One thing we all have in common is that we’re short of time, so why are you still manually carrying out website maintenance tasks that could be automated? There are tools out there to help you automate tasks from the simple to the complex, so here are five of the most time-consuming tasks you should be automating.
WordPress and Plugin Updates
It’s imperative to keep your plugins and WordPress version up to date for both security and functionality purposes, but it can be one of those things that falls to the back of the queue if you’re busy.
Code snippets can be added to ensure your updates are handled automatically, or you can look to a plugin like White Fir Design’s Automatic Plugin Updates.
Data Reporting
Keeping an eye on your web traffic and referrals is a key way to monitor how your site is performing but it can be complicated to delve into the Google Analytics dashboard if you don’t have previous data analysis experience.
However, the Google Analytics Dashboard plugin presents you with an easy to use data report right there in your WordPress Dashboard, even allowing you to create custom reports to make things even simpler.
Social Media Content
After creating a new blog post you’ll want to get the word out to a wider audience, so you should be sharing new content on your business’ social media platforms. Save time by installing a social media content sharing plugin like Nelio or Blog2Social so any new posts are shared on your chosen social networks automatically.
Managing Spam Comments
Spam is an unfortunate part of running a website, particularly if you have a regularly updated company blog. It’s almost impossible to stop spam but what you can do is install a spam filter plugin like Akismet so you don’t have to waste time filtering out unwanted comments manually.
Back Ups
Finally, let’s turn our attention to back ups. You want peace of mind that your website content will be protected in case anything goes wrong but remembering to manually back up your site is another one of those tasks that’s easy to forget when you’re busy. Consider using a service like BlogVault that means your site stays backed up and secure day in, day out.
