If you intend to keep your WordPress website running without a hitch, you need to perform regular backups as a part of your maintenance. Backing up a website is not as complicated as it used to be, thanks to some helpful plugins that are available. That said, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to pay attention when you’re backing up your site because you do need to do it in the right way.
In this post, Hosted WP, experts in WordPress hosting in Australia, shares some of the mistakes that you need to avoid when you are backing up your website to ensure that your data is safe:
So, how often should you back up your site? It really depends on how often you post, too. If you post daily, you have to back up more frequently than someone who posts twice or thrice a month. The reason for this is that your site changes more often.
You should consider different backup schedules for different parts or elements of your website. For instance, you can back up the database more frequently than you do your plugins and themes, as it’s unlikely that you change them daily, too.
While you can back up your database with just the core WordPress functions, it will be easier to do it with a plugin. However, because of the plethora of backup plugins available, it can be confusing. If you have a bulky website, you’re going to need a plugin that can handle that. Additionally, you should choose a plugin that can also handle the restoration of the backup because not all plugins do it.
Most WordPress users like experimenting with their site, and that’s perfectly fine. The thing, though, is that many forget that they should back up before tinkering with anything. That’s so if anything goes wrong, you can be sure that your database is intact. You should also do a backup after applying all the changes that you like so that you can come back and continue with it if needed.
This is one of the biggest blunders you can commit. While local backups will do if you just want to undo your most recent changes, it will be of no help if the computer is down. Also, the backup version on your server can go down. To ensure that you have backups secured, you need to store them in external hard drives, USB drives, or the cloud. Better yet, save one in all three!
Backups are not immune from failures. There’s always the possibility of the backups getting corrupted or losing some files if you do not have enough storage space. It’s essential to check your backups to make sure that you have everything you need saved.
No matter what you do, if your backup plugin is outdated, it’s probably not going to work correctly. Make sure that you keep your plugins updated. You’ll receive a notification on your dashboard if one is available.
Backups are necessary if you want to keep your WordPress site running smoothly. Do this regularly, and you’ll be able to dodge a lot of problems. Remember to back up everything correctly because your efforts will be pointless if you don’t do it right. Of course, if you get WordPress hosting and management services from a team of professionals, you won’t have to worry about anything as they’ll take care of everything for you.
Hosted WP is a trusted company that offers WordPress hosting in Australia. Contact our team today, and we’ll tell you what is included in our hosting services!