How to Maintain Your WordPress Site for Non-Techies

Owning a WordPress site is like having a thriving garden—it needs regular care and a sprinkle of attention to keep it blooming. But if you’re not tech-savvy, managing a WordPress website might feel intimidating. Don’t worry! This guide will walk you through simple steps for WordPress site maintenance to keep your site’s health, security, and performance in top shape without any coding skills.

Let’s break it down into manageable steps.

1. Keep Your WordPress Updated

WordPress is constantly evolving to improve security, fix bugs, and add new features. Failing to update it is like leaving your front door unlocked. Luckily, updating is as easy as clicking a button.

• Core Updates: Navigate to Dashboard > Updates to see if your WordPress version needs an update.
• Theme and Plugin Updates: Outdated themes and plugins can be a playground for hackers. Head to Plugins > Installed Plugins and Appearance > Themes to check for updates.

💡 Pro Tip: Before updating anything, back up your website (more on this next!).

2. Back Up Your Website Regularly

Think of backups as your website’s safety net. If something goes wrong, a backup ensures you can restore everything without breaking a sweat.

How Often Should You Back Up?

For busy sites, daily backups are ideal. If your site doesn’t change often, weekly backups might be enough.

Tools to Make It Easy:

• UpdraftPlus (free and beginner-friendly)
• Jetpack Backup (great for automated solutions)

💡 Pro Tip: Store backups on a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox to keep them safe.

3. Monitor Website Security

You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to protect your site. Some handy plugins can do the heavy lifting for you.

Plugins to Consider:

• Wordfence: Scans your site for malware and protects it from attacks.
• Sucuri Security: Offers a firewall and site audit logs.

Also, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to make it harder for hackers to log in, even if they have your password.

💡 Pro Tip: Use strong, unique passwords and change them periodically. A password manager like LastPass or Bitwarden can help.

4. Test Your Website’s Speed

A slow website can frustrate visitors and hurt your search engine rankings. Checking your site’s speed regularly ensures it’s running smoothly.

Tools for Speed Testing:

• Google PageSpeed Insights
• GTmetrix

Quick Fixes for Better Speed:

• Use a caching plugin like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache.
• Compress images with tools like Smush or TinyPNG.
• Choose a reliable hosting provider optimized for WordPress.

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💡 Pro Tip: If your website feels sluggish, consider upgrading your hosting plan.

5. Clean Up Your Database

Over time, your WordPress database collects clutter like spam comments, unused drafts, and post revisions. Cleaning it up is like decluttering your home—it keeps everything running efficiently.

Easy Cleaning Tools:

• WP-Optimize: Streamlines your database with just a few clicks.

💡 Pro Tip: Set a reminder to clean your database monthly to avoid overwhelming buildup.

6. Check for Broken Links

Broken links frustrate visitors and can negatively impact your SEO. Thankfully, you don’t have to go hunting for them manually.

Tools to Find Broken Links:

• Broken Link Checker plugin
• Online tools like Dead Link Checker

💡 Pro Tip: Fix broken links by either updating the URL or redirecting them to a working page using a plugin like Redirection.

7. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

With most internet users browsing on their phones, a mobile-friendly website is non-negotiable.

How to Test:

• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Check how your site looks on your own phone or tablet.

💡 Pro Tip: Choose a responsive theme that adjusts automatically to different screen sizes.

8. Regularly Review Your Plugins

Too many plugins can slow down your site and pose security risks. It’s a good idea to review them regularly.

Steps to Take:

1. Deactivate and delete plugins you no longer use.
2. Replace outdated plugins with better-maintained alternatives.

💡 Pro Tip: Stick to plugins with good reviews and regular updates.

9. Review Analytics and SEO

Understanding how visitors interact with your site helps you improve their experience. Analytics tools make this a breeze.

Tools to Use:

• Google Analytics: Tracks visitor behavior.
• Yoast SEO: Helps optimize your content for search engines.

💡 Pro Tip: Look for pages with high bounce rates or low traffic and tweak them for better engagement.

10. Schedule Maintenance Checks

Keeping your website healthy is all about consistency. Set up a maintenance schedule so nothing slips through the cracks.

Suggested Routine:

• Weekly: Backups, plugin updates, and speed tests.
• Monthly: Security scans, database cleanup, and analytics review.
• Quarterly: Review your plugins and themes for relevance and performance.

💡 Pro Tip: Add reminders to your calendar to make maintenance a habit.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

I’d love to hear about your experiences with WordPress maintenance. Do you have a tip or tool that’s worked wonders for your site? Or maybe you’ve run into an issue that you’re unsure how to solve? Drop your thoughts, questions, or ideas in the comments below—let’s chat!