unused plugins: Deactivate and delete any that you no longer need.
- Media files: Remove old images, videos, or documents that are no longer being used.
10. Additional Tips for a Healthy Site
Here are a few more tips to keep your WordPress site in top shape:
- Security: Install a security plugin like Wordfence to protect against threats.
- SEO Health: Use Yoast SEO to ensure your site’s SEO is optimized and current.
- Speed Optimization: Run regular site speed checks using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and clean up any factors slowing down your site.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining your WordPress site is an ongoing task, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. By following these tips and keeping your site up to date, you’ll reduce the chances of running into costly downtime or performance issues.
If you’re looking for a team to help manage your WordPress site, DWS Studio offers full-service web design, development, and maintenance. Contact us today to keep your site running smoothly!