Technology has changed dramatically over the years. When I started designing websites, it was easy to put up a few HTML pages and leave them alone for years without updates or changes. As time passed, security issues from hackers and malware became an issue through poor passwords or coding that could easily be hacked or infected. That being said, back in those days, it didn’t happen too often. Then smart phones and tablets of various sizes were added to the viewing audience and so many other changes since that time. Note that, “those days” are long gone. The changes over the years reflect the expansion of the web, both the good and the bad. WordPress, the foundation or core of the majority of the websites designed by McAllister Park, requires many parts to produce your website, which, when finally completed, is where maintenance comes in.
Did You Know? WordPress is open-source software that powers more than 43% of the web, which is leaps and bounds ahead of the next most popular content management system.
Source: https://wordpress.com/go/website-building/how-much-does-wordpress-website-cost/
Case study: A recent customer’s website was set up to update the WordPress core and plugin files automatically. They opted out of the maintenance plan, which covers regular “on and off” server backups, security reviews, and updates.
We were notified that the website was “down” during the holidays. In reality, it was disabled with the “White Screen of Death.” One of the plugins on their site was abandoned by its developer (not updated and never would be), and another plugin had not been updated to work with the recent core update of WordPress1. As a result, not only did it turn off the website content, but it also allowed the site to be infected with malware, leaving quite a mess, with approximately 5 hours in repairs and fixes.
Relying on the “auto” system to update, while it looks like it simplifies things, can cause hours of work to repair and restore.
WordPress utilizes databases as well as other files. Without regular backups of both parts, you can’t restore a site in minutes, reverting to a prior version that hadn’t been updated, or was without malware. Offsite backups are also crucial because a server failure, although rare, could leave you without a website for days or weeks as they restore the huge servers. Although compressed, offline and online backup storage does take space on servers, increasing costs.
Another consideration is the time and knowledge of the people handling your maintenance. Their time keeping up to date on security warnings, checking for malware and manually updating your website to avoid potential plugin or theme conflicts is all part of the costs involved with maintaining your website.
Now, I know this sounds like a sales pitch, but that isn’t entirely my intent except to say that if you don’t pay someone to watch over your website, you should learn to do it yourself, or it could result in high costs of repair or, worst-case scenario, the complete loss of your website. With each website McAllister Park designs, we provide you with a owner’s manual that includes a list of maintenance the site needs to be done on a regular basis. If you don’t have it, we will be happy to provide you with a replacement copy.
In conclusion, be aware of potential hazards and issues with your website from security to the various weekly, monthly and yearly tasks that are important to your website’s health and ongoing peak performance. Don’t wait until something breaks or you may find your entire site needs to be rebuilt.
1While we make every effort to review and vet plugins used in your website design, there is no way to predict the future actions of the developers.