5 DIY Best Practices in Maintaining WordPress Websites

30th May 2023

woman using wordpress

Maintaining a WordPress website is crucial to ensuring it runs smoothly and efficiently. A well-maintained website enhances the user experience and improves search engine rankings. However, website maintenance can be time-consuming and expensive, especially for small businesses and individuals. But what are the best practices for maintaining WordPress websites? Here are some ideas.

1. Update Plugins and Themes

One of the most important aspects of website maintenance is updating plugins and themes. Outdated plugins and themes can cause security vulnerabilities and affect the website’s performance. Log in to the WordPress dashboard to update the plugins and navigate to the “Plugins” and “Appearance” sections. Check for any updates available and make sure to update them regularly.

2. Back-Up the Website

Backing up the website is essential to protect against data loss and failure. Numerous backup plugins for WordPress, such as UpdraftPlus, automatically back up the website on a schedule. It is recommended to back up the website at least once a week to ensure that data is not lost during a website crash or hack.

UpdraftPlus also provides cloud storage integration, allowing you to store your backups on cloud storage platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3. The feature adds an extra layer of security, as cloud storage is known for its reliability and safety. Meanwhile, encryption is another feature offered by UpdraftPlus.

3. Use Security Plugins

Security plugins are another vital aspect of website maintenance. WordPress websites are vulnerable to hacking attempts and malware attacks, which can compromise the website’s security and put sensitive data at risk. Installing a security plugin such as WordFence, iThemes Security, or Sucuri can help protect against these attacks.

A security plugin is a software tool that helps protect your website from various online threats. These threats include hacking attempts, malware attacks, and other malicious activities that can compromise your website’s security and put sensitive data at risk. By installing a security plugin, you can add a layer of protection to your website.

4. Fix Broken Links

Broken links lead to non-existent pages or content on the website. They can negatively impact the user experience and affect the website’s search engine rankings. Use a plugin such as Broken Link Checker to fix or manually check for broken links on the website. Update or remove broken links to ensure users are directed to relevant and valuable content.

5. Delete Spam Comments

Spam comments are unsolicited comments posted on the website, often containing links to malicious websites or irrelevant content. They can negatively impact the user experience and affect the website’s search engine rankings.

Log in to the WordPress dashboard and navigate to the “Comments” section to delete spam comments. Review comments carefully and delete any that are spam or irrelevant. It also helps to set up a comment review function to prevent users from commenting nonsense on the website.

Conclusion

Maintaining a WordPress website ensures it runs smoothly and efficiently. Updating plugins and themes, backing up the website, using security plugins, fixing broken links, and deleting spam comments are all vital DIY best practices for maintaining WordPress websites. By following these best practices, website owners can ensure their websites are secure, user-friendly, and optimised for search engines. While website maintenance can be time-consuming and expensive, these DIY best practices are easy to implement and can save website owners time and money in the long run.

Looking for reliable WordPress maintenance plans in the UK? Look no further! Our team of experts is here to provide you with the best site care and management services for your WordPress website. We offer various services, including security updates, backups, performance optimisation, and more. Contact us today to learn more about our site care and management services and how we can help you keep your WordPress website up-to-date and secure.

Gavin Pedley

Gavin Pedley

Gavin is the guy behind the award-winning ThriveWP. He has over 18 years of experience creating, developing, hosting and managing WordPress websites.

Gavin regularly shares his expertise via the ThriveWP blog and Youtube channel, where he creates informative and helpful WordPress tutorial videos.

Connect with Gavin on FacebookLinkedin or Twitter.

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