In Part I of this article, we left off talking about security. I can’t emphasize how important this is. You may possibly have your website live on the internet and never get hacked, just as you may own a car and never have it stolen.
Unfortunately it’s becoming more and more a case of “not if, but when” for getting attacked in some way. There is also simply a possibility that your site may break, the server may go down, or any number of cases which fall under the category of “s–t happens” which may cause a problem with your website. The internet is not yet a foolproof technology. Far from it.
This is why backups, as discussed in Part I, are so important. How much can you afford to have your website down for any length of time?
UPDATES
A WordPress website consists of the core WordPress files that are the backbone structure of your site, the theme which controls the way it looks, and the plugins that add functionality to your site.
An average wordpress site will have anywhere between five and fifteen plugins. Plugins allow you to have popups, forms, memberships, ecommerce, calendars, security, and a host of other things that will add to what your website can do, how it looks, or how it operates.
The other factor involved in security is that each of these three things – the WordPress core files, the theme, and all the plugins – are constantly being improved or revised by the people who make them. Many of these revisions are to improve the way they work, but many more are because the developers have discovered a “hole” in them through which a hacker can attack your site and the update they release is designed to plug that hole.
As well, if not updated, at some point the old plugin or theme will no longer work with the latest versions of other plugins or with WordPress itself, and your site can break.
If you do not keep all these things updated, you are asking for trouble.
Most people who own wordpress sites are not vigilant about going in every week, or even once a month, and making sure they update everything.
The best Managed WordPress hosting companies will do that as part of their service. It is very well worth the extra money.
A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING
Finally, if you need help with your site or something that has to do with your site, and you call tech support for your hosting company when they are not WordPress experts, you are again asking for trouble. Now you’ll have to hire the expert to help you, and pay them more than you saved by going with a cheaper hosting plan.
NOT CONVINCED?
If my advice in these two articles doesn’t sway you and you still feel that paying more for a good hosting plan is not worth it, all I can say is beware of being “pennywise and pound foolish”.
Your website at the very least represents your credibility, your brand, and your value online. At worst you depend on it for your business and can’t afford to have it broken or gone.
If you want to learn more, please reach out to us at hello@21thirteen.com or call 781 886 6050.
