The Importance Of Keeping WordPress Plugins And Themes Updated
There are several reasons why it’s good practice to keep your WordPress website’s themes and plugins up to date. Outlined below is some key information about the WordPress platform to clarify the importance and value of keeping all installed plugins and themes routinely updated.
• WordPress CMS
WordPress is one of the most popular content management system (CMS) used by businesses around the world for website development. It’s written in PHP and is open-source, which means anyone can make modifications to the code and share their work with the WordPress community. The WordPress platform is free to download for users to install on servers with their exciting web hosting provider.
• WordPress Themes
The is a vast collection of free and commercial themes available for download that allow users to customize the design and layout of their WordPress websites with new fonts, color schemes, logos, navigation menus, header graphics, etc.
• WordPress Plugins
Plugins allow you to add extra features and functionality to your website without the need to manually write or alter any code. There are currently more plugins available for the WordPress CMS than any other CMS, including Drupal and Joomla.
The Advantages Of Regular Updates
Here are just a few of the many advantages you enjoy by keeping WordPress as well as installed plugins and themes updated:
• Better Website Security
One of the most valuable reasons to regularly install updates for WordPress’s core, themes, and plugins is for website security. The latest updates patch vulnerabilities identified by the developers, improving security and increasing your website’s defense against hacking attacks. The longer you leave it to install updates, the greater the risk of your website’s data being compromised. Hacking attempts are on the rise and you can’t afford to leave your site vulnerable by being lazy with updates.
• Bug Fixes
It’s not uncommon for new releases of WordPress, as well as updates to themes and plugins, to contain fixes for known bugs and glitches that aren’t serious security vulnerabilities but have caused your visitors a lot of annoyance when interacting with your website.
• New Features And Enhanced Functionality
The latest version of WordPress will also come with new functions and features that will improve your website visitor experience. If you continue running an outdated version of the software, your visitors might begin to wonder why your website is lagging behind your competition. Themes and plugin updates also offer new features and functionality, and greater compatibility with the latest web browsers, user devices, and other online platforms.