Peace of mind has never been more important

4 reasons WordPress maintenance is a worthwhile investment

Optimal performance and providing a safe & secure environment

Regular WordPress maintenance is essential to maintaining optimal performance and providing a safe and secure environment for users. Whatever CMS platform you use, setting a budget aside for regular maintenance post-launch makes sense. Perhaps surprisingly, of all websites using WordPress CMS, only 62.2 per cent use the latest version, 5.8. Just less than 40 per cent of websites are yet to upgrade to the newest version, which could potentially pose a security risk if left unchecked.

Your developer will ensure that your newly launched website is performing to best effect. But they can’t stop the inevitable updates that will occur in WordPress, via hosting companies, or through third-party integrations. Rather than waiting for an issue to arise that adversely affects your site, it’s usually better to incorporate the need for a cost-effective monthly maintenance plan into your initial brief. That way, your specialist WordPress web design agency not only be on hand to fix issues, but they will most likely have captured them before they come to anyone’s attention at the front end.

Still not convinced? Here are four good reasons to budget for regular WordPress maintenance in your website build schedule.

0 %

of all WordPress installs are not using the latest version*

*Correct at the time of writing this blog post (13.12.21)

1. A higher-performing website

WordPress and associated site plugins are constantly being updated to deliver optimal performance for its users. The best way to ensure your site runs as quickly and smoothly as possible is to regularly carry out core WordPress updates. Plugin updates will also be required if third-party plugins are in use on your site. At Feel Created, we limit our third-party plugin usage to avoid this issue, creating custom functionality as required for our clients. A cost-effective monthly maintenance plan is usually the best option as your development team can set aside regular time for updates. Rather than waiting for things to noticeably 'break' on the front end, your team will be on top of maintenance behind the scenes.

2. A more secure website

No website is immune to cyber-attacks. When properly maintained, a WordPress website is as secure as its counterparts. Regular WordPress maintenance identifies any vulnerabilities or security concerns before they become a problem. Don't think it’s money well spent? Well, a secure, up-to-date site is not only beneficial to you as the business owner, but also to your customers. To ensure your website continues to function correctly, security updates are a must. Not only that, but security systems that arise in your site and cause the consumer a headache are a sure-fire way to erode brand trust.

3. Added value from new features

As a specialist WordPress web development agency, we build custom websites, and we deliver the look and functionality that our clients specify without relying on set themes. This said, WordPress maintenance updates often include new features, and as a bonus to regular maintenance, your development team could suggest how these might enhance your site. We utilise WordPress because of how user-friendly it is for content creators post-launch. In addition to upgrading the look and feel of the site, updates can also be of benefit to those inputting content. Without regular maintenance, these added-value suggestions would not be made. And, rather than your site improving over time, it is much more likely to decline.

4. Quick access to support if a problem arises

All companies have been there. The company website has gone down due to a back-end issue, and it was (embarrassingly!) a client that noted the problem. Cue a frantic call to the developers that built the site. It’s more than likely that your original development team will do what they can to help solve the problem. But in doing so, they will have to reschedule their day to help. It can often take hours of work to fix issues on sites that have fallen behind. If a regular maintenance plan is agreed upon upfront, your site will perform well most of the time. So, it's less likely a major crisis will occur. However, it will be easier for your development team to get on top of and fit into their schedule if it does happen.

WordPress maintenance can be cost-effective, and you could also say that it is as essential to keeping a well-maintained website up and running as hosting. If you’re considering a new web build, it’s worth speaking to us about the available WordPress maintenance packages to get the best return on investment (ROI) on your website spend.

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