Whether you’re setting up your first WordPress website or you’ve had one for years, there are a few things worth checking regularly. Here’s a checklist of the things I recommend keeping an eye on.

Backups

Backing up your site regularly is most important, because if anything goes wrong, the backup can usually be restored to bring everything back to the way it was. If you don’t already have a backup system in place, you need to get on that as soon as possible.

Set up a backup system using a WordPress plugin or third-party service. Backup services may also be available with your hosting plan, either as a standard feature or paid add-on. (It’s included with my Hosting Plans – schedule a meeting to see if we’re a good fit!)

Make sure your system allows you to schedule automated backups. I recommend daily backups for most sites, more for active ecommerce sites or blogs. An old backup won’t do you much good if it doesn’t include your latest changes, blog posts, or sales from your ecommerce store.

It’s also advised to run a manual backup before you make any changes to your site.

It’s essential that you know how to restore a backup, in case you don’t like the changes you’ve made or if anything goes wrong. You just never know when a plugin update will create a conflict with your theme or another plugin, causing certain functions or features to stop working, or bringing your site down entirely.

WordPress Updates

I recommend logging into your WordPress dashboard every week to deal with any notifications or other messages. This will usually include plugin updates, and may include theme updates, WordPress core updates, or notices of other actions to be taken. If you’re not sure what something means, ask someone before you start clicking on random links.

Before updating a plugin, theme, or WordPress itself, make sure you have a current backup. For important sites, you may also want to check whether the update has any known compatibility issues before installing it. At the same time, review the front end of your site to make sure everything still displays correctly. This is especially important after running updates.

If anything is going to take more time than you’ve scheduled in your weekly routine, add it to your task list or hire a pro to look after it for you.

Unused Plugins/Themes

Inactive plugins and themes can be a security risk. Clean them up!

Security

A good security plugin is your first line of defense. Regular scans can help identify and fix security issues before the unthinkable happens.

Users

Limit admin access to those who truly need it, and remove any users who no longer require access to your dashboard.

Forms

Test regularly to make sure people can submit the form and that you receive any email notifications.

Remove unused forms to streamline your dashboard.

Mobile Responsiveness

With more and more people using phones and tablets to access the Internet, having a mobile-friendly site is essential.

Don’t assume your website still looks good on phones just because it did when you first launched it. Check your key pages periodically on a phone, paying particular attention to navigation, forms, buttons, images and text size.

Links and Navigation

Ensure a smooth user experience by making sure all links go where they’re supposed to, whether it’s a page on your site or an external site.

Broken links are frustrating for website visitors and can even harm your SEO ranking, so it’s a good idea to check them once a month.

Performance

Slow loading times can frustrate visitors and harm your SEO. This problem is often caused by web hosting limitations and/or uploading large photos. If your site seems slower than it used to be, investigate rather than simply adding another performance plugin.

Site Health

Sometimes the Site Health screen in your dashboard reveals issues not listed above. These often have to do with your hosting service and may or may not be critical.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to keep an eye on, but you don’t have to deal with everything at once. A regular review of your website can help you catch small problems before they turn into bigger ones.

If you’re not sure how to check something or how to resolve an issue you find, don’t simply ignore it. Ask someone who knows WordPress, or hire a professional to take care of it for you.

Although Benjamin Franklin didn’t know anything about WordPress, he had a point when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

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