A relatively captive audience may have been a possibility in the early days of the Internet. Nowadays, however, there is very likely no shortage of others with the same to say as what you’ve got to add to any conversation on any subject. That doesn’t mean you’re any less of the expert on it if you genuinely are the expert, but if you have a WordPress blog or a WordPress website then there’s plenty to do to ensure your quality content is best positioned in the sea of content that exists out there. WordPress updates are needed.
The enduring popularity of this online publishing platform has endured for decades now, and it reflects the fact that WordPress is perennially usable for people who need a very basic means of publishing a blog online or having a DIY website that is good enough for their simpler aims with it. Some of you may have a blog or site that hasn’t had any changes to the web infrastructure of it since its inception, and if so and you are wondering why you are not getting the same traffic as before then we need to start looking at the benefits of updating WordPress.
The reason being that simply improving website SEO for WordPress isn’t the all-encompassing solution for increasing your blog or website’s visibility with the audience you’re aiming to have it be more visible to. There is plenty more that goes into the equation and with newest update there are so many new WordPress features that are going to appeal even if your aims are simpler and you just want to make your pages look better and promote greater interactivity with a – hopefully – growing audience.
So what we’re going to do with this blog entry is go over 6 reasons why WordPress updates are something you should be considering if what you’ve got on the web is in need of a makeover. We’ll also look briefly at ways to improve website speed for WordPress and what’s the best approach for WordPress bug fixes if you need them.
Mandatory Move
The fast-paced world of website management makes keeping your WordPress site up to a real necessity and it has become more than just a good practice. Some would even say it’s essential. Regular WordPress updates can provide you with the peace of mind that your site is set up for optimal function and also safe from malware threats or other undesirable outcomes. When you consider that is doesn’t require much of you to implement them, why wouldn’t you choose to give your WordPress site a quick and effective optimization from time?
The reason it’s needed is that WordPress is continually evolving, and with it comes new features, improvements and security patches bundled into each update. We’re more than 2/3 of the way through 2024 now, but over the entire course of 2023 over 75% of WordPress sites used version 6 of the platform. That’s a solid adoption rate, but we can say clearly that that the other 25% choosing to remain on older versions chose to be at a disadvantage too. Especially with the way they’re exposed to security risks plus missing out on new features.
It is important to secure your WordPress site. With regular updates your website stays secure, compatible with the latest web standards, and performs without any types of limitations based on not being up to date with the standards or other factors that will either benefit or impeded a website.
Right then, let’s move onto the 6 reasons you should always proceed with WordPress updated when they become available with the newest version of WordPress
Maintain website reputability
A website that remains outdated is going to be more vulnerable to infection with malware, and if that occurs then it is possible that criminals operating online may use your website as a vehicle to conduct attacks on other websites, and they generally tend to aim for bigger fish - financial institutions, streaming sites like Netflix, all sorts of spots connected to social media platforms like Facebook, and others. Before you’re even aware of what has happened your site or blog may end up being blacklisted by Google Safe Browsing via anti-virus software or by major browsers.
That’s going to be a headache on a large scale, and so it’s something you want to avoid and it is why WordPress security updates are so important. Again, this isn’t going to cost you anything and it’s quite simple to have WordPress updated, so be smart and prevent any type of infection before it even has a chance to start. There’s so many more of them out there nowadays, and any cyber security expert is going to tell you that the risk is only going to increase from here on out. We’ll add as well that going with the best managed WordPress hosting Canada here at 4GoodHosting is going to be better for built-in security too
Enhance Website Security
We’ll continue with that aspect, and say further that security is increasingly a top priority with website management, but that is even more important when you have a WordPress website for a business. When you update your WordPress you will be equipping your site with the latest security patches. Putting updated patches in place is everything when it comes to making website hacking or data breaches very unlikely.
The way WordPress is an open-source platform is a big part of why it’s been so successful and so widely used, but at the same time being open-source makes it a target for hackers. Regular updates will come with vital fixes for known vulnerabilities, and staying on top of those new and ever-changing viabilities is a big part of ensuring your site's safety.
Instant Access to New Features
Regular updates give users access to the latest WordPress features and functionalities. The developers at WordPress are renowned for the way they continue rolling out new and innovative ways to make your WordPress site that much better, and with WordPress V6 they’ve done that yet again. These WordPress updates will enhance your website’s capabilities and provide you with a whole bunch more customization options.
Look no further than the advancements like the Gutenberg block editor and the Site Health tool. Each of these is continuously refined, and when you take advantage of them and all the other advancements you enable your WordPress site to spread its wings and operate at maximum capability. You just need to choose to go ahead and do it, and that’s why we are so big on the benefits of updating WordPress.
Boost Website Speed
We said we’d touch on ways to improve website speed for WordPress, and so here it is. Choosing to stick with an older version of WordPress is very likely going to slow it down. Each new version of WordPress brings performance improvements that enhance the speed that your website is capable of running at, and that is directly connected to user experience and how favorably your site is going to be regarded by these users.
This is even more important as page load speed is part of the criteria that search engines evaluate when it comes to page rankings. If you’re in business with a WordPress website, you had better be putting importance on that.
Consider this – there are studies that have shown that around 40% of visitors will leave a page if it takes more than 3 seconds for it to load on an e-commerce website. Faster websites not only offer a better user experience but also rank higher in search engine results. That’s the plain facts of the matter and it’s yet another reason why it is important to keep a WordPress site updated.
Resolve Bugs & Issues
Next we go to WordPress bug fixes, and that capability is another part of why these updates are so recommended. Updates are vital for fixing bugs that may occur in major releases, and when they are fixed then your site's stability and functionality is improved. Even minor WordPress releases focus on resolving specific issues, and that is essential for a seamless user experience too.
If you’ve ever spent any time reading through WordPress forums you’ll see that getting the lates WordPress update is often what is suggested as a first step in troubleshooting bugs. Want to be as bug-free as possible for your site, and have that be the case for the long foreseeable future? Get the latest version of WordPress.
Maintain Compatibility
Regular updates of all WordPress components, including themes, plugins, and your WordPress core ensures they’re all from the same ‘generation’ and cross-compatible for your site. Updating some components and leave others as they are and you may find you now have incompatibilities that are hindering your website.
If you have a complex website that uses several plugins, it is recommended to wait a few weeks before upgrading as major upgrades may break some plugins/themes.
How to Update a WordPress Site
All of you who are now persuaded to update can do so from either your WordPress dashboard or cPanel. As we said it is a pretty straightforward process to do it yourself, and if not then you can pay a webmaster to do it for you. Talk to our customer support staff here with the best web hosting in Canada at 4GoodHosting.
The one thing you do need to do is ensure you have a working backup before making any changes. By having the backup in place you can quickly revert to your previous installation if any problems occur. We’ll recommend managed WordPress hosting here too, because with it you can create a staging site to test out the new version. This will create a copy of your live website in a separate staging environment for testing.
Considerations Before the Update
Before you go ahead and implement any of the WordPress updates it's important to take care of a few things first so you avoid potential risks. Here’s what you need to consider before getting started.
- Plugin/Theme Incompatibility - not all plugins or themes may be compatible with the newest WordPress update. You may have your eye on some of them and be planning to have the worked into your site following the update, but a mismatch can sometimes cause issues with your website's functionality.
- Bugs – unfortunately new updates may have their own set of bugs. WordPress is on top of this stuff, and they will remedy the situation quickly if so but you still need to be prepared to deal with this and if you go to WordPress support forums you may be able to be tipped off to them.
- Importance of Backups – Again, be sure to back up your site before proceeding with any updates. You’re creating a safety net by doing so, allowing you to restore your site to its previous state if there are any problems down the road.
- Use a Staging Site - Anyone with a more complex website with numerous plugins are advised to test their updates on a staging site first. This approach helps identify and resolve issues before they impact your site once it goes live with the update in place.
Tracking Update Availability
The official WordPress website is going to be your primary source for staying informed with new WordPress releases. You’ll have a cPanel made available to you through your Canadian web hosting provider. Go there by pressing the WP icon you see with the interface in the Admin panel. Once it opens you’ll see whether or not a new WordPress update is available.
What’s good about this is you can select to receive automatic updates for your site. Of course we think that’s your best choice, and what’s also good is that you can make customizations to your updates.
Auto-update is recommended for minor versions. The consensus is that manual testing is advisable for major versions before updating. And provided plugins are reputable and trustworthy then auto-update is good for those too. But for plugins with dependencies – including the super popular WooCommerce for WordPress that is a standard choice for eCommerce websites – it is going to best to do your updates manually. The same will go for custom themes, and especially those with child themes.
FAQs
Why should I update my WordPress site regularly?
The two primary reasons you should get regular updates for a WordPress site as soon as they become available are improved functionality and better web security. Updates will include improved structure for plugin functionality plus the latest and best patches to address bugs and / or security risks.
Will updating WordPress affect my website’s speed?
Yes, and beneficially so. WordPress updates will ensure that your pages load with as much speed as possible, and this is beneficial for both user experience and page rankings via search engines like Google and Bing. You can test your website speed after an update and it is quite likely it will be faster after the update.
Can updating WordPress resolve existing bugs on my site?
Yes. WordPress bug fixes are always a leading focus for the developers when they are putting together the most recent WordPress updates. You can expect to see existing bugs addressed along with any of them that may be the result of a previous update. This is all part of the appeal of keeping a WordPress site current with updates.
Is it safe to auto-update WordPress plugins?
Choosing auto-updates for WordPress plugins is only recommended for plugins that are known to be reputable and trustworthy, and one way to determine this is to only consider plugins that are among the most used ones through WordPress. This information as well as reviews of the security of WordPress plugins can be easily found online.
How can I backup my WordPress site before updating?
You have two options here: you can backup the website using your hosting via SiteGround, or you can do it a WordPress plugin like All in One WP Site Migration. It is important to do a site-wide backup before updating WordPress or any major plugins. It is also advisable to conduct a full when you are choosing to update any more than 6 WordPress plugins at the same time.
