Once your WordPress website is built, this powerful system needs to be maintained to guarantee optimal performance. In this post we will go through some veeery easy tasks so all users can work in better conditions. We could call it basic WordPress maintenance.
When should I maintain my WordPress?
Our websites usually will not have much traffic and will not need huge maintenance, but my recommendation is that some of the things we are going to see are done monthly and others every 3 or 6 months. And if your website is an online store or brings you customers every day, the more often the better.
1. Your WordPress username and password
Please… It is very important to take care of these aspects, because they can give us a big scare. Many websites have usernames like “admin”, far too easy to attack. Use a non-obvious username, a long, unique password (ideally with a password manager) and enable two-step verification. You will find more ideas in my article about WordPress security plugins.
Frequency: review every 6 months (and change passwords if there is any suspicion).
2. Back up your website
Once the website looks great and has all its content, we need to back up both the WordPress files and the database. Ideally, automate it with a plugin (like UpdraftPlus) or with the backup your hosting offers, and store it outside the server itself, for example on Google Drive or Dropbox. A backup you have never tried to restore is a backup you cannot fully trust.
Frequency: automatic (daily or weekly) and always before big changes or updates.
3. Update WordPress, plugins and themes
If we are offered an update, it is usually to improve something or fix security flaws, so we should update everything WordPress notifies us about. Security updates should not be put off.
Little tip: if it is a major update (for example, a major WordPress version or your page builder), wait a few days for other users to test it and make a backup first. And remove the plugins and themes you do not use: the fewer you have, the fewer risks.
Frequency: weekly or every two weeks.
4. Test the contact form
As easy as sending yourself a little message and seeing whether it arrives. It is one of the most important parts of the website, because many customers can come through there. And watch out: sometimes form emails end up in spam or do not arrive. To avoid this, connect your website to a sending service (SMTP) with a plugin like WP Mail SMTP or FluentSMTP.
Little gift: if you use Contact Form 7, also install the Flamingo plugin, which stores all the messages received in your dashboard. If you want to compare options, take a look at the best contact form plugins for WordPress.
Frequency: every month.
5. Check the loading speed
In another article I explain how to check your website speed. Take a look to see whether something is wrong, especially if you have added a lot of content or many images (my image optimization guide will help too). Take the chance to review your data in Google Analytics as well.
Frequency: every 3 months.
Finally, as a colleague reminded me, have a good coffee and feel proud of the new website you have created.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a WordPress website be maintained?
Updates and backups weekly or automatically; the rest of the checks every 1 to 6 months depending on their importance.
What happens if I do not maintain my website?
The risk of attacks, failures after an update, data loss and the website becoming slow all increase.
Can I delegate maintenance?
Yes, and it is the most relaxed option if you have neither the time nor the desire to do it.
If all this seems like too much, you can contact me or see my WordPress website maintenance plans.
