Everyone remembers Ron Popeil. If not, think so; you probably have heard his famous catchy phrase: “Set it and forget it!” However, unlike Ronco’s rotisserie, the modern web cannot be switched on and left to run indefinitely. From software updates to technological advancements to malicious actors trying to harm your website, There is a myriad of possible obstacles to overcome that you must overcome to manage your web presence.
Here are some important tips to remember regardless of whether you’re planning to create a new site or just managing your current one. Get in touch for better service, Digital Marketing Agency.
Software Updates
Making updates available at a convenient time is essential. When a security flaw is fixed by the software provider and all malicious actors on the internet are aware of the vulnerability and, if you don’t upgrade your website, they will benefit from it. This is the reason we have turned on automated updates on all our clients on our hosting and suggest that everyone else follow the same procedure. Some believe that automatic updates create the possibility that an update could damage your website.
While this is true, numerous CMS companies such as WordPress have developed tools to detect issues and reverse an update or offer an option to deactivate an update that is not working. Anyone who’s faced the need to invest time and money to repair the hacker’s mess can say that a brief duration of downtime is far superior to the time required to eliminate malicious code from a website and the risk of reputational damage and loss of data.
Backups
The first hard drive was 3.75MB. It needed to be fitted with an air compressor (!) for operation, and was the lease was $7,500/month in current money. Cloud storage is affordable! It is possible to store 1GB for just 1/2 of a cent each month. There’s no reason to not backup all your site’s data to a third website. If you’re using a web hosting service and provide backups that are integrated, it’s an excellent feature. What happens if your host is experiencing technical issues or is compromised?
Your live website and backups simultaneously! The 3-2-1 rule for backups suggests that you have at minimum three jams of the data you have (live data and two backups) saved in two different formats, with at least one off-site. Suppose your web hosting provider offers integrated backups.
In that case, it is recommended to consider investing in a program like UpdraftPlus*, which automates backups of databases and files to a third-party service such as Backblaze B2*. You now have three backups and two locations, one that is “off-site” from your WebHost. Storage costs are low; however, your data is valuable.
Security Best Practices
All the security software can’t help you if your username is the administrator and your password reads “Password!”. If you’re using a specific password, tables that are pre-calculated of hashes could make your password guessable in just a few minutes or minutes. Free programs like Lastpass* are readily accessible to generate lengthy, totally random passwords and then remember them automatically. It’s only necessary to remember one password to open your vault of passwords.
If someone can compromise the password you have set, they aren’t able to access any other sites since it is not advisable to utilize the same password for at least one place…right? Remember to enable two-factor authentication. This is a security measure that prevents hackers from accessing your account by using your password without having a six-digit code on your phone or another device.
Changing Trends
Like acid-washed jeans or VHS tapes, fashions and technology become outdated as time passes. Even the most attractive website is likely to appear old-fashioned after a certain period. There’s no established period for when a site needs a visual refresh or an overhaul completely, but here are a few things to think about:
If your site has all the features you need but is outdated compared to places you think are top-of-the-line or don’t match your branding, you could need a fresh look.
The most recent websites can be easily altered by adding new features. Look at WordPress plugins that provide what you need or even hire an experienced web designer to help you.
In time, a website will get so old that the technology that it relies on cannot maintains. Like an old car in which parts for repair are no longer readily available, the operating and maintenance costs on websites like this will escalate to the point that it’s more affordable to build a new site.
Websites aren’t as durable as structures. They’re not going to last 50 years. If you begin the planning and budgeting process thinking that your site will require some work in the next 5 or 6 years. It’s easy to ensure that your site maintains over the long term and reap the most value from your investment.
If one of these scenarios sounds familiar, contact our team right now, and we’ll be more than happy to discuss ways we can aid your company.
All linked sites are affiliate hyperlinks. We do not earn any money from advertising these products. We have them in our house and love the products and hope that you will also profit from them.
Resources
- Security of the website
- Cloudflare (web application firewall)
- Wordfence (WordPress plugin for security plus 2FA)
Backups
- Backblaze B2 (cheap storage that is compatible with Amazon S3 API)
- UpdraftPlus (WordPress backup plugin).
