In Brief
Keep WordPress, plugins, and themes updated weekly to protect against security threats
Set up automatic backups so you can recover if things go wrong
Use strong passwords and limit who has admin access to your site
Monitor your site speed regularly using free tools like GTmetrix
Remove unused plugins and themes to reduce security risks and improve performance
Running a WordPress website for your business is brilliant for staying in control of your online presence.
But once the initial excitement of launching fades, you might wonder what you actually need to do to keep it running well.
Without regular care, WordPress sites can slow down, develop security holes, or stop working properly altogether.
The reassuring news is that you don’t need technical expertise to look after your site. A few simple habits will keep your WordPress website healthy, secure, and performing well for your visitors.
This guide walks you through the key maintenance tasks every beginner should know. By the end, you’ll feel confident handling your own site maintenance without stress.
Table of Contents
Why Regular WordPress Maintenance Matters
Think of your website like a car. You wouldn’t drive for years without an MOT or service, and websites work the same way.
Without regular attention, problems build up quietly until something breaks.
WordPress releases updates throughout the year, and plugin developers do the same. Each update often fixes security issues that hackers actively try to exploit, making an outdated site an easy target.
Beyond security, unmaintained sites tend to slow down over time as databases get cluttered and old plugin code conflicts with newer WordPress versions.
Regular maintenance prevents these problems before they become expensive emergencies. Twenty minutes a week keeps your site running smoothly. Ignore it for months, and you might face hours of repair work, or worse, a site that’s been compromised.
Keep WordPress and Plugins Updated
Updates are the single most important maintenance task you can do, and they’re also one of the simplest to get right.
Why Updates Matter
WordPress regularly releases new versions that fix bugs and patch security vulnerabilities. Once these patches become public, hackers know exactly what weaknesses exist in older versions.
Running outdated software leaves your site exposed in ways you might not even realise.
Plugin and theme developers follow the same pattern. That contact form plugin you installed two years ago has probably had dozens of updates since then, with each one potentially fixing a security issue or improving compatibility with the latest WordPress version.
How to Update Safely
Log into your WordPress dashboard at least once a week and you’ll see notifications when updates are available.
It is important to verify that the new version is compatible with your WordPress installation. Only proceed if it’s 100% compatible.
Before updating anything, create a backup first. This takes just a few minutes and gives you an undo button if something goes wrong.
Update WordPress core software first, then plugins, then your theme.
After each update, check your site still works correctly by visiting your homepage, testing your contact form, and making sure nothing looks broken. If you notice problems, you can restore from your backup. Most updates go smoothly, but that safety net gives you confidence to keep everything current.
How to Update WordPress Plugins Safely (Without Breaking Your Website)
Set Up Automatic Backups
Backups are your insurance policy. They let you restore your entire site if something goes catastrophically wrong, and they’re non-negotiable for any business website.
What Backups Protect You From
Hacking attempts can corrupt your database or inject malicious code into your files. A badly coded plugin update might break your site completely.
You might accidentally delete something important while making edits. Your hosting company could experience server problems that affect your data.
Backups protect you from all of these scenarios and more.
Without a recent backup, you could lose months or years of content, customer enquiries, and hard work. With one, you can restore everything in minutes.
Simple Backup Solutions
UpdraftPlus is a popular free plugin that handles backups automatically. Install it, connect it to Google Drive or Dropbox, and schedule daily or weekly backups. The plugin saves copies of your entire site to cloud storage without you lifting a finger.
Your backup frequency should match how often you add new content. If you blog weekly, weekly backups make sense. If you run an e-commerce shop with daily orders, daily (or hourly) backups are essential. The key is always having a recent backup you can actually rely on when you need it.
Basic Security Measures
WordPress powers over 43% of all websites globally, which makes it a popular target for hackers looking for easy victims. You don’t need to become a security expert, but a few simple measures will dramatically reduce your risk.
Strong Passwords and User Access
Use a unique, complex password for your WordPress admin account.
Simple passwords like “MyDog123” or “Password1” are cracked within seconds by automated tools. A password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password can generate and store strong passwords so you don’t need to remember them yourself.
Tip: Don’t share your WordPress Admin account! Always create a new one for each User.
Limit who has admin access to your site as well. If you gave login details to a web designer who finished their work two years ago, remove their account now.
Every user with admin access is a potential entry point for hackers, so only give people the access level they actually need for their role.
Security Plugins Worth Installing
A security plugin should always be installed and adds an extra layer of protection to your site.
Wordfence and Sucuri both offer free versions that scan your site for malware, block suspicious login attempts, and alert you to potential problems before they escalate.
These plugins work quietly in the background without you needing to understand the technical details. Install one, follow the setup wizard, and let it do its job of protecting your site around the clock.
Monitor Your Site’s Performance
A slow website frustrates visitors and hurts your Google rankings. Keeping an eye on performance helps you catch problems early, before they start costing you customers.
Site Speed
Google considers page speed when ranking websites in search results. More importantly, your visitors expect pages to load quickly. Research from Google shows that 53% of mobile users abandon sites taking longer than three seconds to load. For a small business, that’s potential customers walking away before they even see what you offer.
Test your site speed using free tools like GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights. These give you a performance score and specific suggestions for improvement. Running a test monthly helps you catch any slowdowns before they become serious problems.
Watch for Warning Signs
Pay attention if your site suddenly feels slower than usual. Common culprits include large unoptimised images, too many plugins running simultaneously, or issues with your hosting provider.
Error messages or broken pages also need investigation promptly.
Check your site regularly by actually visiting it as a customer would, on both desktop and mobile. If you notice consistent problems, that’s your signal to investigate further or ask for professional help.
Clean Up Unused Plugins and Themes
Every plugin installed on your site adds code that WordPress needs to load, regardless of whether the plugin is active or not. More plugins mean more potential security vulnerabilities and slower performance for your visitors.
Go through your plugins list and honestly assess what you actually use.
That social sharing plugin you installed three years ago but never configured properly? Delete it.
The theme you tested but didn’t choose? Remove it completely.
WordPress keeps inactive plugins and themes stored on your server, and outdated code remains a security risk whether you’re actively using it or not.
A lean site with five quality plugins runs noticeably better than a bloated one with twenty. Keep only what genuinely adds value to your business, and back up your site before deleting anything, just in case you change your mind later.
When to Ask for Help
Managing your own WordPress site is absolutely achievable for most small business owners. But some situations genuinely call for professional support, and recognising those moments is part of being a smart business owner.
If your site has been hacked, you’re seeing error messages you don’t understand, or something has broken and you can’t work out why, that’s the time to get expert help.
Trying to fix complex technical problems without experience can sometimes make things worse and cost you more in the long run.
WordPress maintenance services handle all the routine tasks for a monthly fee, typically between £50 and £150 for small business sites in the UK.
They apply updates, monitor security, manage backups, and fix problems when they arise. For busy business owners who’d rather focus on running their business than maintaining their website, professional maintenance can be a worthwhile investment that pays for itself in time saved and problems avoided.
There’s no shame in asking for help when you need it. Knowing your limits is smart business sense.
Moving Forward with Confidence
Looking after your WordPress site doesn’t require technical expertise or hours of your time each week.
The tasks covered in this guide, including updates, backups, security basics, and performance monitoring, take just twenty minutes a week once you’ve established a routine.
Start with one task this week. Set up automatic backups using UpdraftPlus and connect it to your Google Drive or Dropbox account.
Next week, create a habit of checking for updates every Monday morning.
Build from there, adding one good habit at a time. Small consistent efforts prevent big problems down the line and keep your site working reliably for your business.
Your website is one of your most valuable business assets.
It works for you around the clock, attracting customers and representing your business to the world. A little regular care keeps it performing at its best, so you can focus on what you do best: running your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aim to check your WordPress dashboard at least once a week. This lets you spot update notifications, review any security alerts, and ensure everything is working correctly. Setting a specific day each week, like Monday morning, helps build a consistent habit.
Outdated WordPress sites eventually become vulnerable to hackers who exploit known security flaws. You might also experience compatibility issues where plugins stop working correctly or features break unexpectedly. Regular updates protect both your security and your site’s functionality.
It’s much safer to update them separately. Update WordPress core first, then plugins one at a time, then your theme. This approach makes it much easier to identify which update caused any problems if something goes wrong after an update.
Yes, free backup plugins like UpdraftPlus work well for most small business websites. The key is ensuring your backups actually run successfully and are stored somewhere safe like Google Drive or Dropbox. Paid versions offer extra features but aren’t necessary for solid basic protection.
Common signs include unexpected redirects to other websites, strange content appearing on your pages, Google warnings when visiting your site, or emails from your hosting company about suspicious activity. A security plugin can also alert you to potential breaches automatically.
There’s no magic number, but quality matters far more than quantity. Ten well-coded plugins from reputable developers are perfectly fine. Twenty poorly maintained plugins will slow your site and create security risks. Only install plugins you genuinely need and actively use.
Security plugins and hosting security features work together rather than replacing each other. Hosting security protects at the server level, while security plugins protect your WordPress installation specifically. Using both provides stronger overall protection for your site.
The risk is low if you follow good practices consistently. Always back up before making changes, update one thing at a time, and test your site after each update. If something does break, a recent backup lets you restore quickly without losing any work.
WordPress maintenance services typically range from £50 to £150 per month for small business sites. Prices vary based on what’s included in the package. Some cover just updates and backups, while others include performance optimisation, security monitoring, and development time for fixes.