You know you need to backup your WordPress site, but do you keep putting it off?
Like updating your phone or changing your refrigerator water filter, it can be difficult to remember or get excited about routine 24/7 WordPress hosting support. Fortunately, when it comes to your website, there are ways to make it easier.
This post covers why you should back up your website, the best methods to backup a WordPress site, and best practices for backups.
Why You Need to Backup a WordPress Site
Website backups are like insurance for your website. You buy car or homeowner’s insurance hoping you never need it. But when hail trashes the roof of your house or you get into a fender bender, you’re sure glad to have the coverage. In the event of a website crash or security breach, you need to know you’re covered. That’s why you need a backup.
Benefits of a backup include:
- Preventing Lost Data. Your website contains some of your most important and sensitive data, from sales to leads. A backup ensures you have access to the data in case something goes wrong with your live website.
- Maintaining Security. If an attacker successfully infiltrates your website, files could easily become compromised. A backup allows you to quickly restore a secure version of your site while you work to address the threat.
- Minimizing Downtime. You’re not signing up leads or selling products when your website is down. Downtime is bad for your bottom line. Use a backup to get your website up and running in minutes instead of taking the time to rebuild it step-by-step.
- Preparing for Transition. Backups also offer peace of mind when making major changes or switching hosts. You can work on your site knowing that you have a reliable backup should something go wrong.
- Reversing Damage. Mistakes happen. A WordPress backup is like an undo button for your website. If a major update didn’t go as planned, you can always revert to your backup.
How to Backup a WordPress Site
Backing up your website isn’t hard when you use the right tools.
The three main methods to backup a WordPress site are:
- Do it manually
- Get a plugin
- Leave it to your hosting provider.
Let’s look at the advantages and drawbacks of each of these methods.
Manual WordPress Backups
Manual WordPress backups are tedious. You have to download a copy of your website files and databases. This process can be time-consuming. A manual backup gives you control over the entire process, but this level of control doesn’t really come with any benefits, especially to outweigh the cost of the time involved.
The biggest drawback to opting for manual backups is that it puts the responsibility on you to remember to do it. No one wants to be in a situation where their site crashes, and they realize they neglected to back it up for the last two months.
Backing Up WordPress with a Plugin
To avoid the situation where you’ve forgotten to backup your site, many WordPress users opt to install a backup plugin. Depending on what plugin you use, you can opt for various storage options and backup frequencies. For example, you could use a plugin to backup your site automatically to a cloud server like Amazon Web Services every night.
The benefits of using a plugin are ease of use and scheduling. Plugins are simple to set up and manage. You can also automate the backup process. The disadvantage is cost. Many plugins require you to upgrade to a paid subscription to unlock all the helpful features. If you’re backing up the site to an external store solution, you also need to pay for the storage. Another drawback to using a plugin is that it can eat up valuable processing and storage, making your site run painfully slow while a backup is in progress.
Backing Up with Your Hosting Provider
Pressable’s managed WordPress hosting takes the hassle out of backing up your site. Our
automatic backup service is the easiest and most affordable way to back up a WordPress site.
Pressable’s intuitive dashboard allows you to easily access WordPress backups, download them locally, and restore them in a few simple steps.
We do a full site backup once every 24 hours and back up your databases hourly.
Additionally, most Pressable plans include free access to Jetpack Security, normally $239 per year. This enhanced plugin includes automated backup, malware, and one-click restorations.
With Pressable, you get double the backup coverage. The best part is, if you ever need help, our experts are on standby to restore your site from a backup.
Best Practices for WordPress Backups
While you may not like routine tasks like backing up your site, they are necessary. Follow these best practices to ensure your site has the protection it needs.
Tips for the best backups:
- Ensure Complete Coverage. Make sure you’re backing up your files and databases.
- Maintain Frequency. Back up your site at least once a day, possibly more for high-volume ecommerce stores. That’s why Pressable includes hourly database backups, so you never miss a WooCommerce order.
- Utilize Automation. Set it and forget it is the best approach. Pressable puts backups on autopilot.
Make Backups Easier with Pressable
WordPress backups are essential, but that doesn’t mean you have to like doing them or even do them yourself. Let Pressable handle it for you. Schedule a demo today so one of our experts can show you how easy it is to manage and restore backups from our hosting dashboard.
Jessica Frick
Jessica is a driving force behind the company’s mission to deliver the best managed WordPress hosting experience. Her dedication is rooted in her extensive experience with WordPress hosting, spanning over a decade. Since 2008, she has immersed herself in the WordPress ecosystem, holding various WordPress-centric roles since 2010. Her expertise extends beyond technical proficiency to encompass a deep understanding of the WordPress community and its needs. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, serving her community, watching hilarious dog videos online, and drinking a lot of iced tea.
