There are many solid reasons why you should take advantage of a WordPress website maintenance plan. Think of it as an insurance policy for your website.
Regular Back-ups
It is essential to regularly backup your website to a remote location. “Doesn’t my hosting provider do that for me?” you may ask. Good question! Your host does backup your site, but often their copies are stored on the same server as your website. What happens if that server goes down? You lose both your website and backup copy.
Don’t let this happen to you! Make sure your website developer is backing up your website and storing copies on a different server other than the one that is running your website. It will ensure you have a copy of your site so your website can easily be restored if needed.
Up-to-date Software
“Does this really matter?” you ask. “I can live with some alerts on my site and save some money, right?”
We do not recommend this option! Out-of-date software leaves your site vulnerable to hackers. Those old pieces of software are doors to your website that can be opened by the wrong people.
Your WordPress website lives on a hosting site and is composed of WordPress core software, theme software, and smaller pieces of software called “plugins” that provide additional functionality on your website. Regular website updates ensure that the latest security fixes are applied to all parts of your website so that you can continue to be live.
As a bonus, these updates guarantee the individual pieces of software continue to function properly together, resulting in an optimal experience for your clients.
Did you know??
61% of infected WordPress sites are out of date.
https://www.codeinwp.com/blog/wordpress-statistics/
Not to mention, according to one study, 30.95% of Alexa’s top 1 million websites run a vulnerable version 3.6 of WordPress.
https://www.codeinwp.com/blog/wordpress-statistics/
Keeping your software updated greatly reduces the risk of your site being hacked.
Scanned Regularly for Malware and Hacks
Just to be super secure, regular scans of your website should be run to ensure it hasn’t been hacked or infected by malware. By regularly scanning your site for security breaches, developers are better able to catch and fix issues quickly. Fortunately, this is one of the key elements of a website maintenance plan.
Contact With Friendly Humans Guaranteed
By taking advantage of maintenance plans, you ensure that you have a trusted website guru in your corner that you can call on for help at any time. No more Googling for someone who can get your site back up and running. Work with someone who already knows you and, most importantly, knows your site. They have the ability to make the most timely fixes, while keeping your stress levels down.
Regular Reporting
Regular reports let you know exactly what actions have been taken to secure and monitor your site’s performance.
Most developers who offer a maintenance plan will be able to keep you apprised of the health of your website with monthly reports. These reports will tell you what’s being done to keep your site secure and running smoothly.
Website Maintenance Plans
While no one WordPress site is safe from all hacks, a website maintenance plan will greatly reduce your chances while ensuring a smooth and pleasurable viewing experience for all. You can also reduce threats to your website by having secure passwords, but that’s another blog post found here.
Learn More
Here at Fisher Green Creative, we offer a variety of monthly maintenance plans for our clients that include all of the above features and more. Specifically, we offer a unique Privacy Policy feature and tech support for our eCommerce clients.
If you’re ready to sign up for a monthly maintenance plan for your WordPress site, or you would simply like to learn more, let’s connect!
We’re here to help any time.
Jenny Green, Co-Owner of Fisher Green Creative, specializes in digital strategy development, social media marketing, and SEO for small businesses. Away from helping clients or studying the latest marketing trends, Jenny volunteers her time coaching youth soccer, enjoys a cold craft IPA, and works to save the elephants. Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn or email.
