To ensure that your WordPress site runs at peak performance, it is crucial to perform a routine maintenance task. WordPress website is a potent system including several parts –

• WP software
• WP hosting
• Plugins
• Themes
• Your content including images & text

All these features make your website appealing to potential customers and website visitors. Overlooking the performance of your website can make you lose visitors.

Setmysite offers a great WordPress maintenance service with guaranteed optimal performance. Small websites with less content and low traffic will need maintenance every 6 months. On the other hand, a busy website will need site maintenance every 3 months.

WP website maintenance checklist to follow

Change all the WP passwords

Use unique and strong passwords for every online account including WP admin area, database, and FTP accounts. It is the first line of defense against unsanctioned entrees on your website.

Create comprehensive backup

Some plugins help in automating the WP backup process, but sometimes these can stop working suddenly. You need to run the backup plugin manually to create a complete website backup. Backup the files and check if they are stored properly on the chosen remote location.

Update every WP files

WP core, themes, and plugin updates are managed automatically. Always use the latest version but sometimes update can get missed. Check WP updates manually to ensure they are the latest.

Check & delete spam comments

Several WP website owners use an app to fight spam comments automatically but can end up marketing genuine comments as spam. Check to see if genuine comments are not marked incorrectly as spam. After checking and fixing, delete the remaining spam comments.

WP database optimization

The WP database includes settings, users, content, and comments. Overtime, the database may hold a lot of obsolete data. The WP backup size increases and this can impact downloading, uploading, and backup restoring. WP database optimization allows to clean of the defragment tables, and clutter, as well as enhances database performance.

Find & fix 404 errors

WP site shows a 404 Error page when a webpage that does not exist is requested. It can even occur when users mistype a URL, which is normal but if it happens due to a webpage you deleted can frustrate users.

It creates a bad experience and they bounce to your competitors. An increase in bounce rate can indicate a bad user experience and search engines will push your ranking down. So, it is sensible to check and fix 404 errors.

Find & fix broken links

Broken links occur because of broken images, misspells, poorly link formation, or old articles does not exist or are moved to a new location. It can frustrate website visitors and damage site SEO. Checking and fixing broken links must be a part of routine WP site maintenance.

SEO and content audit

Google analytics help to discover the content that performs well but may have a low conversion rate. You can make changes until you attain the desired results. Google Search Console helps to identify page performance and search keywords status. It helps to take steps towards ranking high on SERPs.