One of our goals is to make sure our clients have the latest information and updates. As a WordPress user, the start of a new year is a reminder that WordPress websites do need to be updated on a fairly regular basis. As the “core” of WordPress changes, Plugins and Themes are forced to adapt. Most times as they change, they improve. But there are also times when plugin or theme updates cause problems, especially if multiple plugins are working together.
For that reason, we recommend a very careful updating process, that includes a complete backup prior.
We have many clients using WordPress. Because of this, and because each client’s setup is different (e.g. Hosting, theme, plugins, etc.), we would like to offer some ideas for updating WordPress in 2018. Of utmost importance is Security. Hackers are always trying to exploit applications, and often they find “loopholes” in software that is older and not updated.
That said, some options:
1) Please update your WordPress website frequently. Here’s a link to some tips to ensure a quality upgrade.
2) Backup your website frequently. Keep a copy of your website outside of your web hosting as a failsafe.
3) Consider doing Automatic Updates using your Hosting company’s built-in updating services, and/or install a WordPress Plugin like “Easy Updates Manager”. Caution: When you update automatically, problems may still arise. You always want to check in on your website, especially after updates complete, to make sure.
OR
Spark One is now offering a WordPress maintenance offer to our clients. For $50 per Quarter, we will backup your website, update all core files, Themes, and Plugins, and make sure your site is problem free.
If you elect to update your website yourself (or don’t update it), no problem. We are here to help if something “breaks” because it becomes outdated and / or if an automatic update does not go smoothly. We charge $80/hour for troubleshooting and resolution.
If you would like us to do a one-time (no Quarterly commitment) update of your WordPress, please let us know. The charge is $50 and will include a complete backup — but not a “remote” backup unless you let us know where you would like the backup saved, and only if it is connectable from WordPress and we have access to it.