Website management has been made easier now more than ever. However, there is no guarantee that things will always go according to plan. Your website can break down following an update, or it can also get hacked. You might also accidentally delete some important files. The list goes on and on.
Learning how to back up a website can help you avoid trouble if any of the situations above occur. All you have to do is implement a reliable and effective backup process and ensure that you have stored your backups as securely as possible.
Basics of Website Backups
An excellent backup solution must fulfill two criteria:
- The backup is stored in several locations.
- Backups are done regularly.
It is recommended that you keep a local copy of your backup either on an external drive or on your computer and another copy in the cloud. It may sound redundant, but it can create an additional security layer in the event that one of the backups is deleted. If you don’t prefer local storage, you can use two cloud storage services instead to be safe.
The schedule for your backups must reflect how frequently your website is updated. If you always publish new content and receive a lot of comments, you might want to back up your website every week or even every day. If you don’t have frequent updates, you can settle for monthly or biweekly backups.
Options for Website Backups
1. Manual backup
A manual backup of your website involves connecting it through an FTP client and then downloading a copy of a theme, plugin, individual file, or a full copy of the site on your local machine, aside from downloading your database’s copy.
It is recommended that you manually backup your site before you make any significant alterations to your website, such as:
- Updating your website theme
- Modifying a particular file
- Updating your WordPress version
Every time you perform this kind of backup, ensure that your files have corresponding dates so you will know precisely when they are from.
2. Website backup plugins
One of the best things about a WordPress website is that there is usually a plugin for anything you want to do with it, such as backing it up. It will be wise to develop a backup schedule for your website. Once again, the frequency of your backups must be determined according to how often your website gets updated.
3. Backup your website with the help of your hosting company
Many quality and reliable hosting providers include website backup as part of their service. The company will automatically make complete copies of your website on schedule. It is an excellent choice for most business owners who don’t have the luxury of time to perform manual backups. You might want to inquire with your hosting provider about whether your hosting plan includes a website backup service or if they have an option to add the service. If they don’t, it might be time for you to switch hosts.