Should Small Businesses Update WordPress Themselves?

Should small businesses update WordPress themselves?

Yes. Small businesses can update WordPress themselves when the website is straightforward and they have a reliable backup before making changes.

WordPress includes built-in update tools for the core software, plugins and themes, so many routine updates can be completed directly from the dashboard. For a simple brochure website with a small number of well-maintained plugins, the process may take only a few minutes.

However, an update should never be treated as completely risk-free. Changes to WordPress core, a theme or a plugin can occasionally conflict with another part of the site.

What should you do before updating WordPress?

Create a current backup before making important updates.

The official WordPress documentation recommends backing up a website before updating so that it can be restored if something goes wrong.

• Confirm that you have a recent backup
• Check whether the backup includes both website files and the database
• Make sure you know how the backup would actually be restored
• Check whether several major plugins are being updated at the same time
• Note any important forms, menus or functions you need to test afterwards

A backup is much more useful when you know where it is stored and how to restore it. Simply assuming that your hosting company has a usable backup can create problems if an update fails.

What can go wrong after a WordPress update?

Most WordPress updates complete without major problems, but incompatibilities can happen.

A plugin may stop behaving correctly after another plugin or WordPress itself changes. A theme update might alter styling. A page builder could display a layout differently, or a contact form might appear normal but fail when submitted.

• Pages displaying incorrectly
• Menus or buttons no longer working
• Contact forms failing
• Missing styling
• Plugin error messages
• The website showing a maintenance message
• Parts of the WordPress dashboard becoming unavailable

The important point is that an apparently successful update does not prove that the whole website is working correctly.

How should you test a website after updating it?

Check the parts of the website that customers actually use.

Open the homepage and several important pages in a fresh browser tab. Test the main navigation, contact forms, buttons and any important interactive features.

It is also worth checking the website on a mobile phone. A desktop page can look normal while a layout problem appears at a smaller screen size.

If the website takes enquiries, bookings or payments, test those functions carefully rather than assuming they still work because the page loads.

Should you update every plugin immediately?

Not necessarily. Security and maintenance updates are important, but updating several components at once can make troubleshooting harder if something breaks.

If ten plugins are updated simultaneously and a problem appears afterwards, it can be difficult to identify which change caused it. On a business-critical website, updating in a controlled way can make diagnosis easier.

This does not mean leaving WordPress software outdated indefinitely. It means approaching updates as maintenance rather than repeatedly clicking every available update without checking the result.

WordPress itself explains the available core update methods and recommends keeping WordPress current in its official WordPress update guidance.

When is it better to pay someone to update WordPress?

Professional help makes sense when the website is important to the business and you are not confident that you could recover it if an update caused a problem.

• The site uses many plugins
• The website has custom functionality
• You have previously experienced update problems
• You are unsure whether backups are working
• You cannot afford extended downtime
• You simply do not want to spend time troubleshooting technical problems

The decision is less about whether you are technically allowed to click Update and more about how comfortable you are taking responsibility for what happens afterwards.

Can JigiWeb help with WordPress updates?

Yes. JigiWeb provides flexible ad hoc website support, including WordPress plugin and theme updates, troubleshooting and other common website changes.

Support starts from £30 per hour, with half-day, full-day and discounted bundle options available. There is no ongoing contract for ad hoc support.

If you would rather have someone check and update your site for you, find out more about JigiWeb website support.

For a small, simple WordPress website, handling routine updates yourself can be sensible. For a business-critical site, paying for help can be worthwhile when the cost of downtime or a failed update would be greater than the cost of professional support.