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Why You Need to Update Your Craft CMS Website

What is Craft CMS?

Craft CMS is a content management system which is popular for its adaptability and customizability. At Welford, we have a wealth of expertise and experience as a Craft CMS agency, and we think it’s one of the best offerings out there.

Take a look at our honest review of Craft CMS on our blog.

What are the current supported versions of Craft CMS?

Version Release Date Full Support Expiration Date
Craft CMS 3 04/04/2018 30/04/2023
Craft Commerce 3 28/01/2020 30/04/2023
Craft CMS 4 04/05/2022 30/04/2024
Craft Commerce 4 04/05/2022 30/04/2022

Why do I need to update Craft CMS?

Like every system used to build a website, your Craft CMS requires nurturing and frequent updates. There are several key benefits when you update Craft CMS.

Performance

Firstly, updating your Craft CMS version can make your website run faster as each update becomes more advanced than the last. By upgrading to Craft CMS’s latest recommended version, you can improve the overall performance and efficiency of your website, giving your visitors a much more frictionless experience.

Enlisting the help of a professional team who are dedicated to updating and maintaining your website is also vital for maintaining an advantage over your competitors.

Security

Secondly, a Craft CMS update will improve the security of your site. As time and technology develops, older versions of Craft CMS become more vulnerable to hackers, so updating your Craft CMS is vital to equip your website with all the latest security features that older versions won’t have. A more secure website will save you the cost and reputational damage associated with a compromised site.

Maintainability

While you might not see updating your Craft CMS as a main priority, it can really make a difference to the overall management of your site. There are numerous improvements on newer versions of Craft CMS that can reduce the time it takes to run your code. This will positively affect your site’s quality, readability and reliability, and moreover, your overall user experience. Regularly updating your Craft CMS will make it easier and faster to maintain your site over time.

Risks of not updating your Craft CMS website

  • Bug fixes

Failure to update your Craft CMS means that you will likely miss out on all the subsequential improvements each update has to offer. This includes the resolution of any bugs or imperfections that older versions may have. If you’re spending more time pulling your hair out over technical issues (which may already have fixes) than focusing on your business, it might be time to update your website!

  • Data breaches

As technology advances, so do hackers. If you don’t regularly update your Craft CMS, it becomes a lot easier for them to pass through the security features of old versions and steal valuable data, such as your personal information and even bank details. Protect yourself by enlisting the help of our website developers to ensure you have the most advanced and protected version of Craft CMS.

  • Bad first impression

It goes without saying a slow and lagging website does not give off a good first impression of your business to potential new customers. Updating your Craft CMS ensures that your website runs smoothly and provides your customers with an enjoyable user experience. In today’s world, the quality of your website represents the quality of your brand and business.

FAQs

  • What is the lifespan of a Craft CMS version?

Each version of Craft CMS comes with two years of active support and maintenance from its initial release date. Following this, critical security issues will be fixed, wherever possible, for another year.

  • Can I update Craft CMS myself?

We would not recommend attempting to update your Craft CMS version by yourself. There tends to be a lot of extensive work that, when done incorrectly, can cause huge problems later down the line, including deteriorating your website’s functionality.

Website owners can update their Craft website between minor versions as there’s an update feature, but it’s best to have a developer review the changes, and vital to work with a web developer between versions to ensure there aren’t any changes or updates that will break features on the website.

Downtime or loss of functionality can be massively detrimental to your business success; to avoid serious issues with your site, we advise enlisting the help of an experienced, professional team to update your Craft CMS.

  • How can Welford help?

As a Craft CMS agency, we have a wealth of expertise and expertise which means we are the right people to come to for help with updating your Craft CMS version. We believe that a secure and up-to-date Craft CMS platform is the foundation of a successful online business.

Our experts will work with you to build an easy-to-use, feature-rich and highly adaptable site to be proud of. Check out our blog post on the importance of keeping your OpenCart website up to date, or get in touch with our team today.

Make sure your website is working from the best version of Craft CMS

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