Over 30,000 websites are hacked daily (Source: Web Arx Security) due to outdated software. On the internet, security and performance issues can arise at any time. Therefore, a company needs to update WordPress website regularly.
Updating your website on WordPress is not just about new features; it’s one of the most crucial practices for site maintenance. Updates provide protective shields, seamless integration, and clear guidance. They shield your site from vulnerabilities, maintain stable operation, and enable you to use the latest web design trends and tools, increasing user trust.
This article provides a complete update checklist from Paapaya for your WordPress website, explaining the importance of updates, preparation steps, and best practices. Follow this guide to ensure and update WordPress website to stay secure, fast, and up-to-date.
Why it is important to update WordPress website?
1. Security Enhancements
- Importance: Updating your WordPress site prevents vulnerabilities and malware. Hackers often exploit old software, leading to data breaches.
- Security Patches: Updates include the latest security patches, protecting against threats.
- Case Study: An outdated Revolution Slider plugin led to widespread malware infections and data theft.
2. Optimization for Speed
- Benefits: Speed optimization improves site performance, leading to faster loading times and better user experience.
- Updates: WordPress 5.5 introduced lazy loading, reducing load times and improving SEO.
3. New Features and Functionality
- Modernization: Updates integrate new functionalities and design elements, enhancing competitiveness.
- Examples:
- WordPress 5.8 introduced the Block Widgets Editor, allowing more design flexibility.
- WordPress 5.9 brought Full Site Editing for comprehensive customization.
How to Update a Website?
Wondering how to update a website? It is important to update WordPress website regularly and for that here are Paapaya’s tips on how to do so:
1. Backup Your Website
- Importance: Backing up is crucial before updating to prevent data loss or site malfunction.
- Procedure:
- Choose a backup solution: Use a plugin like UpdraftPlus or your hosting provider’s service.
- Install and activate: Set up your chosen plugin.
- Backup settings: Configure what to back up and where to store it (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox).
- Run a backup: Start the process manually or schedule recurring backups.
- Download the backup: Save the backup file to your computer or cloud storage.
2. Check for Compatibility
- Importance: Ensure plugins and themes are compatible with the new WordPress version to avoid site issues.
- Recommendation: Perform a compatibility check to prevent potential problems.
Paapaya- Web Design Updates Services:
Now lets discuss how we at Paapaya update WordPress websites. Whenever an update is available for WordPress or a theme or a plugin this will show up in the WordPress admin bar as in the screenshot below:
As you can see, the Icon that the arrow is pointing to is the updates icon and the number beside it specifies how many updates are available, the second way to get to the updates page is by going to the side panel in the dashboard below home you can navigate to updates.
Now in the image below, it shows our WordPress is currently updated to the latest version, and there are 8 recent plugin updates available.
Since we use Templ web hosting we get the privilege of having daily automatic backups that we can go back to in case any of the updates caused something to break.
The next step would be simply to select all and then click “update plugins”.
Same for the theme, you can scroll down and perform an update to the theme you use, however, make sure you have a child theme installed, so you don’t risk losing all your theme customizations. For more information expect an article about parent and child themes coming soon.
Post Update WordPress Website Checklist
After knowing the process of how to update a website and Paapaya’s services for web design updates, it is also important to have a checklist about post updates of a WordPress website.
1. Testing Your Website
After updating, use this checklist to ensure functionality:
- Homepage: Verify correct display.
- Navigation: Test main menu and links.
- Content: Ensure proper display of pages, posts, and media.
- Forms: Test contact and sign-up forms.
- E-commerce: Check product pages, cart, checkout, and payment gateways.
- User Accounts: Confirm login, registration, and profile management features.
- Responsive Design: Check responsiveness on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
- Performance: Measure page load times and site speed.
- Error Logs: Review server and WordPress error logs.
- Plugin and Theme Functionality: Ensure all are working correctly without conflicts.
2. Scheduling Regular Updates
- Importance: Regular updates are vital for security, performance, and overall functionality.
- Timeline:
- WordPress Core: Check for updates every three months; apply minor security updates immediately.
- Plugins: Update at least every two weeks; apply critical updates ASAP.
- Themes: Update monthly and ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress version.
- Site Maintenance: Perform a full site audit quarterly, including updates and backups.
3. Staying Ahead with Web Design Trends
- Strategy: Implement responsive design to enhance user experience and stay competitive.
- Implementation:
- Research Trends: Follow blogs, attend seminars, and subscribe to newsletters.
- Evaluate Relevance: Ensure trends align with your brand and audience.
- Gradual Changes: Implement design changes incrementally and test their impact.
- User Feedback: Collect and apply user feedback.
- A/B Testing: Compare new designs to existing ones to evaluate improvements.
4. Using Web Design Updates for SEO
- SEO Benefits: Design updates improve usability, speed, and mobile-friendliness, enhancing SEO.
- Optimization Tips:
- Responsive Design: Ensure mobile-friendliness for better Google rankings.
- Site Speed: Optimize images, use browser caching, and minify CSS/JavaScript.
- Clean Code: Use clear HTML and CSS.
- Structured Data: Implement schema markup for better search visibility.
- Content Layout: Use clear subheadings, bullet lists, and concise paragraphs.
- Navigation: Ensure clear menus and proper use of internal links.
- Images Alt Text: Provide relevant alt text for all images.
This comprehensive guide has covered all the essential aspects to keep and update WordPress website up to date. We’ve discussed the importance of updates for security, performance, and functionality. We’ve shown you how to prepare for updates by backing up your site and checking compatibility. We’ve walked you through the step-by-step process of updating WordPress, including core themes and plugins, and compared automatic versus manual updates.
Additionally, we’ve provided a post-update checklist to ensure your website runs smoothly after updates. We emphasized the importance of regular maintenance for enhancing user experience and SEO. Don’t wait for problems to arise—start updating your WordPress website now to keep it secure, fast, and functional. Follow this guideline, stay informed about web design trends, and maintain a competitive, user-friendly site. Sign up today and embark on a friendly digital journey and keep your website up to date.
