WordPress Website Security for Small Business Owners: What You Need to Know

As a small business owner, your website is often the first point of contact between you and your customers. It's important to make sure that your site is not only visually appealing, but also secure. Many small business owners don't realize the importance of website security until it's too late. Here are some key points that every small business owner should know when it comes to securing their WordPress website.

Keep your WordPress and Plugins Up-to-date

A crucial thing you can do to keep your site secure is to make sure that your WordPress installation and all of your plugins are up-to-date. WordPress and plugin developers are constantly releasing updates that include security patches and improvements. While it is great to have an active plugin and support, this can come with unwanted changes and potential errors in your site’s design. By keeping your site updated, you'll be less likely to be affected by known vulnerabilities. Furthermore, it's important to remove any plugins that you're not using, as these can also create vulnerabilities. If you have an agency manage your website, make sure this is part of their maintenance protocols. Agencies like Hierographx maintain their WordPress sites regularly and monitor WordPress news for any upcoming changes. 

Use a Strong Password

A tried-and-true way to keep your site secure is to use a strong password for your WordPress account. A strong password is long and includes a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to guess your password and gain access to your site. 

Use a Firewall

Firewalls are a security measure that monitor your site for suspicious activity and block unwanted traffic. As technology becomes more and more advanced, ensuring you have strong digital security is becoming more important. This is even more critical for small business owners who may not have the resources to constantly monitor them. A firewall can help to block brute force attacks, DDoS attacks, and other suspicious activity.

Regularly Backup Your Site

One often forgot of step to securing your WordPress website is doing regular back ups. Backing up your site allows you to restore it in the event of an attack or other unexpected event. This will help to minimize the impact of a security breach on your users and your business. You can use a plugin to schedule regular backups or use a backup service from your hosting provider, this way you will have peace of mind that your data is safe.

Choose a Secure Hosting Provider

A final step you should take in securing your website is to choose a secure hosting provider. Your hosting provider should offer regular backups, SSL Certificates, and firewalls. These elements provide your site with an extra layer of security and peace of mind. Furthermore, all of these factors affect SEO - don't let bad host providers be the reason Google is ranking your site low. It's important to choose a hosting provider that has a good reputation for security and is known for quickly addressing any security issues that may arise.

Final Thoughts

As a small business owner, it's important to take your website security seriously, especially if you are using a WordPress site. Keep your site up-to-date, use strategic passwords, implement a firewall, regularly back up your site, and choose a secure hosting provider. These steps will keep your WordPress site secure and protect your business from potential attacks. Remember, it's always better to be proactive when it comes to security, rather than waiting for something to happen and then try to fix it.