If your business website is built on WordPress, you’ve probably seen notifications asking you to update WordPress, your plugins or your theme. It’s easy to ignore these when your website appears to be working perfectly well. However, keeping WordPress updated is an important part of maintaining a secure, reliable and well-functioning website.
So why do these updates matter?
1. Better Website Security
Security is one of the main reasons for keeping WordPress updated.
WordPress, plugin and theme developers regularly release updates that address newly discovered vulnerabilities and security issues.
Running significantly outdated software can potentially leave your website exposed to issues that have already been fixed in newer versions.
Updates alone don’t guarantee website security, but they’re an important part of maintaining a WordPress website.
2. Keep Plugins & Themes Up to Date
Most WordPress websites rely on plugins for functionality such as contact forms, SEO, page building, security, backups and integrations.
Your theme also plays an important role in how your website looks and functions.
Developers regularly update plugins and themes to fix bugs, improve compatibility and introduce new features.
Keeping them reasonably current helps ensure the different components of your website continue working together.
3. Improve Compatibility
A WordPress website is made up of several technologies working together:
WordPress → Theme → Plugins → Hosting → Integrations
Problems can occur when one component becomes significantly outdated while everything else continues to move forward.
For example, an older plugin may eventually become incompatible with a newer version of WordPress.
Regular maintenance helps reduce these compatibility problems.
4. Benefit From Bug Fixes & Improvements
Not every WordPress update is security related.
Updates can also include bug fixes, performance improvements and new functionality.
These improvements might affect anything from the WordPress editing experience and mobile compatibility to forms, website performance and administration tools.
Keeping your website updated means you can benefit from these ongoing improvements.
5. Can WordPress Updates Cause Problems?
Occasionally, yes.
An updated plugin could potentially conflict with another plugin, your theme or bespoke functionality.
This is particularly relevant for older or heavily customised websites.
That’s why WordPress maintenance shouldn’t always mean simply logging in and clicking Update All.
Where appropriate, backups should be available and important areas of the website should be checked following updates to make sure everything continues to work correctly.
What Happens If You Don’t Update WordPress?
Your website won’t necessarily stop working as soon as an update becomes available.
The problem usually develops over time.
A website that hasn’t been maintained for months or years can eventually be running outdated versions of WordPress alongside numerous outdated plugins and themes.
This can potentially lead to:
- Security vulnerabilities
- Compatibility problems
- Broken functionality
- Website errors
- More complicated future updates
Regular maintenance is generally much easier than trying to bring a website that’s several years out of date completely up to date.
Website Hosting vs Website Maintenance
These are two different services that are often confused.
Website hosting provides the infrastructure that allows your website to be available online.
Website maintenance looks after the software running your website, including WordPress, plugins, themes and relevant security updates.
Having good website hosting doesn’t automatically mean your WordPress website is being maintained.
Let NetCreater Look After Your WordPress Website
If you don’t want to worry about managing WordPress updates yourself, NetCreater provides straightforward monthly WordPress Website Maintenance packages.
Our Essential Maintenance package covers:
WordPress Updates • Plugin & Theme Updates • Security Updates
For businesses that would also like help keeping their website content current, our Managed Maintenance package includes routine content management too.
Additional functionality, new features and bespoke development are quoted separately.
Keep Your Website Updated Without the Hassle
VIEW OUR WEBSITE MAINTENANCE PACKAGES
Or speak to our team on 01895 541 108 or hello@netcreater.co.uk
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