A website faces a number of challenges that their owners must overcome. Such challenges include both internal and external elements. Poor website design, unreliable hosting services, slow loading speeds all constitute internal threats, while hacker attacks, server failure, and malware are external threats. Either way, you – the owner of the website – end up on the losing side.
The solution? Well, it’s backups of your website. This will ensure your website is always running even under extenuating circumstances.
There are multiple ways of taking a backup copy. You can do it manually, use web host services or use a backup plugin.
Manually Backing Up a Website
Manually backing up a website is one of the most time-consuming processes. It involves backing up the site’s content, including the most important files and database, to a Cloud hosting service like DropBox or Google Drive. If you own multiple websites, it will naturally be a most tiresome process.
Web host services, on the other hand, may prove to be insufficient. Most services will only let you keep a single backup, which will overwrite any previously stored backup copies. There might be size constraints too. If you are planning to go back and select a previous backup version, you will not be able to do so.
Besides, almost all web hosting services use their own servers to store your backups. If their servers face trouble and your website goes down, you won’t be able to access your backup either.
Backing Up a Website With a WordPress Backup Plugin
The last option – of using a WordPress backup plugin- is thus the best one. Most plugins give you the opportunity of backing up your WordPress website with a single click. However, you cannot rely on every plugin which claims to be the best. Some criteria need to be fulfilled.
Choosing the Best WordPress Backup Plugin
There is an immense number of plugins currently available. Some are paid, some premium and others are freemium products. How do you choose from among so many contenders? Here are some features to look out for when deciding upon a WordPress backup plugin.
Complete Website Backup
The first thing to look out for in a plugin is its ability to back up a website completely. Your website is more than the WordPress core, themes, and plugins. It also has a database and other types of files. Everything needs to be backed up properly and without fail.
An Untethered Dashboard
Occasionally, you may get locked out of your own website because you can’t access your website admin via WP-Admin. While rare, such instances may include hacking, unforced errors, unsuitable or unsupported plugins among other reasons.
That means that if you can only access your website via your WP-Admin credentials, you cannot access your backup. An independent and untethered backup is thus a necessity, for even if you are locked out, will help you restore your site.
Offsite Storage
If you save your backup on the same server as your website, if the server goes down, you’ll lose your site and your backup. The point of having a backup is lost. This is why it’s recommended to store backups in a completely independent place from the website server.
Multiple Backups With Encryption
Ideally, you should always use a WordPress backup plugin which is capable of storing multiple encrypted backups at separate locations. Even if one storage system fails or is unresponsive, you can still access another copy.
Incremental Backups
Incremental backups increase the speed of your websites. Its the ideal way of backing up larger sites too. The entire website is backed up securely first, with further updates backed up in real-time. It leaves behind a minimal footprint and loading speeds skyrocket.
Real-Time Backups
All websites, including E-commerce websites with orders pouring in literally every second, need real-time back-ups. It is applicable for organizations dealing in large rolling stock, new listings and signings, and very frequent transactions over its website. Without real-time support, some orders can be misplaced.
Backups Should Be Independent of Hosting Servers
Without a doubt, the primary reason why organizations need backups is to have a full copy of their websites whenever they need it. If you save your backup on the same server as your website, you’ll lose both your site and your backup if the server goes down. The point of having a backup stands forgotten.
There are two ways to back up a website. The most common way of backing up a website still depends on hosting servers. That is, most WordPress users and site owners leave it to their web hosting partners to back up their site data, etc. Yet, there are very few if not any web hosting name which will take responsibility of lost backup data. For a fact, lost backup data can even deny the user/owner access to their website.
It is vital, therefore, to have a backup which is independent of such hosting servers. A backup plugin is a much safer alternative. With a plugin, you are not in a situation to lose valuable data unless you delete it first-hand. A backup plugin allows complete control over your site’s backup data and freedom from your hosting.
Superior Customer Support
Often, customer support is the differentiating factor between the best option and another pretender to the throne. Customer support has to be reliable and agile.
Is There a WordPress Plug-In Which Can Offer a Comprehensive Solution to Backing Up a Site?
WordPress is open-ended. As such, there is no ‘best’ but there is ‘better.’ A plug-in which covers all the edges to a certain function can only be popular till another alternative does the same but only better. And to recommend a WordPress backup plugin among the more than many options available, BlogVault can be the go-to option.
The idea is to ease operations as much as possible with a cent per cent success rate while maintaining simplicity and above all, time. BlogVault is more than just site restoration. It helps in backup, staging as well as site testing. It can be utilized as a single-end solution to a multi-faceted and of basic WordPress task.
BlogVault has a 100% success rate at site backup and restoration, and that’s a record the developers would like to keep up with the help of a small price. Yes, it is a paid service but one that is worth more considering the added holistic benefits.
How to Back Up Your Website Using BlogVault Plugin
You need to log in to your BlogVault account. If you do not have an account, register for free. On the dashboard, you will find an “Add New Site” option. Insert your website’s URL here and click on “Next step”. Add the BlogVault plugin to your website now. You now have the option to either automate or manually finish the process.
Of these, the automatic installation process is simpler. It also takes very little time. Submit your site credentials and then click on “Install Plugin”. That is all; BlogVault will start installing automatically and the backup will start once the process is completed.
If you are looking for better control over the installation and configuration of the plugin, you can choose to install it manually. Download the plugin from the dashboard first. Then, log in to your website. Go to the ‘plugins’ section and press on “Add new”. Once you click “Upload Plugin” and then “Install now”, you can easily install the BlogVault plugin.
The last step is easy: return to the dashboard and click on “Plugin Already Installed? Check Now!”
BlogVault will start the first round of backup in real-time.
Note that the first backup takes some time to complete. Once it is finished, you will be informed via dashboard notifications.
Before You Go
Over 400,000 website owners around the world trust BlogVault because it is the best at what it does. You can choose another WordPress backup plugin depending on your specific needs as well. But never use a backup plugin as an afterthought.
Given the specter of malware and hacker attacks, you need constant and consistent backups of your site/s. Website security and backup go hand in hand. With the Plus and Advanced plans, BlogVault offers all-round security for your website that’s powered by MalCare.
Backups are vital to the life and health of any website, big or small. A website is prone to a number of risks, and in the event, something happens to your site, your backup will come to the rescue. Installing a plugin to help get the job done will make life easier and can save you from a lot of trouble in the future!