Although WordPress is an easy platform for building a new website, it does require consistent and regular maintenance. A website that is not updated and maintained correctly can lower your rankings on search engines, slow down your website’s performance, and leave your online space wide open for hackers.

Performing specific maintenance tasks on a regular basis will keep your website running smoothly and performing optimally.

Check and Update All Themes & Plugins

Because WordPress is so popular it is a common target for hackers. A website using an older version of WordPress makes it easier for hackers to invade. By updating these items you are building tighter security, making it more difficult for others to break into the back end of your website.

Remove Unused Themes & Plugins

Running a website may find you changing themes and adding new plugins, meaning there are elements of your website you are no longer using. These unused themes and plugins can leave your site vulnerable, causing it to run slow and clunky.

Fix All Broken Links

Every few months it’s a good idea to test all the links on your website. As you’re adding new content, you may find there are links that are no longer relevant. If you’re short on time, test a page a day until you’ve checked the entirety of your online space. Delete the links that are no longer necessary or out of date, and fix the ones that need to be updated.

Test Your Website’s Performance

There are a number of plugins that can help you determine the specific areas of your site that are running poorly. A simple web search will give you a list of several plugins that will be helpful for checking the performance of your site. Since you are consistently adding products, blog articles, images, and other items this is necessary to keep your website working at its best.

Do you consistently maintain and update your website?