January 2021: Is it Time for a Website Check?

By: Team WTI | Date: January 28, 2021

Categories: Team WTI Articles,

It’s just in our nature to purchase things and then not really think about maintaining the things you purchase. Sometimes you forget to change your furnace filter or get that oil change on your car. When you don’t maintain things, they can be costly down the road. It’s easy to think of these types of problems with your home or your car. Have you considered your website needs the same type of care? If not, you SHOULD be thinking about a website check. Your website has many moving parts. Here are some things to think about in 2021 that can save you money down the road on your website.

1. Website Forms: Test your website forms consistently. Website forms use SMTP and RECAPTCHA and these are updated and change often. Web browsers also change so it’s important to test them out on multiple browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. If you get an error or don’t receive the form in your email it may be time to get help!
2. WordPress Core Updates, Themes, and Plugins: If you are on our WordPress Managed Hosting, WordPress Core Updates and Plugin Updates are part of what is included in your plan. If not, it’s important to note that these updates come frequently. You may not want to make the change on updating these yourself as well. WordPress Core Updates and Plugin Updates need to be compatible with what you have installed on your website and can break parts of your site or affect the design. WordPress Theme updates are needed from time to time and can be a security issue (Hackers love an outdated theme!) so it’s important to have your site’s parent themes checked to make sure they don’t need updating regardless of what hosting plan you are on.
3. PHP Updates: This is a big one! There was a recent PHP update to version 8.0 that you very likely need for your website. For security purposes and to keep the most recent programming on your site for stability you will want to have your PHP version updated to the latest.
4. Other Updates: Google Maps and other website features may need updates from time to time. If you have a complex website you may have updates that are needed very consistently.

So What Are Your Options?

You have two options that are pretty simple! We offer checks and updates at our hourly rate but we also offer monthly maintenance. Check with our team. We can look at your website and recommend which option is best for you based on your hosting plan and the complexity of your website. Another thing to keep in mind for our web maintenance program is you aren’t just limited to programming updates. We can create new banners and make other cosmetic updates as well to keep your website fresh and looking new. Want to have your website check or interested in learning more about our web maintenance plan? Reach out to Jeremiah@teamwti.com to get started!