The bad news is that the more people that use a particular type of software, the more attractive it is as a target for hackers. For example, Windows systems are much more common targets than Apple systems, simply because there are so many more people using them.

WordPress runs over 24% of all websites around the world. That’s a lot of targets! There’s still a big upside to using WordPress though: it’s open source. That means there is a large, dedicated community of contributors working hard to improve it.

Make no mistake about it though, all the hard work of those contributors does nothing unless you are vigilant about constantly updating your WordPress software. Not only does that make your site perform better because you’ll always have the latest bug fixes and upgrades, but it’s the only way to make sure you have the latest security patches as well.

Any WordPress developer will tell you that WordPress security is a bit like whack-a-mole. Every time a problem or a vulnerability is fixed, a new one will pop up somewhere else. When people try to tackle their WordPress site maintenance and security themselves, these are some of the common issues we see:

Infrequent backups. If your site ever does get hacked and needs to be restored, you’re only able to restore from the most recent backup. If you’re not backing up frequently then you could potentially lose a lot of content and/or data.

Not using an appropriate WordPress security plugin. There are a variety of WordPress security plugins available to do things from ensuring good password hygiene to preventing certain types of attacks. Knowing how to search through the pile and find the right one for your website can be tedious and confusing if you aren’t well-versed in WordPress security.

Introducing WordPress coding vulnerabilities. Anytime you or somebody writes custom code for your WordPress site, you are potentially introducing security vulnerabilities into your system. You need to know what to look for to keep your custom code from providing an entry point for hackers.

Not using a secure WordPress host. Some hosting companies leave security issues entirely up to you, while others offer much better support to keep your site secure. Choosing the right host is an important decision.

Consider using a 3^rd party WordPress service provider that offers a maintenance plan that takes care of the updates and security issues for you. You should focus on what you’re good at: running your business and creating great content for your website. Leave the security concerns to the professionals! It’s the best and most convenient option to ensure your WordPress website is safe and secure.

Have you ever spent 8 hours cleaning malicious code from your website only to have the whole scenario above repeated again twenty minutes later because of the insidious backdoor scripts that have been hidden all over your site, with another day passing before you found the culprits? I’ve been there!

Have you ever had your clients ring you to let you know your website has been hacked and they were worried you’d joined the dark side? Yep, happened to me too!

Have you ever contacted your hosting service to get them to remove malicious code from your site only to be told it’s your problem to sort out and by the way, if it’s not fixed in 24 hours they’ll shut your site down? Uh huh.

How about all your data being wiped out only to discover that you don’t have an offsite backup, your hosting service doesn’t have an intact backup copy and your only backup was stored on the hosting server with all your website files (which remember, are missing in action)? Luckily this hasn’t happened to me but I know many people who have faced the heartbreak of losing all their valuable content – this is their business after all!

However, if you feel that you need assistance in keeping your site running at it’s best, whether due to time or, dare I say, techno-phobic restraints, then check out our WordPress Maintenance services where it’s done-for-you. We even have a Free option to get you started.

According to Social Media Examiner, 67% of marketers plan to increase their use of social media channels including Blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. So why would you care about that? Well, it will only be meaningful to you if you want more clients.

Without a social media strategy, you will be left behind in the market and those internet savvy solopreneurs who have understood the value of having a social media strategy are well set to reap the rewards.

And yet, social media and your strategy to implement it can be tricky. It’s all about creating and sustaining relationships by providing value – some say you need to provide 10+ times the value of what your clients and customers pay for. It’s also about leverage – how do you as a solopreneur or professional have time, energy and knowledge to understand and implement all the available avenues that social media provides?

Should you favour Twitter over Facebook or focus on article marketing and syndication, or video production by building an audience on Youtube. How many times do you need to engage with your audience – daily, weekly, monthly?

The answer is – it depends!

Here are some points to get you started:

Don’t expect an avalanche of clients overnight, but if you use the tips above you will gain the ‘sticky’ clients – that is, they will be with you for the long haul!