Would you like your WordPress site to work smoothly like a clock, look attractive like a piece of cake, and be safe like a fortress? The solution lies in using the best WordPress site maintenance practices. One of these practices is sticking to the latest versions of WordPress core, plugins, and themes. In this post, we will explain in more detail why you should always update your Wordpress website, as well as inform you about the recent WordPress core updates.
Why WordPress websites need regular updates
All WordPress websites greatly benefit from the updates because they give them:
- protection against hacker attacks, malicious code execution, data thefts, and so on, thanks to security vulnerability fixes
- new lucrative WordPress features and enhancements for existing features
- performance improvements that will let your site load faster, pleasing both your visitors and search engines
- usability improvements that give your users a more enjoyable experience
- fixes for bugs that may have somehow slipped through
So how can you avoid missing all these great opportunities and get updates on time? Here are some ways to always stay informed about the recent WordPress updates:
- checking the Update tab on your website’s dashboard
- setting up email notifications with the help of plugins like the WP Updates Notifier
- automating the update process with the help of the Easy Updates Manager plugin
However, all updates should be done carefully, without forgetting about website and database backups and ensuring you have FTP access to your website.
In some cases, updates may not go smoothly due to some conflicts or errors, or even break a website. This fact scares many users from updates, but it shouldn’t — it’s all about having a professional approach.
Applying to a good WordPress support service could be a perfect solution, because they will follow the latest WordPress updates and perform them smoothly for you.
Latest version of WordPress
WordPress 4.9 and all that jazz
Is your website tuned to the latest “music” of WordPress? When it comes to major releases, the latest version of WordPress is 4.9. It came in November 2017 and is named “Tipton” to honor William Lee Tipton, jazz musician and band leader.
The previous major release, WordPress 4.8, was named “Evans” — after William John Evans, jazz pianist and composer.
WordPress 4.9 brings great enhancements like these:
- convenient design and content creation processes (e.g. drafts, revisions, scheduling, sharing previews with colleagues or customers, and so on)
- amazing usability for adding images, videos, and audio thanks to improved widgets
- code imperfection highlighting for site builders
- convenient theme preview and theme switching
- menu creation instructions
- warnings against potential dangerous practices
- and much more
WordPress 4.9.3, 4.9.4, and 4.9.5
In addition to major releases once in a couple of years, there are minor updates between them that make WordPress even better.
TThe most interesting fact about the minor updates to WordPress 4.9 is that WordPress 4.9.3 and 4.9.4 came within two consecutive days.
On February 5 WordPress 4.9.3 was released with important maintenance fixes related to Customizer API, widgets, visual editor, compatibility with previous versions, and more. However, right on February 6, it was followed by WordPress 4.9.4. WordPress 4.9.4 promptly fixed a flaw in 4.9.3 related to automatic updates causing errors.
However, we always bring you the freshest news, so we are happy to inform you about the absolutely latest version of WordPress released on March 3! WordPress 4.9.5 is a security and maintenance release, strongly recommended for all versions since WordPress 3.7.
Wrap-up
Let your website shine like the best WordPress website examples, or even brighter! And our WordPress support team will take care of timely and safe recent WordPress updates for you.
We have conducted a detailed comparison of Webflow vs WordPress to help you understand which platform is best suited for your project. Each platform has its advantages, and we’re here to help you make the right choice. Contact us, and we’ll provide expert advice and assist you in selecting the perfect solution for your website!
