Why it's Crucial to keep your website and CMS up to date

If, like most of our clients do, you're using Craft CMS to power your website, you are already benefiting from a secure, flexible, and user-friendly content management system. However, like any software, Craft CMS requires regular updates to maintain peak performance and security.

The Risks of Not Keeping Your Website Updated

Regardless of the platform running your website, failing to keep it up to date can lead to security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and a more costly upgrade process down the line.

In this post, Andrew summarises why keeping your website platform up to date is so important.

Security Vulnerabilities

While most CMS updates and patches fix bugs and deliver enhancements, they also address security concerns.

Most CMS vendors actively maintain their platform and publish lifecycle dates around which support will be actively provided. In the case of Craft CMS security support typically runs for 12 months beyond support for the core system before a major upgrade is required.

Occasionally, minor patches will address security vulnerabilities. Even more infrequently there will be critical security updates that need to be applied immediately because of a newly discovered loophole in the codebase, or the coding frameworks used to build the system.

Failing to apply these updates risks exposing your website to hackers who can exploit outdated software to inject malware, steal data, or compromise your website’s functionality. This could lead to significant downtime, data breaches, and reputational damage.

Longer Upgrade Process for Critical Releases

If you let your website fall too far behind the latest CMS release, upgrading to the newest version can become a complex and time-consuming task.

When a critical security update is released, website owners who have neglected regular updates may find themselves unable to implement the fix quickly. A website that is several versions behind will require extensive testing, database migrations, and possibly even redevelopment efforts to ensure compatibility. This delay could leave your website exposed to security threats for longer than necessary, increasing the risk of compromise each day the site is left unpatched.

If your CMS is already close to the most recently released version, this isn’t likely to be a problem.

Decreased Website Performance

Updates to CMS platforms often include performance improvements that might enhance website speed, reduce server load, and provide a better user experience. Outdated websites may run slower, suffer from compatibility issues with other systems, and be unable to leverage the latest advancements in web technology. A slow or buggy website can frustrate visitors and drive them away, potentially reducing conversions and revenue.

The Benefits of Keeping Your Website Up to Date

Enhanced Security & Reduced Risk

Regular updates ensure your website is protected against known vulnerabilities and exploits. By keeping up with your CMS’s latest releases, you mitigate the risk of security breaches, malware infections, and unauthorised access. A secure website protects your business, your users, and crucially, any sensitive data.

Improved Website Performance

Updates to your CMS often include optimisations that improve efficiency. These enhancements can lead to faster page load times, better database performance, and a smoother experience for users. Search engines like Google prioritise fast and efficient websites, which can also benefit your SEO rankings.

Longer Return on Investment (ROI)

A well-maintained website has a longer lifespan and delivers a better return on investment. Websites that receive consistent updates remain functional and relevant for years, avoiding the need for a costly redesign or complete rebuild. Regular maintenance ensures that you maximise the value of your initial investment while treating your website as an asset that grows and supports the business.

Compatibility with New Technologies

The web evolves rapidly, with browser updates, third-party integrations, coding language updates, and plugin improvements being released frequently. Keeping your CMS website up to date ensures that it remains compatible with the latest advancements, preventing issues with broken functionality and outdated features.

Best Practices for Keeping Your Website Updated

Monthly Updates

To avoid falling behind, website owners should implement or agree a monthly update schedule. This ensures that your site stays current with the latest CMS version, security patches, and plugin updates. Monthly updates also make it easier to troubleshoot and address minor issues before they become bigger and more costly problems.

Capture Backups Before Updates

Before applying any updates, it’s crucial to take a complete backup of your website. This allows you to quickly restore a previous version if anything goes wrong during the update process.

Some systems will do this automatically, but without developer support, they might not be easily retrievable or straightforward to restore in the event of a problem during the update process.

Testing Before Deployment

For businesses with complex websites, we'd always recommend testing updates on a staging environment before deploying them to the live site. This ensures compatibility and helps identify any potential conflicts with existing plugins, custom features or external integrations with a CRM or payment provider.

However, again this can take time on top of running the update itself. Another reason why minimising the gap between updates is essential.

Summary

Maintaining your CMS through regular updates is not just a best practice—it’s essential for security, performance, and longevity.

Ignoring updates can leave your site vulnerable to attacks, slow it down, and make future upgrades more challenging and expensive. By applying updates monthly, you protect your investment, enhance user experience, and reduce risk.

In closing, the simpler and shorter the upgrade path, the lower the risk of either being unable to upgrade, or even being vulnerable to security issues in the first place.