STUDIO FIVE

Updated May 2024

The Importance of WordPress Website Updates

WordPress website updates are crucial for your online presence’s smooth functioning and security. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of WordPress website updates and why they should be a top priority for business owners and professionals. 

By understanding the significance of regular updates and maintenance, you can ensure that your WordPress website remains secure, optimized, and up-to-date with the latest features and functionalities. 

Join us as we dive into the world of WordPress website updates and discover why they play a vital role in the success of your online business.

WordPress Updates are Not Content Updates!

Many of our clients misunderstand WordPress website updates. To them, website updates mean replacing a few images and adding new content. To WordPress web designers like us, the term has a much different meaning. WordPress website updates have nothing to do with your website content, even so, freshly updated content is equally important to the health of your website.

In this context, WordPress website updates refer to updating your WordPress core, theme, plugins, and database as required. If you have a WordPress website for your company or product brand, you have probably noticed the update notices on your WordPress admin dashboard. While you may feel like ignoring them, these updates are vital to keeping your website running and secure.

I want to help you better understand WordPress website updates and how they can affect your website. I will go over what they are, why there seem to be so many updates, why these website updates are so important, how to update your website, and what happens if you don’t make regular website updates.

What Exactly Are WordPress Updates?

Good question! As I mentioned, we are not discussing website content updates here. WordPress website updates can be grouped into four distinct categories:

Core Updates

At times, critical or core updates become available for your WordPress files. A critical WordPress website update means there could be an issue with your WordPress website. Ignoring this type of issue or update can significantly impact your site.

This type of update means that something has changed to the WordPress Content Management System (CMS) itself. Usually, this type of update involves a completely new version of WordPress, including a new version number and name. WordPress 6.5 “Regina” was officially released on April 02, 2024. Inspired by popular Jazz artist Regina Carter, the latest version, WordPress 6.5, improves the website-building experience to new heights. As of May 2024, the latest version of WordPress is 6.5.3.

Here is a little tidbit for your next trivia night: all WordPress versions are named after famous (or not-so-famous) Jaz musicians. Here is a complete list of WordPress names and versions that you can use to really impress your friends, if you are a nerd like me, that is.

Security Updates

Most WordPress core updates result from or include a security update. WordPress will introduce fixes to overcome vulnerabilities and close loopholes as it becomes aware of new security threats. This will help prevent hackers or malware from taking over your WordPress website.

While WordPress core updates are usually a few weeks apart, security updates or “bug fixes” can be much more frequent. And they are critical for your WordPress website’s overall health and security! The longer you wait before updating, the more at risk your WordPress site becomes.

Feature Updates

This type of update involves adding new features. The most significant new feature in recent years was the introduction of the Gutenberg Editor in WordPress 5.0. New features and capabilities can help create a better overall experience for your website visitors. Therefore, they usually have the biggest impact on your overall usability and user experience.

Performance Updates

The last of my WordPress website updates involves performance issues, such as your image optimization or page speed. When your WordPress website and plugins are properly updated for the best performance possible, your website visitors will have a better user experience.

Website performance is a key issue in 2024. Page load speed is critical for providing the user experience that increasingly demanding mobile consumers expect. This makes WordPress performance updates essential for your website optimization efforts.

Why Are There So Many Updates?

These days, it seems like there are WordPress website updates every day! I swear that I can update one of my WordPress websites or blogs, go for a cup of coffee or some Ramen, and when I return, a new update is ready to install. If it is not WordPress that is outdated, one or more plugins want your attention. So why is that? Is WordPress out to get you?

You can rest assured that this is not the case, no matter how much it appears to be. The opposite is true. WordPress website updates have your back! Automattic, the company behind WordPress, tests the WordPress platform continuously to find any bugs and provide the best possible experience.

Like updates for smartphones, laptops, and web apps, website updates generally introduce new features, eliminate problems, and maintain the best possible user experience for your website visitors. Along with the actual website updates, WordPress plugins that run on your WordPress website are also being tested and updated as often as WordPress itself and usually more often.

Why Are WordPress Updates So Important?

For Site Security

Because WordPress is the most popular CMS out there, it is also a huge target for hackers. Hackers are busy exploiting any and all loopholes in your WordPress website. WordPress developers are constantly fixing security breaches and vulnerabilities, and these protections are released in newly updated versions of WordPress.

Therefore, performing regular WordPress website updates is a surefire way to protect your WordPress website from hackers. Installing the latest security features usually takes only a few minutes, considerably less than restoring a hacked WordPress website.

To Keep Themes and Plugins Updated

The WordPress core is not the only security or performance issue on your WordPress website. Your WordPress themes and plugins are equally at risk. Outdated themes and plugins can cause various issues, from degraded page speed to serious compatibility and security risks.

With regular updates, you can eliminate these risks by updating all of your themes and plugins simultaneously.

To Keep Your Website Running Smoothly

By not keeping on top of WordPress website updates, you are not benefiting from new bug fixes or improvements that keep your site running at its best. Some updates may be minor, so you will not notice anything amiss if you don’t update your site. Other updates may include coding changes. Old versions of your themes and plugins may not work either well or at all.

The updates help our WordPress websites perform at the highest level possible for that time. But even after an update is released, developers worldwide explore and experiment to find new, better ways to provide security, solve problems, or introduce new features.

What Are the Most Important Things to Keep Updated?

You will need to keep many components of a WordPress website updated. That includes your actual WordPress themes, including your active theme and one backup theme, as well as your plugins or extensions. You will also need to update your WordPress database as needed.

If you have a blog or small business website, your updates will be relatively limited. But if you run an online store or membership site, your updates can be quite extensive and require some planning ahead and a backup plan, just in case!

How to Update Your WordPress Website

Backup First, Update Later!

If you update your WordPress website, themes, and plugins, you may run into compatibility issues. Not all theme or plugin developers update their products at the same time.

For instance, your WordPress theme may be updated, but some of your plugins may not. They may not work with your new theme, or your updated plugins no longer work with an outdated version of your theme.

Therefore, I cannot stress the importance of fully backing up your site before starting any WordPress website updates! That way, if something goes wrong with your website updates, you can restore your site from your backup and proceed to fix any problems with your files or database.

Don’t Make All WordPress Website Updates at Once!

The next thing to remember is to make your website updates one step at a time and check to ensure that your site still looks and functions the same after each update. If everything looks good, you can make the next update.

I recommend updating your version of WordPress first, followed by your active and backup WordPress themes. Your plugins should be done last and one at a time. That way, you will have a much easier time pinpointing potential compatibility issues.

And remember to make a backup before each update. I really cannot stress that enough!

Other WordPress Update Considerations

WordPress Theme Updates

Sometimes, WordPress theme updates can change the appearance or functionality of your WordPress website in unintended ways. Perhaps the theme developer replaced some basic code or made style changes. This can affect how visitors view and interact with your WordPress site.

Before you update your active theme, I recommend you read the update release notes to see if anything may interfere with your website’s appearance and feel. That way, you can plan or consult with your theme developer.

WordPress Plugin Updates

WordPress plugins or extensions are independent software and applications designed by developers outside of WordPress. As of May 2024, over 70,000 plugins were available for WordPress. When WordPress releases updates to its core software, it is the developer’s responsibility to keep their plugins up to date, but not all developers do.

As of late 2024/early 2025, over 34,000 plugins (approximately 59.3%) in the official WordPress.org repository have not been updated in over 2 years. This accounts for more than half of the total number of plugins available, which is around 60,000. 

Outdated plugins are responsible for 92% of WordPress vulnerability reports.

Hostinger

Therefore, I always recommend that before you consider installing any plugin, you research it, read reviews, and check when it was last updated.

Any plugin that has not been updated within the last two (2) years is considered outdated and abandoned. Once installed, it is up to you to make sure you have the latest version or find a suitable replacement.

Software Conflicts

WordPress software and website updates usually go smoothly, but occasionally, they conflict with each other and can trigger malfunctions that result in a poor user experience for your visitors at best or bring your WordPress website down completely at worst.

Should You Update Your WordPress Site Yourself?

Of course, it is possible to perform these website updates yourself. But doing it properly is quite time-consuming and risky. As I mentioned, there seem to be endless website updates. Is this the best use of your valuable time?

Therefore, it may be better to have your website updates performed regularly by a professional WordPress developer who knows what they are doing and has the resources and skills required to resolve any issues arising from the update.

WordPress website updates should be part of any WordPress maintenance plan. If you do not have one, I highly recommend you look into the benefits of a WordPress maintenance plan. Many WordPress developers offer WordPress maintenance as part of their services, so find out if yours does.

What Happens If You Don’t Update Your WordPress Website?

Not knowing what’s happening behind the scenes can make these updates seem unimportant. Because these website updates come so frequently, it is easy to brush them off as an inconvenience. Or we can convince ourselves that we don’t need an update right now!

So, what happens if you don’t make regular website updates? Well, not much at first. However, if you want to get the most out of your WordPress website, you need to make regular updates to your WordPress site and the plugins you are using.

Here are a few reasons why that is in your best interest.

Security Threats

WordPress security updates prevent hackers from compromising your website and causing problems for your visitors. These website updates are important to pay attention to because the longer you go without updating, the more at risk your WordPress website becomes.

If you are still using old versions of WordPress, your theme, or your plugins, hackers can easily find more weak spots and vulnerabilities to steal your data or place malicious code on your website. Regular security updates can prevent your business website from being hacked, going down, or, in a worst-case scenario, being erased.

Performance Issues

WordPress performance updates are equally beneficial for you and your website visitors. Because bugs or glitches can appear in your version of WordPress or the theme and plugins you use on your WordPress site, performance updates are essential for removing them so that you do not run into problems or performance issues.

When your WordPress website is properly updated for the best performance and user experience possible, visitors will have a better user experience. This will prevent them from encountering usability and other problems that may force them to leave your site and head over to your competitors.

Degraded User Experience

In 2024, providing the best possible user experience is essential if you want a user-friendly website. WordPress feature updates are usually more spaced out than security and critical updates, but they can often have the biggest impact.

Pay close attention to these updates, as they will help you create the best possible website for your business or product brand.

Final Thoughts on Updating WordPress

In the world of WordPress development, new and updated is always better! By keeping your WordPress website updated regularly, you will benefit from improvements and changes that will make your life easier, keep your website looking and working at its best, and help your readers, users, or customers have a more user-friendly experience on your website.

With each new update that WordPress releases, you will find that the new versions of the WordPress core and your theme and plugins give you improved options for customizing your WordPress website, fix problems and bugs that a recent update may have caused, and provide you with improved security and protection from hackers.

So, making regular WordPress website updates is in your best interest. They will give you peace of mind that your WordPress site is protected and running smoothly. They will also provide your website visitors with the usability and user experience required to meet their expectations and keep them coming back.

In conclusion, it is crucial to understand the significance of WordPress website updates and their impact on your site’s overall performance and security. Neglecting these updates can lead to vulnerabilities, compatibility issues, and potential breaches. 

Regularly updating your WordPress site ensures you stay ahead of potential threats and maintain a seamless user experience. Don’t confuse WordPress updates with updating your website content or images – they are separate and equally important. Take the necessary steps to keep your WordPress site updated and secure. 

If you do not feel comfortable making your WordPress website updates yourself, we are here to help.

Do You Need Help Making WordPress Website Updates?

With the ever-increasing importance of keeping your WordPress website updated and secure, you don’t want to risk missing WordPress website updates. Doing so will put you at risk of a security breach, diminished website performance, or a degraded website user experience.

If you cannot handle WordPress website updates yourself or lack the time or resources to do so, you should hire an experienced WordPress agency to help you.

At Studio Five, our expert WordPress designers and developers are here to help you keep your WordPress site updated and secure. We implement the latest WordPress technology to ensure high performance.

If you believe we are a good fit for your WordPress web design and support needs, let’s talk! We offer a full range of consulting and design solutions for businesses and product brands.

If you are still unsure why WordPress website updates are critical for your online presence’s continued functionality and security, let’s talk! Our expert team will listen to you, answer your questions, and determine the best way to keep your WordPress site up to date. It is one of our specialties, after all!