Website Back-End Software Updates: 2LD Annual Service

The underlying infrastructure of websites built by Two Lucky Ducks includes:

Web Hosting (on a "server" rented from a 3rd party... and with lots of different "server settings")
WordPress - WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that allows users to create and manage websites easily. As of December 2023, WordPress powers approximately 43.1% of the top 10 million websites on the internet. This statistic highlights its dominance in the CMS market, where it accounts for about 60% of all websites built with a content management system. WordPress continues to be a preferred choice for individuals and businesses looking to establish an online presence.
Pro Theme + Cornerstone Editor - the key tools we use to create and maintain your website
Plugins that differ depending upon the website and it's functionality - A WordPress plugin is a piece of code that adds specific features or functionalities to your WordPress website. They act like apps for your site, allowing customisation and the extension of the website's capabilities. A few examples of this that I almost always use are Wordfence security plugin, Google Site Kit (inc. Google Search Console, Google Analytics Web Traffic Analysis), and Yoast SEO.

This means.... many different software components are used when building a website, and they are very often updated with new versions.

Keeping your WordPress software, theme, and plugins up to date is crucial for several important reasons:

Security

Maintaining updated WordPress components is essential for protecting your website against potential security threats. Regular updates often include patches for known vulnerabilities, helping to safeguard your site from hackers and malicious attacks. By staying current, you significantly reduce the risk of your site being compromised.

Performance and Functionality

Bug Fixes: Updates frequently address known issues and bugs, ensuring your website functions smoothly. This can prevent unexpected errors and improve overall performance.
New Features: Updates often introduce new functionalities and improvements that can enhance your website's capabilities and user experience.
Speed Improvements: Many updates include optimisations that can boost your website's loading speed and overall performance.

Software Compatibility

Keeping your WordPress ecosystem up to date ensures better compatibility between different components:

WordPress Core Compatibility: Updated themes and plugins are more likely to work seamlessly with the latest version of WordPress.
Theme Compatibility (eg. Theme.co's "Pro" Theme): 0Theme.co releases very regular updates (often weekly) that ensure compatibility with many plugins, but also very often include new features and capabilities that may be able to be used on your site. Updates to Pro theme also include updates to the built in editor "Cornerstone".
Plugin Compatibility: Regular updates help maintain compatibility between different plugins, reducing conflicts that could break your site's functionality.
Browser and Device Compatibility: Updates often include fixes to ensure your site displays correctly across various browsers and devices (and this in turn affects SEO).

Long-term Benefits

Security: Your site is far less likely to be hacked, infected or compromised.
Reduced Maintenance Costs: Regular updates can prevent both minor and major issues, potentially saving you time and money on extensive repairs or emergency fixes in the future.
Improved SEO: Search engines favor websites that are regularly updated and secure, which can positively impact your search rankings.
User Experience: By keeping your site current, looking great and working correctly, you provide a better experience for your visitors (which can lead to increased engagement and leads).

Two Lucky Ducks Annual Software Update & Monitoring Service

At Two Lucky Ducks, we provide a low cost, paid (billed annually) service to:

automatically monitor your website for new software versions / required updates (Wordpress, Pro Theme, Plugins) using fantastic software we have installed on our this website (that connects to all client sites)
update your website as new versions are released (and handle any issues that may arise) - up to 40 times a year!
clear cache after updates (to ensure your site looks the same post-update)
monitor hacking attempts and any login to your site (and where they originated from)
monitor uptime and SSL status
tweak server settings (including PHP version) when required
keep a full off-site backup of your website (taken after any significant development), on a different server than your web hosting provider.

Fees (for 1 year)

1 site - $140/yr (the equivalent of just 2 hours of my time at $70/hr)
2 sites - $210/yr (the equivalent of just 3 hours of my time at $70/hr)
3 sites - $280/yr (the equivalent of just 4 hours of my time at $70/hr)

.... dependent upon the number of Two Lucky Ducks websites you have, the site complexity, and any specific client arrangements we may have agreed on.

This service does not cover any significant content, functionality, styling, or structure updates.
If you require these types of enhancements I can simply quote for them at my normal hourly rate (and you decide if you want to go ahead).

I hope this helps explain what you are paying for when you renew your annual Two Lucky Ducks Software Update Support service, and importantly why it's a good idea.

Kind Regards
Simon (Two Lucky Ducks Web Design)