Updating WordPress is vital to keep your website up and running smoothly and keeping it secure from hackers and malware programs.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a software program – a content management system written in PHP paired with a MySQL database – that has developed in to a fully fledged website building platform, that can be used to make any kind of website imaginable.
WordPress employs a plugin architecture and a template system referred to as Themes within WordPress.
The 3 main components of WordPress are:
The WordPress Core program files
Themes – a folder of files that work together to create the design of your site – a sort of template
Plugins – a piece of software that is added to the WordPress core files that add to the functionality or features of your website – a gallery of photos, a form to fill in etc.
Over time the WordPress core files, themes and plugins are improved and new plugins and themes come out.
So essentially websites built with WordPress need to have these WordPress core files, themes and plugins updated.
What Are The Benefits Of Updating WordPress?
- Your website will remain working!
- Your website can have more features
- There will be fewer errors for your visitors
- Your visitors will have a faster experience
- It gives your visitors a better experience
- It lowers the risk of your site being hacked
- Your website will perform better
- The above all lead to more sales!
How Do You Update WordPress?
The WordPress core program is designed to check when the core files, themes and plugins, and when updates are available they will be shown within the admin dashboard (and/or notified to you via email).
The core files, themes and plugins can be set to automatically update.
However these automatic updates can lead to things mucking up and break the functionality of your website.
Themes and plugins can be and are written by 3rd parties – ie they may not be party to the updating of the WordPress core files – so errors can creep in and ‘foobar’ your website.
So we advise that any WordPress updates are notified to you (or s maintainer – JSP Web Design!) via email, rather than being installed automatically – if they are installed automatically and there is a problem, then that can mean your website will not work, and cause you or your website maintainer a lot lot of work to put it right! (£££)
We fell foul of such a problem a couple of years ago. Essentially there was a WordPress core update – the files were updated and boom – the website falls over. So we could not get access to the WordPress admin dashboard – so we had to reload the site from a backup to get up and running again.
After much hair pulling and phone calls to our web hosting, and research on line – apparently the new WordPress installation required the hosting server to run on an updated version of PHP, which is was not doing so would not run. So the hosting has to be updated and then we could update WordPress….
So long and short of this is
- Before doing any update to the WordPress core files, themes or plugins, make sure you have a backup of your website, that can be used if things goes wrong
- It is best to turnoff automatic updates to WordPress core files, themes and plugins
- WordPress core files, themes and plugins should be checked for updates regularly manually
Your website should be backed up regularly and updating WordPress files should be carried out regularly to keep your website running well and securely.
JSP Web Design can help with all your updating WordPress and website maintenance requirements – click on the button below to get help and reassurance.
We can provide you with a complete monthly Website Maintenance package to ensure your website remains functional bringing in those customers and saving you time and effort doing it yourself.
