maintenance best practices
Website maintenance is crucial because it ensures that your site remains secure, up-to-date, and functional. Regular updates, security patches, and content refreshes help keep your online presence reliable and user-friendly.
Managing updates for your WordPress and WooCommerce plugins is crucial for maintaining a secure and smoothly functioning website.
Here are some best practices to follow:
Back Up Your Site Regularly
Before making any updates, always create a full backup of your site, including the database and all files. This ensures you can restore your site if something goes wrong during the update process.
Test Updates in a Staging Environment
Before applying updates to your live site, test them in a staging environment. This helps identify any potential conflicts or issues without affecting your live site.
Disable Auto-Updates for Plugins
While auto-updates can be convenient, they might lead to compatibility issues or site disruptions. It’s often safer to manually manage plugin updates so you can control the timing and monitor the impact.
Enable Auto-Updates for WordPress Core
Keeping your WordPress core up to date is essential for security. Enabling auto-updates for the core can help ensure your site remains secure.
Regularly Check for Plugin Updates
Make it a habit to regularly check for updates for all your plugins. This helps ensure you are always running the latest versions with the newest features and security patches⁴.
Monitor Your Site After Updates
After updating, monitor your site closely for any issues. Check key functionalities, especially those related to WooCommerce, such as payment gateways and checkout processes.
Use Reliable Backup and Update Tools
Consider using tools like BlogVault or UpdraftPlus for backups and updates. These tools can automate parts of the process and provide additional safety features like visual regression testing and staging environments.
By following these best practices, you can help ensure that your WooCommerce site remains secure, functional, and up-to-date!
If you have any specific concerns or questions about managing updates on your site – give us a call (406) 777-8981 – we can help!
