This isn’t one of those “cause I said so, that’s why” situations – there are legitimate, important reasons you should update your website (or have someone do it for you).
- Security – every WordPress release fixes some level of security issues. Not updating your site is like sending out a beacon to hackers that your site’s vulnerable and an easy target. Regardless of how happy you are with your site, this is reason enough to update.
- Feature Updates – typically there will be some feature updates bundled with the update. Some versions pack more than others, but don’t miss out on new features and functions because you skipped the update.
- Efficiency – the WordPress team works hard to keep the core files light and fast. Fast sites make visitors happy and also help improve your search rank. If you can reduce your site size and load time by simply updating your WordPress core files, why not take advantage of the opportunity.
Let’s Just Take Care of This
Stop what you’re doing right now, open a new tab and log in to your WordPress site. Really, go ahead, I’ll wait.
Ok, do you see something that looks a little like this floating at the top of your dashboard?
If you see this notice – your site needs updatingDon’t put it off, just address this upgrade now. We’ll walk through it together.
1. Back Everything Up
You should be taking regular backups of your files and database. If you are, great; make sure you have a backup from today (or your most recent change date) and proceed to step 2. If not, why don’t we take care of that now. There are several plugins you can use to backup your site or you can do it the old fashioned way and download your files, export your database and call it a day. If you’re reading this I’m assuming you can do the manual process on your own or follow the directions here.
If you prefer a one-click solution, install BackWPup and run a full backup of your site (be sure to include your database). Be smart, use the scheduler to set daily or weekly backups and then you’ll always have a fresh copy of your site if anything ever happens.
2. Click the Scary Link
Now that you have your site backed up – really, please do this before moving on, you can click that big scary link that’s been following you around for days/weeks/months.
- Click the Please update now link.
The WordPress update screen displays. -
Click to enlarge
Click the blue Update button.
Depending on the size of your site, server speed, and version you are upgrading from it could take a while for your screen to refresh.
3. Check Yo’ Site
Clear the site cache (if necessary) and have a peek at your site. If everything looks great, awesome! We can proceed. If you’re seeing a white screen or something that is not right on your site go ahead and restore to your backup files and contact us or your web developer for support. These problems are typically easy to troubleshoot but might be best left to a pro. (If you feel comfortable you can proceed with updating your plugins and themes to see if that fixes the issue).
4. Update Plugins – One At a Time
Now that your site is running version 3.8 we need to ensure all of your plugins are up to date. If you’re smart you’ll do another quick backup now just in case things get hairy.
Go back to the Updates screen or to Plugins and one at a time click the update link on any out of date plugins. Check your site between each plugin update and if anything goes awry use your backup to get the site back up and running while your developer gets involved (or shoot us a quick email and we can most likely help).
5. Update Themes
Your themes may also need to be updated. Head back to that update screen and repeat the update process for your themes.
6. Check Yo’ Site
Go through several pages, make sure the site still functions as it should and all pages are loading correctly.
7. Revel in the Awesomeness of 3.8
You’ll notice WordPress 3.8 looks quite different than previous versions. The admin panel got a nice face lift and you can even select your preferred color scheme under your user settings. This version of WordPress is also designed to work on all of your mobile devices (please note we’re talking admin panel – your site theme won’t suddenly be mobile responsive if it wasn’t before). The new widgets panel is easier to manage with a multiple column layout plus you can now manage widgets easily on a mobile device. Read all about it here.
In general your site should look and function just like it always has, but you’ll sleep better knowing you’ve taken the necessary steps to keep your site safe, functional, and
8. Join the Hall of Fame
Ok, so it’s not really the hall of fame but if you just updated your site give us a virtual *high five* in the comments. Questions? Concerns? Leave those below as well and we’ll do our best to take care of you.