What is WordPress website maintenance?
WordPress maintenance is a broad term that refers to a range of tasks used to keep your WordPress site running smoothly. Some people may not be aware of the importance of performing regular maintenance on their WordPress site, especially if they are new to WordPress. Even if you are new to WordPress it is possible to perform site maintenance yourself, however, when you are busy with other things, you may not have the time for this.
But just what does maintaining a WordPress website entail exactly? Well, maintaining your website includes a number of tasks that may come up on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis. These tasks include:
Backing up your site: This is a necessary step for any website owner. It's like an insurance policy for your website. If your website is hacked, your content is accidentally deleted or a software update error occurs, you can always restore an older version from the backup. The backup should be saved in different locations so that in case of a security breach, you can access the data from a different location.
Updating WordPress to latest version: WordPress is constantly being updated. This is done to fix bugs, add new features and fix any security vulnerabilities that can manifest over time. You should stay updated with the latest version to ensure that your site is as safe as possible.
Keeping themes and plugins updated: Keeping themes and plugins up to date is a must. Good plugins are updated regularly in order to fix potential security issues, apply bug fixes, and to stay compatible with the latest version of WordPress. If you miss these updates, you may not get the latest features and benefits. Worse still your site could become insecure. For more info on this topic you can read my post on WordPress vulnerabilities.
Clearing the cache: Caches are saved files which can help the site load faster. But if they are not cleared, they can build up and cause site bloat which can in fact have the opposite effect. Clearing the cache periodically can solve this problem.
Optimise your database: The database of a WordPress site is the core of the site and it consists of structured data. As time passes, the database can collect unnecessary information, such as trashed posts. If you do not clean your database periodically, it may take up a lot of space and slow down your site. You can optimize your database by removing unnecessary data.
Why WordPress maintenance is beneficial to your website
Maintaining your WordPress site is important to its long-term stability and security. As we just discussed, there are a number of benefits that come with regular maintenance. These include faster loading times and increased security for your site.
When choosing a WordPress maintenance service, you need to have a clear idea of what your personal needs are so you can find the right service for your site. Macaroni Media offer two support packages which are designed to be flexible to meet the needs of most sites. If, however, you require more features than are included in either of the core packages below or you just want something more bespoke then please get in touch for a more personalised plan.
Macaroni Media WordPress maintenance plan comparison:
| WordPress core updates | ||
| Theme & plugin updates | ||
| Regular database backups* | ||
| Up-time monitoring | ||
| Weekly security scan | ||
| Monthly site health report | ||
| Daily full site backups | ||
| Annual support included** | 180 minutes | 360 minutes |
| Annual price | £180 | £360 |
| Whos it for? | Best for smaller sites with infrequent updates | Best for larger/growing sites with frequent updates or sites with an active blog |
*Database backups are taken when any plugin, theme or WordPress core updates take place for easy rollback and recovery if required.
**This time can be spent investigating site issues and minor updates to your site content. It’s recommended that any additions and major updates to your website be quoted separately.
