6 Dangers of Leaving Your WordPress Website Unattended

Ignoring your WordPress(WP) website update notifications might be one of the easiest things but also likely the most detrimental. Failure to update your website on time or leaving it in the hands of a non-experienced individual can wreak so much havoc on your business. By failing to upgrade your website on time, you are making your website vulnerable to malicious attacks as well as reducing its overall efficiency.

So what happens if you leave your website unattended for a long time? Here are six dangers:

The WP websites comprise multiple components. While the main WP team creates the core of the software, the themes and plugins are made by third-party organizations. Therefore, whenever WordPress releases an update, the developers of these apps update theirs too to make them compatible with the new WP version.

Thus, if you’re still using an old version of WP, a few themes and plugins will suddenly stop functioning on it because their compatibility no longer matches the version you’re using. The same also works the other way round. If you have updated the website but failed to update the themes and plugins, their old version will no longer function with the new version of WP.

When you’re using an old version of WordPress to power your business website, you tend to face website issues like redirected pages, slow loading speed, or navigation-related problems. By not updating your WP, you miss out on important bug fixes that could cause your site to malfunction.

Like any other software, WordPress developers add improvements and new features to existing versions. With these new features, WordPress sites have better functionality as well as features that translate to an improved user experience. Without any updates to your WP version, you’re at the risk of missing out on any new enhancements and features that can enhance your site and its user experience.

The truth is you can’t keep running on an old version endlessly. Sooner or later, it will be obligatory to upgrade your WP website in order to keep it up and running. Nevertheless, if you have missed a number of updates, then you are at risk of losing a lot of essential data. This sudden update could also affect or break your website.

While there are many reasons for your website to be hacked, outdated WordPress versions or themes/plugins can be one of the most prevalent causes. According to WPBeginner statistics, 86% of the hacked WP websites contain outdated WP plugins and theme versions. And the reason why hackers target old WordPress sites is pretty simple. When developers remedy security flaws in a particular version by releasing an update, it’s revealed that the specific WP version has a security flaw.

Cybercriminals only need to search for websites as well as themes/plugins using that old version and exploit it to their benefit. So, the more time you take to update your website, the easier it is for hackers to compromise it.

Frequently, when a new update arrives, the users, as well as developers, tend to talk about it widely. Thus, if you require some online support to make changes to your older version, you’ll have to search for answers relating to the older versions extensively.

It’s crucial to update your WP website to keep it safe and secure against cybercriminals. Prolonging updating by trying to run the maintenance by yourself or trusting someone who is unskilled can snowball into bigger and more problems that can even lead to complete site breakdown.

Again, regularly updating your website comes with a lot of benefits. The updates keep your site running at optimal performance and speed. This helps to enhance your SEO rankings, thereby improving your visibility, traffic, and revenue.

Do not hesitate any longer! At 406 Marketing & Design, we are a team that truly believes that your site should work for your business. We intentionally help you build/keep your WP website updated in order to professionally communicate your brand value, represent your business, show up in search engines, and, most importantly, generate more leads.

Contact us today, and let’s help you redefine your WordPress website.

The post 6 Dangers of Leaving Your WordPress Website Unattended appeared first on 406 Marketing & Design.