To-Do List to keep your Website Functional

By Andrea Wagner, CEO Wagner Web Designs, Inc.
For many website owners, they are so busy with their work flow that they neglect to update their site and make sure the content is accurate and the site is functional. A website (especially a WordPress site) will either require an update or automatically update at least twice a year. Depending on your sites age, and features, this may break a form, template or database. Whether we host your site or not, if you find any errors or need edits, please contact us right away!

Is your site more than 5 years old? Is it looking dated? We offer discounts on a redesign to our existing customers. Read “When is it time to redesign your site?”

Most of our sites are designed using a WordPress application that allows for creating design templates, easy edits and customization. As administrator of your site, we get email notices when a site is in need of updating. Below is an explanation of why we update.

• Security
• Updates are imperative to the security of your website. These updates help patch up any holes so hackers can’t get in.
• Performance

As with most technology, system updates help your website stay quick and responsive. Outdated WordPress releases or plug-ins can make your site seem glitchy and often cause your website not to function fully.

Your website speed, user experience, and core web vitals determine how your site ranks in search engines. The reason for this is simple; if your site loads slowly or a key plug-in doesn’t work properly, people will leave your site. This, in turn, will lower the ranking of your site in search engines like Google. If you log in and see updates are needed, let your developer know. Most will charge for the time to go thru each plugin, repair or replace to ensure the site maintains its peak performance.

Bug Fixes

Sometimes small glitches and problems on your site can be fixed with a simple update. Tests need to be run to ensure the updates do not cause failure due to outdated plugins. Bugs may be found in previous versions which we remove. Each update bumps up your security and improves your site’s performance. Nonetheless, one misstep can crash your website.