Is your WordPress install up to date?

30th March 2020

Nu Image WordPress Updates Plan

What is a WordPress update?

WordPress regularly release small bug fixes and security updates for the platform. These updates are normally quite small but occasionally there is a big change, such as when Gutenberg blocks were introduced to the platform. At this time the fundamentals of how content was added to the platform changed quite dramatically.

How will I know if my website needs an update?

If you have a website that is based on WordPress, you will notice that an update is available for it by the notifications that appear in the admin dashboard of your site, suggesting that these updates are ready to perform. If you are not sure, let our developers know and we will happily talk you through it.

Why do I need to perform regular updates to WordPress?

WordPress is used for a significant quantity of the websites currently live across the web, therefore like many other platforms, it has become a target for malicious activity. This has been widely reported in the press and has left some people feeling that maybe, WordPress is not secure. This in our opinion, is not the case, providing it is maintained.

Millions of people use WordPress templates and homebuilt sites to host their blogs and shops. Unfortunately many, many of these sites are neglected or not updated on a regular basis – which leads to vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage of and infiltrate. With so many unsecured versions on the web, this leads to WordPress getting, well… bad press, despite the maintained versions being some of the most secure available. Core updates are released regularly to close off any vulnerabilities in the system that could lead to any malicious activity or a hack and if performed as recommended, will minimise the risk to your site.

It’s a little like having a car and never servicing or maintaining it, this would inevitably lead to mechanical failure – but it would not be the fault of the manufacturer, rather the fault of the owner.

In addition to security, the folks behind WordPress are always looking at ways to improve the platform and provide new functionality in line with the ever changing face of web development. These updates for both the WordPress core and for site plugins are essential to ensure your site stays ahead of the curve.

If you do not perform regular updates to both WordPress core and your plugins there is a high chance that both the performance and security of your site will be affected and visitors will experience slow page load, leading to more leaving your site before converting.

What will we do as part of the update plan?

The process for keeping your site up to date is a quarterly update of the WordPress core and all supported plugins*.

First, we take a full backup of the site files and the database which we store in one of our cloud services.

Secondly, we update the WordPress core first and then move on to update each of the site plugins that then have an update available following this.

Next, we check the site for basic functionality and layout issues. If any are found we can either complete a quick fix or if the issue will take more time to resolve , we can restore the backup and create a local version of the site to perform the updates and find a suitable fix without any disruption to site visitors.

Lastly, if a local setup is required once we find a suitable fix to the issues encountered, the site is then uploaded so that the live version is running all of the latest versions of WordPress core and associated plugins.

If a major update is released before a quarterly update is due we will action the major update immediately as these generally contain important security updates.

*Supported Plugins include any plugins that are compatible with the latest version of WordPress and have over 500,000 installs or an average rating above 4 out of 5 stars. Plugins that do not meet the criteria of a supported plugin can be updated but any issues that arise from their update will incur charges to rectify. If there are plugins with associated fees these are not included in our update procedure.

If this all seems confusing, no worries. Our team will be happy to talk through all of the ins and outs of WordPress updates and skip the jargon. We always price your package based on your own website and requirements, so you will never pay for more than you need.