WordPress Maintenance Packages

Do I need WordPress maintenance package?

In short. Yes. There are a multitude of reasons as to why you should have a comprehensive WordPress maintenance package. In this article we are going to cover the three main reasons.

You can click the links below to jump to a specific section. 

Keeping your WordPress website from being hacked.

WordPress is commonly targeted by malicious hackers due to the massive number of businesses that use it. Estimates put the total number of WordPress websites upwards of 450 million, or roughly 43% of all websites on the internet. So yes, your WordPress website needs a maintenance plan to keep it safe, secure, and online so that your company is available to your customers 24/7.

You don’t want to be “that guy” that realizes you needed a WordPress maintenance package until it was too late. At this point, website owners usually find themselves thinking…  Do I have a website backup? Is my site completely toast? How much down time will there be? How much is it to fix a hacked website?

While all these real concerns, they can be avoided by maintaining and monitoring your website on a regular basis and at an affordable cost. And, when you compare it to WordPress website recovery cost or rebuilding a lost website, it’s a drop in the bucket.

So, how do you mitigate hackers?

  • STRONG passwords. Using the same password that you use everywhere else is a big no-no.
  • Keep plugins up to date. WordPress plugins are how most WordPress websites end up hacked through some kind of vulnerability. You can get a weekly vulnerability report updating you on which plugins have been exposed, patched versions and whether they can even be fixed here.
  • Keep the WordPress core version up to date.
  • Make sure your website is secure with an SSL certificate.
  • Utilize 3rd party website forms for website submissions and collecting customer information. These forms are also great for automating and integrating various CRM software and systems.
  • Minimalize your plugins by using 3rd party software applications.

The reality is all websites, even the big dogs like your Experian’s and Yahoo’s have been susceptible to successful hacks, so anything you can do to improve security is imperative.

Maintain your site to avoid critical errors.

Hackers aren’t your only threat. We’ve been contacted several times by business owners who can’t access their websites and have no clue why. The answer? Usually, an automatic update that either conflicts with your website’s current WordPress version or an outdated plugin that no longer works with the latest version of WordPress.  Sometimes plugin authors will ditch updates all together, requiring you to find another solution.

WordPress websites utilize plugins for added features. These plugins must be kept up to date and tested against other plugins to avoid conflicts which can cause your website to crash. As bad as a hacker? No.  But still not something you want to deal with. When your website can’t be reached online, you’re losing business and more likely to a competitor.

By keeping your websites software and plugins up to date, you reduce the chance of this happening and if it does, you’re ready immediately with automated WordPress backups.

A good rule of thumb before updating a plugin on WordPress is to click “View Details” of the plugin you are looking to update. Here you will find the basics and notes about the latest version such as.

  • Plugin version.
  • The plugin author.
  • When it was last updated.
  • Which WordPress version is required.
  • Which WordPress version it is tested to.
  • The required PHP version to securely run the plugin.

Keeping plugins and your WordPress core version up to date will help mitigate most issues WordPress website owners face.

Maintain and increase website speed.

You want to always ensure that your website is running smoothly. This will not only improve your search engine performance, but your customer journey as well. This is also one of the best ways to increase conversions and keep customers coming back.

Another added benefit to increased site speed is the direct impact it lends to your website’s search engine performance.

How does website speed effect SEO?

  • Page load speed is one a key determining factors for Google’s algorithm.
  • Google’s “job” is to serve its user base the best online experience. Faster websites provide a better user experience, therefore are served more frequently in organic SEO results.
  • Faster page speed leads to longer time on websites. This decreases your bounce rate proving to Google you are serving users’ authoritative content.

So, what are the other benefits of a fast-loading website?

  • Increased page views.
  • Increased click through rates.
  • Better conversion rates.
  • Offer customers the best online experience.

As one of your business’s most important assets. Your website should be looked at as a long-term investment, meaning regular maintenance is a must to keep it atop the rankings and operating efficiently.

At 2Rivers Media, we understand the importance of keeping your WordPress website running smoothly and securely. Our comprehensive WordPress maintenance packages are designed to take the hassle out of website maintenance, allowing you to focus on your core business while we handle the technical details.

With our team of experienced WordPress experts, we provide regular updates, backups, security scans, performance optimizations, and more to ensure your website stays secure, up-to-date, and running at its best.

Contact 2Rivers Media today to see how we can help keep your website online, safe and secure for your customers 24/7.