What is WordPress?
WordPress is a content management systems (CMS), that is one of the most widely used website platforms in the world. Statistics would suggest that your website is built on WordPress. There are a myriad of layers through which any number of websites can be created and whilst the platform was popularised by bloggers it has been used to create websites from e-commerce business to large news publications (news.com.au is a WordPress site) and everything between!
Does my WordPress Site Need Maintenance?
The term maintenance conjures up all sorts of imagery from servicing the car to visiting the dentist, and WordPress maintenance is very similar, just in digital form! The maintenance associated with WordPress sites is largely around core WordPress updates which happen at scale generally every year followed by incremental updates throughout the year. As well as this, WordPress makes use of cool little applications called ‘plug-ins’ to extend the functionality of the website. Guess what? These need to be updated regularly also! These sorts of updates can be likened to updating the apps on your smart phone and both address security bugs as well as further extend functionality of the plugin. Much like preventative maintenance on your car, a little attention spent across the life of the site is far better than ignoring it for years then hitting the update button and crossing your fingers.
WordPress Maintenance Options
So, what is the best methodology and workflow for keeping your WordPress website up to date?
DIY Maintenance
Well, obviously you can always manage it yourself. Signing into the WordPress backend and running the updates manually is something that is done by hundreds of webmasters the world over, but there is a better way!
Managed Website Maintenance Services
Website Maintenance and Hosting services take the pressure off you as the site administrator to focus on what you do best, manage your business. These services will not only handle the complex hosting side of things (and all things dreaded DNS related!) but will also help keep your website up to date and running at full capacity. As well as updating WordPress and associated plugins, maintenance packages often include services such as regular backups, crucial for those scenarios where an update fails, or the website is compromised. Other services include Analytics around website performance and SEO, security scans and checks, management of comment in blog section as well as the ability to clone your entire website!
What Next?
If you’re not currently engaging someone to manage the updates and backups of your website (which generally incurs a fee), and you’re not doing it yourself, it is very likely that you don’t have website backups and security updates aren’t being applied. This is very commonly overlooked, and it wouldn’t be remiss to think that someone else has it covered, but it’s worth verifying.
ONGC offer a range of hosting and maintenance packages for websites. If you have more questions around what is best for you and your website, reach out to us by calling us on 1800 664 248 or sending through an enquiry. One of our web experts will get in touch to discuss a solution that is right for you.
