WordPress is the most popular content management system powering 35% of the Internet’s websites and used by over one billion website owners. An astounding 37,000 websites are hacked daily, one of the many reasons to keep your WordPress website up-to-date. Here are some reasons why updating WordPress is critical to your business and online presence.
More Secure
WordPress is open source so when updates are published, hackers use free software to scour the Internet in search of vulnerable outdated websites. Even if you just have a small informational website, you could be at risk because most malicious scripts are not targeting any specific business. WordPress is vigilant about keeping its CMS secure and protecting its billions of users by releasing security patches every month or so. By keeping up with their updates, you are greatly reducing your risk of cybercrime and preventing future problems. A hacked website not only harms your customers and reputation but can take several weeks to clean and resubmit to Google.
Plugin Compatibility
If you are running an older version of WordPress and decide to install a new plugin, you might find that the plugin is incompatible or that you might not have all the latest features.
Get the Newest Features
WordPress is constantly coming up with new features. Some newer features of WordPress include being able to preview your website on mobile devices and inserting links and formatting with text shortcuts in Visual Editor. If you have an older version of WordPress, you could be doing things the long way. Updating ensures that you are doing everything the fastest and easiest way possible.
Avoid Glitches
An outdated WordPress website could have glitches because of new browsers, devices, and software coming out all the time. Updating will keep your users happy and returning.
In Conclusion
A robust WordPress website could last up to five years if you take care of it. Just like you visit your dentist to get your teeth professionally cleaned every 6 months, you need to maintain your WordPress website to protect your investment. Updating should also be left to a WordPress web developer because sometimes updates could break your website due to theme or plugin incompatibility issues. Please contact us our San Jose web development team if you need help updating your WordPress website to the latest version.