Have you seen this message before? Do you ignore it each time you login to your website?

Let’s join a movement together and change perception: Routine updates can and will need to happen to your open source content management system.

The nature of open source CMS projects like Drupal and WordPress is that constant software updates and system upgrades can seem more like a nuisance and a time-suck than a necessity. However, this thinking gives “bad actors” opportunities to exploit weaknesses. It’s never been more important to make sure your website’s content management system (CMS) is monitored and upgraded frequently.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Software updates keep your website security sound, your information safe, and your customers’ information safe. What happens if you don’t apply an update? The worst case is your site can be made vulnerable to hackers, business interruptions, data breaches, data loss, and even extortion.

The silver lining

The potential public relations nightmare of a data breach should be enough to motivate you to keep up with software updates (ask your customer service and PR team if you don’t believe me), but there are many other excellent reasons to keep your site updated:

• New features. Software updates bring new capabilities into the system, whether that be adherence to the latest best practice or a new service integration that previously was not possible.
• Speed. Security and software updates ensure your code is running as fast as possible. Bonus? Fast sites have better SEO.
• Ease the upgrade process. If you let your website sit untouched for a year and update everything at once, you’ll have the headache of a number of changes to manage all at once. Small, incremental changes are more efficient and make everyone’s life easier by keeping resources and eyes on your valued asset on a frequent basis.

“But my site is brand new! Isn’t it too soon for maintenance?”

Think of your website like your house. Whether it’s brand new or was built in the last century, if you neglect the little things, like a leaky faucet or a few loose shingles on the roof, it won’t be long before these little problems cause serious damage.

Regular website maintenance will take care of routine fixes—but it also serves as more than a handyman. In addition to fixing that squeaky hinge and loose window pane, diligent maintenance can improve your site’s efficiency and fix issues before they even come up.

Who maintains my website?

This is an important first step in recognizing you have a problem. If you find yourself asking questions like: "Do we have technical knowledge on how to maintain a website?" or "How do we review updates before applying them?" or "What if no one on our staff who has the skills (or time)?", then you might be in the market for a maintenance contract with a skilled, trusted managed services provider that can routinely maintain your CMS and assess your site’s performance on a variety of levels as part of their service agreement. In addition to website design and development, LMD’s experienced team provides website maintenance contracts, delivering peace of mind when it comes to safeguarding the integrity of your website.

Let’s do this

If you have a site launch in the near future but no plan to maintain your site, or if you’ve already launched but aren’t applying updates, this is your wake-up call. Don’t wait another day to establish a maintenance contract with a trusted partner. LMD’s team is ready to create a beautiful, user-friendly site—and be your partner from development through launch and beyond. We’d love to speak with you about what you can do to make sure your website is performing at the peak of its capabilities.