7 WordPress Blog Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Blog Safe & Secure
- ARTICLES |
As a blogger sometimes you might feel like it's all you can do to keep up with creating fresh content and attracting enough visitors, but blog maintenance is a critical part of keeping your blog up to date, safe and secure. Let's take a look at seven simple tips for helping you to save time and effort when maintaining your blog.
Here are 7 tips for keeping your WordPress blog in top shape:
1. Back it up
Almost everyone who runs a WordPress blog will have a horror story to share about having had a fatal blog crash, or having their blog hacked or some other disaster where they lost their blog. It is vital to backup both your blog's database and the theme and content files.
You can automate the database backup by installing a plugin such as WP DB Backup. Always make sure that you have a backup copy of your blog's theme and content files by using ftp software to save a copy of your blog's "wp content" folder on your computer, and maybe even to a backup drive.
2. Update WordPress
The WordPress codex is constantly being updated to add new functionality and fix known bugs and other issues. You should always back up your WP installation as soon as a new version is made available because hackers can exploit the vulnerabilities in the older version.
3. Check the status of your plugins
Many of the WordPress plugins that we all use and rely on are free, and some developers are better than others when it comes to keeping their plugins up to speed with the latest changes in the newest versions of WordPress. I have had a blog crash because of an outdated plugin that was not compatible with a software update. Check your plugins and update them as soon as the new version becomes available. Disable the ones that are no longer being maintained by their developers.
4. Delete spam comments
Be sure to stay ahead of all of the spam comments that can accumulate on your blog. If you neglect your blog for a while, you might find hundreds or even thousands of spam comments. You can do a quick search on WordPress.org for how to mass delete unapproved comments using phpmyadmin.
5. Check for dead links
Since it can be a tedious task to regularly check your blogs links to make sure that they are all still working, there's a cool plugin that will do it for you called, oddly enough, broken link checker.
6. Check you blog's security
How often do you change your password? Is it at least nine digits, alpha-numeric and does it contain both upper and lower case and special characters? Having a weak password just makes it too easy for hackers to destroy your site. Change your password often and consider installing a plugin such as WP security scan.
7. Check your blog's statistics
If you use an analytics plugin such as Google analytics, check your stats often as this will also give you a ton of useful information about your site.
If you have more than one blog you might consider creating a blog maintenance calendar to remind you of these tasks so that they don't get away from you. Maintaining your blog is the only way to keep it safe and secure.
For more tips about maintaining a wordpress blog, and building and growing your online business, visit http://mcreasite.com/blog where you will discover a ton of resources about Internet marketing today.
Here are 7 tips for keeping your WordPress blog in top shape:
1. Back it up
Almost everyone who runs a WordPress blog will have a horror story to share about having had a fatal blog crash, or having their blog hacked or some other disaster where they lost their blog. It is vital to backup both your blog's database and the theme and content files.
You can automate the database backup by installing a plugin such as WP DB Backup. Always make sure that you have a backup copy of your blog's theme and content files by using ftp software to save a copy of your blog's "wp content" folder on your computer, and maybe even to a backup drive.
2. Update WordPress
The WordPress codex is constantly being updated to add new functionality and fix known bugs and other issues. You should always back up your WP installation as soon as a new version is made available because hackers can exploit the vulnerabilities in the older version.
3. Check the status of your plugins
Many of the WordPress plugins that we all use and rely on are free, and some developers are better than others when it comes to keeping their plugins up to speed with the latest changes in the newest versions of WordPress. I have had a blog crash because of an outdated plugin that was not compatible with a software update. Check your plugins and update them as soon as the new version becomes available. Disable the ones that are no longer being maintained by their developers.
4. Delete spam comments
Be sure to stay ahead of all of the spam comments that can accumulate on your blog. If you neglect your blog for a while, you might find hundreds or even thousands of spam comments. You can do a quick search on WordPress.org for how to mass delete unapproved comments using phpmyadmin.
5. Check for dead links
Since it can be a tedious task to regularly check your blogs links to make sure that they are all still working, there's a cool plugin that will do it for you called, oddly enough, broken link checker.
6. Check you blog's security
How often do you change your password? Is it at least nine digits, alpha-numeric and does it contain both upper and lower case and special characters? Having a weak password just makes it too easy for hackers to destroy your site. Change your password often and consider installing a plugin such as WP security scan.
7. Check your blog's statistics
If you use an analytics plugin such as Google analytics, check your stats often as this will also give you a ton of useful information about your site.
If you have more than one blog you might consider creating a blog maintenance calendar to remind you of these tasks so that they don't get away from you. Maintaining your blog is the only way to keep it safe and secure.
For more tips about maintaining a wordpress blog, and building and growing your online business, visit http://mcreasite.com/blog where you will discover a ton of resources about Internet marketing today.