3 Step Test To Do After Every WordPress Update
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You are busy running your business. Time flies by, and you don’t notice that inquiries have stopped.
One day, it dawns on you that you haven’t received any website inquiries recently (or worse, no orders have come in. You review your form submissions, and several weeks have passed without an inquiry.
What happened? If you’ve had a website for any length of time, you know that things are cyclical. It’s common to receive a barrage of inquiries and orders, only to experience a period of no inquiries immediately afterward. Also, certain times of the year are busier than others.
However, the last thing we want is to miss opportunities because things are not working as they should. And that happens more than most folks realize.
WordPress Conflicts Abound
Conflicts happen all the time. To put this in perspective, there are:
So, calculate the possible combinations of the above. It’s almost impossible to comprehend, right? With all the different combinations possible, conflicts will happen. There is no way for WordPress or theme and plugin developers to compensate for every possible combo or situation.
While, in my experience, everything generally works well together 98% of the time, I realize that not every plugin may be compatible with every theme. Not every theme will play well with every WordPress update.
This is generally due to some developers’ failure to keep up with WordPress, plugins, and theme updates. You then have more possibilities for conflicts.
Test, Test, Test
Take my word for it. Even if you keep up and update when new releases of WordPress, plugins, or themes come out — you can still experience a conflict that causes features and functionality not to work as before the update. I wrote an article about how to troubleshoot conflicts here.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to review your website after any updates and confirm that the display, features, and functionality are as they should be. Even if you have someone else or a service handling your updates, mark your calendar to remind yourself to review your website’s functionality at least once a month.
WordPress Updates Testing Checklist
- Fill out all your forms, including surveys and your mailing list.
- Place a test order. The last thing you want to discover–weeks later–is that something is not working correctly. $$ lost.
- Open an incognito browser window and do the same. This will help you discover what first-time visitors may find.
Are form submissions not stored on your website? It’s time to get a plugin that does this. This way, if you don’t receive the email or it’s not being sent, you still have the submissions to refer to in your dashboard.
When it comes to preventing conflicts and keeping your site secure, updating is the primary way to accomplish that. Additionally, in my experience, sticking with premium themes and plugins is beneficial because the developers are invested in keeping their products compatible with WordPress core updates.
So, get in the habit of running through this quick process every time you update. This is necessary to ensure your site operates correctly, allowing visitors to contact you and place orders. That’s money.
At your service,
