Blogging tech problems can rack havoc on even the most seasoned bloggers! With these five tasks, you will be well on your way to avoiding pitfalls that can lead to blogging problems that can last hours if not weeks.
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5 Tasks Every Blogger Should do to Avoid Blogging Tech Problems
Inevitably in your blogging career, things will go horribly wrong.
Don’t believe me? Here are just a few of my major tech fails in blogging:
- I wiped one site’s entire database. Oops. I did learn the importance of backups (and backups for your backups).
- A single plugin allowed a backdoor as big as Texas for hackers to penetrate and redirect the site I earned the most income with. It was a bad day. No, it was a bad week, and it took months to recover from it.
- Because I didn’t read the reviews on a weeks-old plugin update, I was one of many affected by a tiny coding error which caused us all to be locked out of our sites. Oh, happy day.
Based on my experiences, here are my tried and true methods to avoid you not fall victim to the technical side of blogging.
1 – Change Log
Every. Single. Time. You change something on your site, it should be written (and dated) on a changelog. I recommend keeping an electronic copy – a Google Sheet is a free option.
And before you get flustered, know that your changelog doesn’t need to be detailed. All you need is the date and the name of plugin or change you made.
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2 – Read the Details
Are you someone who updates all pending plugin updates at once? I’d caution against that. But the bigger problem is not understanding what changes are made with the update!
Our goal as business owners is to ensure we are making the best decisions for our business, so it makes sense to understand what changes are being made.
- Did the privacy terms change?
- Are they requesting access to additional information in order to make the plugin work?
- Or, are they fixing bugs you didn’t know existed?
3 – Timing Matters
Before you select an update, ask yourself: can I afford my site to go down if I have a conflict?
I’m one of those people who perform nearly no updates (unless security-related) in October, November, and early December. Why? I’ve had my site go down in high-traffic times and have lost out on thousands in revenue. Never again.
4 – Security + Some More Security
If you don’t have a security plugin and you’re operating on an open source platform (WordPress, for example), get one now.
Some of the top plugins have a free version. However, security and information improve with an investment. Personally, I can recommend WordFence, Cerber, and Securi.
5 – Ask Your Blog Buddies
Asking your friends about plugin recommendations and warnings is just “smart business.” Additionally, it will help you develop relationships which are crucial in blogging – not one of us can do everything on our own (nor should we).
If you have a question, be sure to Join the IBA and bring it to the members-only Facebook group. We have new bloggers, hobby bloggers, and professional bloggers who are able to help you grow your blog and income.
Over to You
How would you rate your tech-savvy for your blogging business? What tips would you give to help others avoid blogging tech problems?
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