Most business owners know that it’s important to have anti-virus software installed on their computer, especially if the computer is connected to the Internet.
But their business website is also stored on a computer connected to the Internet.
Most people assume that their web hosting company will keep their site safe, but this is only partly true.
Keeping your website working properly requires regular attention.
Just like the apps on your phone, or the software on your computer, the software which runs your website needs to be kept up-to-date.
We use WordPress software on all of our clients’ sites, and the core software gets a major update around 3 times a year. There are also frequent minor updates, which provide bug fixes and security improvements.
WordPress plugins and themes are also updated frequently.
It’s very important to keep the core software, plugins and themes updated, as this is the first line of defence against hackers.
If hackers are able to get access to your website, they could cause irreparable damage to your business’ reputation and revenues. They could steal passwords or user information, install malware and even upload malicious files to your visitors’ computers.
Hackers use automated software to find vulnerable websites, and install scripts which give them backdoor access. They can then add links to your web pages, like the example below:
Setting up a network of thousands of hacked sites with links to their own sites can be lucrative – and it’s a numbers game. And unless you check your website regularly, it could be weeks or even months before you find out about this kind of attack.
In March 2016, Google stated that they had issued more than 50 million warnings about websites which may steal information or distribute malware.
If you are generating revenue from your website, whether directly or indirectly, you should be paying extra attention to the security of your site. Just as you have a responsibility to keep your business premises secure, it’s also your responsibility to protect your website.
You know that your car won’t keep going for very long if you don’t maintain it. The same applies to your website. Over time, links to other websites stop working, plugins start causing problems and your search engine rankings decline.
Idealmedia Marketing offers WordPress Website Care Plans which will ensure that your website is always presenting your business in the best possible light.
What Do We Do?
The first thing we’ll do is make a backup of your site, and start creating daily backups. That way, if something goes wrong, we can restore a fresh version of your website.
When we perform updates, we’ll first check that your site is behaving properly, update, then check the site again in case of problems caused by the update. If necessary we can roll back the update to restore the previous behaviour.
Our WordPress Website Care plans also include daily integrity monitoring and malware scanning, so that we’re notified if your site gets hacked. Our Standard plan also includes Uptime Monitoring – every 60 seconds, your site is checked to ensure that it’s still working.
Our Website Care plans also include small changes or updates to your website content – need to change your opening hours, add a testimonial or a new staff member? We can take care of it for you.
Can’t I Save Money Doing It Myself?
You can certainly maintain your site yourself, but it won’t necessarily save you money. In fact, it might cost you more than you’d think. There’s a reason you probably get a professional car mechanic to fix problems with your car. You could do it yourself, but it would probably take longer, and the chances of accidentally doing more damage because of small oversights is dramatically increased.
Your Time Is Valuable
Time is a finite resource. You know that you should be making the best use of your time, which probably means using it to find new ways to help your customers. We can keep your website safe and up-to-date at a reasonable cost so that you don’t need to find the time to do it yourself.
You can find out more here: IdealMedia WordPress Website Care Plans