Last Updated on: March 2, 2022
WordPress makes managing your site simple… but that does not mean it is fully maintenance-free.
Neglecting the maintenance of your website could potentially:
- Lower your search engine rankings
- Add seconds to your website loading time
- Leave your site vulnerable to hackers
Performing WordPress routine maintenance on your website not just keeps it running perfectly, but can also help improve traffic and build your relationship with your audience.
Here are some of the WordPress maintenance tasks to do:
Scan for security problems
It is vital to scan your WordPress website regularly for security problems such as viruses, malware, and suspicious code.
We advise installing the free Wordfence plugin, which contains a range of security specs. To start a security scan, simply go to Wordfence > Scan and clicking begin new scan.
If your WordPress website has any security problems, Wordfence will advise ways to fix them.
Monitor website speed
In today’s quick-paced globe, a fast-loading WordPress site is essential. Speed is vital not just for the best user experience but also to increase your search engine rankings.
As part of your regular website maintenance, we advise checking your website speed with Google PageSpeed. This is a free online tool that contains desktop and mobile scores plus detailed advice for website speed improvements.
Review Google analytics
With Google Analytics on your WordPress site, you get lots of helpful data about your users and their behavior. It is vital to check this analytics data regularly so you can view patterns and make data-driven plans to optimize the site performance.
As part of your regular WordPress maintenance, we suggest logging into Google analytics and considering what is working well and what content may need high improvement.
Have a clean-up
The more edit and update your WordPress website, the more it becomes clogged up with old images, content, and files. As this slows your website down, it is value giving your site a clean-up as part of your WordPress maintenance.
For content and imagery, you will need to go into your Posts and Media library to delete any unused, old, or duplicate items manually. Luckily, for your WordPress database, it is super-simple schedule regularly, mechanical clean-ups with a plugin like WP-Sweep.
Comment moderation
Comment moderation includes:
- Responding to comments
- Approving pending comments
- Marking spam comments
Not only is responding to comments just common courtesy, but it can also be a remarkable way to raise engagement. Replying a comment prompts the commenter to return to your website to view your reply.