WordPress is an open-source community software, anyone can study the source code to learn and improve it. This also means that hackers can study it too and find ways to break into websites. WordPress powers more than 30 percent of all websites in the world and the fact that it’s so popular makes it a target for hackers, malicious code distributors and data thieves.
Why use the latest version of WordPress? Security is arguably the most important reason why you should keep your WordPress website up to date. Just like the XSS attack, hackers look for holes in WordPress code. That is why website owners have to stay on top of things all the time.
Major updates to the WordPress core installation files happen two to three times per year and Minor updates are rolled out as needed. Each major WordPress release comes with new features and changes to the software. WordPress is always trying to speed up page load time. Each new WordPress release comes with several performance improvements that makes WordPress run faster and more efficient.
It is important to use the latest version of WordPress, plugins, and themes.
A release of a minor WordPress version means patching of a bug or a glitch that could be exploited by hackers. With each new release, WordPress fixes bugs, adds new features, improves performance, and enhances existing features to stay up to date with new industry standards.
“Thankfully, GetGoingHub offers website maintenance plans to ensure all our client websites are updated, and thus, secure and easy to scale over time.”
If you were using an older version of WordPress, then your website experience would be a lot slower than someone using the latest WordPress version. This results in losing customers as well as reducing the credibility of your brand. Visitors tend to leave your site if they face a slow loading speed or interruption during their sessions.
On the other hand, an updated version will be quick and responsive and comes with performance improvement which helps keep potential clients on your site for longer. Website load time is a huge factor in SEO, therefore you should definitely keep your WordPress updated to ensure maximum performance benefits. Also making sure you’re on the current WordPress version ensures you’re up to date with security for your site and you have access to all the enhanced features.
Updating your website to the current WordPress version will make sure that overall security of your site is up to date, that all bugs are patched, and that you are not missing out on enhanced features. The longer you wait to update to the next version of WordPress, will cause a negative effect on your search rankings, making it harder for your customers to discover you.