WordPress is a free and open-source content management system and it is the most widely used CMS on the World Wide Web currently, with millions of sites using it as a platform.
Since the WordPress software is open-source and is in continuous development by programmers all over the world, a lot of updates are pushed into the system to fix things which were broken or to add new features.
It is crucial to maintain and monitor the WordPress software to keep any site running on it as smooth and free of errors as possible. In this article, we take a close look at some key concepts why WordPress sites need regular maintenance services and monitoring.
Updating the WordPress Core
The software that runs the site and facilitates all the back end functions is known as the WordPress core. The core is essential for the site to function and without a properly updated core, the site will be broken and might be even vulnerable to security problems.
Updating the core is one of the primary key reasons why WordPress sites need to be constantly monitored and up to date. If the core is not updated or belongs to an older version, then it might cause compatibility issues with plugins and premium themes in addition to creating situations where the site might be vulnerable to security exploits.
Using an older version of the core WordPress software might also decrease the speed of the site and make the site not run as optimally or as efficiently as it could. Speed is often a huge factor in SEO and it is just not worth keeping WordPress out of date when you could lose on potential clients and customers because your website’s SEO is broken.
When you update the core WordPress software, a lot of bugs are also fixed and awesome new features are added to the software, allowing you to do things with/for your site that you never thought would have been possible.
The Plugins System
One of the many features that make WordPress stand apart from a lot of content management systems is its ability to use plugins. There are a lot of plugins available for WordPress which enhance its functions and usability. These plugins have become almost essential to any major site running WordPress as, without them, WordPress wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the fancy things that it does so effortlessly both on the front-end and the back-end.
Plugins, just like the WordPress core, are being developed continuously. So whenever a new feature is created by the developers of the plugin, they push an update and hence all the plugins might need to be updated for your WordPress site too.
Properly updated plugins ensure that there are no breaks in compatibility of the entire software system and a lot of them also contain security fixes for the plugins. It isn’t unheard of that a hacker gets access to a site through a broken WordPress plugin.
By constantly monitoring and updating WordPress, you make sure that the plugins are also up to date and do not contain any bugs that can potentially crash your site or make your site vulnerable to hackers. Updated plugins also have the latest security fixes and features, which provides another incentive to keep them updated.
Security Fixes
WordPress, like any other software, is never completely safe from security vulnerabilities. Fortunately, the software is constantly updated to fix any newly found vulnerability and to prevent hackers from gaining undesired access to your website. This is one of the key reasons why professional WordPress maintenance services are used.
One of the most important aspects for anyone running a website is the safety of the site. There have been a number of cases where exploits were found in the WordPress software but since the software is open-source and is in continuous development, these exploits were fixed very quickly with updates being pushed to the WordPress system.
One of the primary objectives of pushing updates for the WordPress software is to make sure the software is as secure as it can be and to eliminate providing opportunities to hackers for finding exploits.
If a website is not properly updated with the latest version of WordPress, all the security fixes that were part of the new update would not apply for the site and it can be exploited by hackers and its data can be destroyed. Security fixes are one of the most important reasons for keeping the WordPress software up to date.
Compatibility Issues
Another key reason to keep the WordPress software updated is to ensure that all components of the software work with each other and there is no break in compatibility between the components.
A compatibility error occurs when parts of the software do not work with other parts of the software due to them belonging to different versions. If the WordPress system is constantly monitored and updated, it runs smooth and there are no compatibility issues between the different parts that work together to run the site and perform its backend and frontend functions.
As stated, plugins and premium themes also must be constantly monitored and updated to ensure that compatibility doesn’t get broken and the features provided by the plugins and WordPress premium themes work as intended and do not break down.
Lastly, as the internet keeps updating and changing, WordPress adapts itself to accommodate the changes and keep itself ready to handle anything that the internet might throw at it. If your site is not updated with the latest version of WordPress, it might not run smoothly due to some changes in the World Wide Web, which are not reflected in your WordPress system.
Conclusion
A WordPress site that is not constantly monitored and properly maintained is doomed to fail as there are a lot of key reasons why updates are required. Some of these key reasons include updating the WordPress core, dealing with the plugins system, security fixes, and compatibility issues.
By making sure your software is constantly updated, you can ensure that your website will be smooth, safe and optimized.
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