WordPress changes. Plugin updates. Keeping up with coding standards, compliance with browser updates, new technologies getting introduced… There’s a lot that can throw a website off its tracks, and when customers come to Web Ignite asking for website repairs, it’s often due to lack of regular maintenance. Like servicing your car, regular maintenance keeps your car running, and regular website maintenance works the same way. Leave it too long, and you may find your website displaying incorrectly, or worse, open and vulnerable to being hacked.
But why does that happen? We’re not saying that the wheels on your website can rust and then fall off over time, because that doesn’t really happen unless someone runs a strong magnet over the hard disk your website is sitting on (don’t try this at home). The main culprits at work are that over time, WordPress as a platform goes through regular updates, along with any plugins or themes. These updates can range from security improvements, bug fixes, and new features. Leaving these updates dormant for too long ends up increasing the risk of the website failing to keep up with modern requirements, or being attacked.
So who should maintain the website? We always say leave the car at the mechanic, leave the accounting to your accountant, and leave the website with your web providers! It might look simple to just click update on a plugin, and when it works it definitely looks like a no-brainer. But when you click update, and then your browser just loads a white screen, that’s definitely not a great way to start your week. If you’re not comfortable with site maintenance, then it would be better to discuss with your web developer. Just like your car, it can cost more to fix a site than it is to maintain one.
At Web Ignite we handle this by scheduling maintenance monthly, creating a clone of the site on our dev server and testing updates first before pushing to the live server. This means we can safely troubleshoot compatibility issues without disrupting the live site, allowing our clients seamless and stress-free website management.
Don’t let your website gather dust. Give your website a little TLC!
Need any assistance with regular website maintenance? Send an email to our friendly staff at info@webignite.com.au to learn more about our Managed Service Plans.
