Troubleshooting Your WordPress Website: Why It Might Not Be Working Anymore
Your WordPress website is a delicate ecosystem that requires time and energy to keep running smoothly. But what happens when it’s not working correctly?
A healthy website doesn’t just protect your business and customers from malicious attempts and data breaches; it results in better performance, faster response times, and more conversions or leads. Over time, outdated tools and integrations may decrease these and other website performance metrics.
Guaranteeing your website is operating at peak capacity requires consistent maintenance and updates. We sat down to interview Syed Shah Newaj, our technical project coordinator – who blends his web development expertise with a detailed touch and analytical problem-solving – to talk about WordPress websites, why yours might not work correctly, and what you should do when it breaks!
WordPress is a very popular and well-supported platform, which is one of the reasons why we use it at Evolve Systems. There are constant updates and support from WordPress and the community that supports it, making it a great platform, but it can also be tricky to navigate if you don’t deal with it regularly. When your website breaks (especially if you don’t know how to fix it), it can seem like a scary place to be as a business owner. If your site is broken, Syed recommends writing down as much as you can about exactly what happened and when, and then contact your website support provider for help.
While you’re waiting to hear from their help desk, here are some common reasons your WordPress website might not be working:
You Could Be Experiencing Server Issues: Your website’s servers could be down or under maintenance. Check with your hosting provider to see if any server-related issues affect your website. It could be a server outage or other server configuration problems that your hosting provider can assist in troubleshooting.
You Could Have Conflicting Plugins: If you recently installed or updated a plugin, it might be causing conflicts with other out-of-date plugins or themes on your site, but it doesn’t stop there. There are several reasons why the plugins might not be working, from being incompatible with other plugins to deeper template issues in the code. If it’s not a popular plugin, it could also be that support has stopped. Syed’s recommendation is to make sure your plugins are updated often, but not to update them all at once to avoid additional problems. When picking plugins, it’s important to judge the functionality and the level of support available to it.
Theme Compatibility Issues: If you’re using a custom theme, ensure it’s compatible with the version of WordPress you’re running. Switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-One or one of our favorites like Divi might help. They are user-friendly and have great support, ensuring regular upgrades and expert technical assistance.
Database Issues: Sometimes, database corruption or errors can cause WordPress websites to malfunction. If you have regular backups of your site, it can make restoring it to working order much easier. Syed recommends backing up often. Our clients’ websites are backed up daily while keeping at least a week’s worth of backups.
Security Breaches: Keeping your site up to date could mean preventing security breaches. WordPress is a frequent target for ransomware attacks and malicious software, making a firewall and security plugins absolutely crucial. Cyber threats can easily embed malware in websites that have yet to receive the proper attention, such as a lack of necessary updates. Evolve Systems recommends security tools like Wordfence and Securi. Keeping your WordPress website up-to-date is the best way to ensure that your website is secure and protected from any potential threats. We know we sound like a broken record, but it’s essential.
We’ve shared many reasons WHY your WordPress site might not be working, but how do you fix it? First things first: STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND CALL FOR BACKUP! The problems might worsen if you try to troubleshoot on your own, especially if you aren’t familiar with the site. Trust us; we’ve seen all sorts of fun things happen when WordPress websites break.
We don’t want you to feel helpless in all of this, so here is what you can do: Note as much as you can about what happened. Write down when it happened, what the site is doing, and anything else you notice that might be helpful to us so that your hosting provider can work with you to fix the problem. You can also take screenshots of what is going on to help them see exactly what the issue is. The more information they have, the better support they can provide. For example, Evolve Systems offers specific Help desk assistance for our clients to address issues that can arise with your site even after hours. We want you to get back to business as fast as possible.
Once your site is up and running, one way you can keep it from breaking in the future is to stay on top of the version updates and install better security tools. But don’t worry! You don’t have to do it alone! Our expert developers alleviate the burden of maintenance off of your team’s shoulders while providing a ROT (return on time) through our streamlined process, saving you money from recurring issues that could appear along the way. With our Technical Webmaster Services program we offer maintenance, backups and reporting on the website’s overall health.
If you’re finding that you are running into issues regularly with your WordPress site, consider getting some outside help. Your website is the most fundamental tool to support your business, so you need one that works for you. Our team is ready to connect to help navigate your website support needs.
