WordPress makes it easy to create a great looking website. So easy in fact, that sometimes we don’t take the precautions that we should with it. We assume that everything is safe because WordPress seems like a reliable tool. However, just like anything else, it has some dangers associated with it. To keep your website and information safe, here are a few precautions you should take whenever you create a website with WordPress.
Use Secure Hosting
One of the first things you should consider is your hosting provider. It’s essential that you have secure WordPress web hosting to ensure that all your files are protected. If you don’t run your site on a secure server, it won’t matter much what other security measures you put into place. Make sure you’re working with a reputable web hosting provider and that you’re using strong passwords on all your accounts.
Strong Passwords
Speaking of strong passwords, make sure you’re using them to log into your WordPress account as well. If your password is easy to guess, there’s a good chance that someone will try to break into your site. Once they’re in they can steal your information, post things on your behalf, and much more. When creating a WordPress password, it’s a good idea to choose something that’s a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, something that has a number in it, and something that has a symbol in it. Here are some tips for creating a strong password if you need suggestions.
Back Up Your Data
Next, it’s important that you back up all your data. Imagine creating a site and running it for over a year. You have hundreds of blog articles on there, not to mention custom images and videos, along with customer information. Now imagine something happens on your server, and suddenly all your data is lost. You’d have to start from scratch, essentially wasting all your effort from the past year.
To prevent this, you need to back up your data. There are several ways you can go about doing this, from WordPress plugins to cPanel tools. Choose one that works best for you, then save a copy of your backup somewhere safe. Consider storing it either on an external hard drive, or on a cloud service. In fact, if you can have multiple copies, that would protect you even further. Then make sure you remember to back up your data frequently, so that if anything happens, you don’t have to miss a beat.
Use Trustworthy Themes and Plugins
One of the best parts of WordPress is the ability to use Themes and Plugins. With Themes you can quickly change the entire look of your website, all without having to hire a web designer. With Plugins, you can add tons of new features to your site with just a few clicks of your mouse. Combined they make it easy to create a website that’s just what you’re looking for, all without having to do much work.
When it comes to Themes and Plugins, there are a ton of options available, but not all of them are great. When downloading any Theme or Plugin, it’s important that you do some research and make sure it’s reputable. You don’t want to download something to your site that contains malicious code hidden away. Check out user reviews for anything you’re about to download and make absolutely certain that you can trust the source before you proceed.
Perform Frequent Updates
Finally, it’s important that you regularly update aspects of WordPress. For starters, you need to update WordPress itself when a new update is released. WordPress frequently puts out new updates that include increase security functions. If you fail to update your WordPress version, hackers can exploit this and take advantage of the fact that you’re using an old version.
The same goes for Themes and Plugins. Keep all your Themes and Plugins up to date to ensure that they not only continue to work with your site, but that they include the most recent security features. Updating WordPress, its Themes and its Plugins only takes a minute, so be sure it’s a part of your regular routine.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Don’t let all the features that come with WordPress fool you – it’s still very much susceptible to outside problems. Luckily, it doesn’t take much work to protect your WordPress site and keep everything running safely. Just find a few minutes each week to consider the items above and you shouldn’t have any problems with your WordPress site going forward.
