Why You Need to Backup Your WordPress Website- And How To Do It
When it comes to website maintenance, backup is one of the most important aspects. If something goes wrong with your WordPress website – whether it’s a hacker attack, server crash or human error – you need to have a backup plan in place so that you can restore your website quickly and minimize any damage. In this article, we will discuss why you need to backup your website and how to do it!
1. What is a WordPress site backup?
A website backup is a copy of your website that you can use to restore your website if it is ever lost or damaged. There are many ways to create a website backup, but the most important thing is to make sure that you have a recent backup before you make any changes to your website.
That way, if something goes wrong, you can always restore your website to its previous state. There are many different ways to create a website backup, and the best method for you will depend on your needs and preferences. For example, some people prefer to create manual backups, while others use automatic backup tools.
Whichever method you choose, make sure that you test your website backup regularly to ensure that it is working properly.
2. The importance of backing up your WordPress site
In today’s digital world, it is important to have a backup plan in case something goes wrong with your website. Without a backup, you risk losing all of your website’s content and potentially losing customers and revenue.
There are many possible scenarios where having a backup can save you from disaster. For example, if there is a server crash, a hacker attack or a human error, you can restore your website using a backup instead of starting from scratch and possibly losing important information.
Let's talk about these possible scenarios:
Server crash
A server crash can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a power outage, hardware failure or software error. If your website is hosted on a server that crashes, your website will be inaccessible until the server is fixed. In some cases, the server may not be fixed quickly or at all, and you will lose all of your website’s content.
A hacker attack
If your website is hacked, the hacker may try to delete or change your website’s content. If this happens, you will need a backup to restore your website to its previous state. The best way to protect your website from hackers is to keep your WordPress software up-to-date and use strong passwords.
Human Error
Human error is one of the most common reasons for website crashes. For example, you may accidentally delete pages or posts, change settings that result in a malfunction or make changes to the UI that you don’t like and want to undo.
It is also crucial to have backups before making any changes to your website, such as updating plugins or migrating to a new hosting provider. This way, if something goes wrong during the change, you can easily restore your website to its previous state.
Overall, having a backup plan in place can save you from the stress and financial impact of losing your website. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
3. How to take a backup of a WordPress website
There are a few different ways to backup your WordPress site, depending on your preferences and technical abilities.
One option is to manual backup your WordPress site by downloading all of the files and WordPress database associated with your site. Another option is to use WordPress backup plugins or plans provided by your hosting provider. And the last option, if you are using a hosting provider like Kinsta, they will likely offer backup services as part of their package. This means that you can backup your website easily and securely by simply logging into your account and clicking a few buttons.
Most hosting providers backup your website on a regular basis, so you don’t need to worry about creating backups yourself. However, it is always a good idea to check the backup settings to make sure that they are working properly and that your website is being backed up correctly.
It is also a good idea to test your website backup occasionally to ensure that it is working properly.
a. Manual site backup
Which involves logging into your website's hosting account and downloading copies of all the files via FTP and also logging into your database via phpMyAdmin to download a copy of the database.
This can be time-consuming and technically challenging, so it's important to have a good understanding of website management before attempting this method.
b. Using a WordPress backup plugin or plan
There are many WordPress backup plugins available for WordPress, which allow you to easily schedule automatic backups and even store them offsite for added security. Make sure that you regularly create and test your website backup to ensure that it will work properly in case of an emergency.
c. Hosting provider
Some hosting providers offer backup services as part of their package. This means that you can easily backup and restore your website through your hosting account, without having to manually download files or use a plugin. However, it's still important to check the backup settings and test the backups occasionally to make sure they are working properly.
The bottom line is that backing up your WordPress site is crucial for safeguarding your website and its valuable content. Don't wait until it's too late – make sure you have a backup plan in place today!
4. How to choose the best WordPress backup plugin
Some criteria to consider when looking for the best backup plugin for your WordPress site include:
Ease of use and setup
When looking for a backup plugin, it's important to consider ease of use and setup. The plugin should be easy to install and use, and it should be straightforward to set up automatic backups. It's also important to make sure that the backup plugin is compatible with your version of WordPress and that it will backup all of your website's files and data.
Automatic backup scheduling options
It is important to consider whether the plugin offers automatic backup scheduling options. This will allow you to set up backups to run automatically on a regular basis, without having to remember to do it yourself.
Offsite storage options
It's important to consider whether the plugin offers offsite storage options. This will allow you to store your backups in a safe location outside of your website's hosting account, in case of an emergency.
Security and encryption features
For a good WordPress backup plugin, it is important to consider the security and encryption features of the plugin. The backup plugin should be secure and use strong encryption methods to protect your website's data.
Ability to restore website quickly in case of emergency
The best backup plugins will allow you to quickly and easily restore your website in case of an emergency. So when looking for a backup plugin, be sure to consider how quickly the plugin can restore your website. This will help you to minimize the damage if something goes wrong with your website.
Now that you know how to find the best WordPress backup plugin, let us help you with some recommendations.
5. Best WordPress plugins for backup
This can be a subjective question as different plugins may have different features that appeal to different users. Some popular backup plugins for WordPress include UpdraftPlus, BackupBuddy, and VaultPress. It's important to do research and read reviews to find the backup plugin that best suits your needs. Ultimately, the "best" backup plugin is the one that consistently creates reliable backups and meets your specific requirements.
UpdraftPlus
UpdraftPlus plugin is a backup plugin for WordPress that allows you to easily schedule automatic backups and store them offsite for added security. It's one of the most popular backup plugins available, and it has a wide variety of features that appeal to different
BackupBuddy
BackupBuddy is another popular backup plugin for WordPress that allows you to schedule automated backups and store them offsite. It also includes features such as website migration, malware scanning, and backup restoration.
VaultPress
VaultPress is a backup and security plugin for WordPress created by Automattic, the company behind WordPress. It offers real-time backup, automatic restore, and website migrations. It also includes security features such as malware scanning and threat resolution. Some users may prefer the added assurance of using a backup plugin from the creators of WordPress themselves.
At the end of the day, it's important to do your own research and choose the backup plugin that best meets your specific needs and preferences. Whichever plugin you choose, make sure to regularly create backups for optimal website protection.
6. How often you should backup your WordPress site
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the frequency of backups will vary depending on the size and complexity of your website, as well as how often you make changes to it. However, a good general rule of thumb is to backup your website at least once a week. This will ensure that you have a recent backup in case of any problems.
If you make frequent changes to your website – for example, if you are frequently adding or updating content – then you may want to backup more often, for example, through our website maintenance packages, we create daily website backups for our clients.
If you have a more complex site like an online shop or a membership site, a daily backup might not be enough. That's because, should something happen, yes you can restore to a backup from the previous day, but what happens with the new orders you've got since yesterday..They will be lost!
That's why for e-commerce and membership websites, we recommend hourly backups, or in our case, we take real-time website backups through our web maintenance packages. What that means is, we take a backup of the website every single time there is a new order, or something has changed on the website.
So, we've talked about what is and why is important to have a website backup, but what do you do if something goes wrong and you need to restore your website?
7. How to restore a WordPress website backup
If something goes wrong with your WordPress website and you need to restore it from a backup, the first step is to calm down and take a deep breath. The fact that you have a backup means that all is not lost – you just need to follow the steps for restoring your backup.
The exact process will vary depending on the method you used to create the backup. If you used a WordPress backup plugin like BackupBuddy, they will have specific instructions for restoring your backup.
If you created a manual backup, you will need to consult with your hosting provider or a web design agency for guidance on how to restore it.
In any case, make sure that you test your website after restoring the backup to ensure that everything is functioning properly. And remember, it's always a good idea to backup your website regularly so that you have the most recent version if something goes wrong.
Don't be caught without a backup WordPress plan – protect your website today.
If you're looking for an easy way to backup your WordPress website, you can subscribe to a website maintenance plan that includes backup services. This will help to ensure that your website is always protected in the event of a problem by a professional team.
Conclusion
In summary, backing up your website is crucial in case of any issues or disasters. It's important to research and choose the backup method and plugin that best fits your needs and to regularly backup your website to ensure you have the most recent version available.
If you're looking for an easy way to backup your WordPress website, you can subscribe to our WordPress website maintenance plan that includes a backup service plus other benefits.
This will help to ensure that your website is always protected in the event of a problem and give you the peace of mind that your website is in the hands of a professional.
Let's work together!
From building and managing websites, to helping you grow your business through through various digital marketing channels, we're here to support you on your digital journey. Contact us today to learn more.
