16 Oct
Making your website back up is important. There are a lot of things you can do to keep your website safe, from choosing a top-notch web host to using strong passwords.
However, the single most important step you can take is to perform website backups early and often. Having a recent backup of your site can help you in many situations. If you lose crucial data or your website gets hacked, having a backup readily available can solve your problems. Plus, it often doesn’t take more than a few minutes to get that backup file ready.
What is a website backup service?
A website backup is a copy of all of your website data. What the backup storage encompasses will depend upon your online backup provider. As a general rule of thumb, the more data that’s included in the data backup, the better.
This is especially the case if your website runs on a content management system like WordPress, where you’ll need all of your site’s files, content, media, and databases to get it up and running again.
How often should you back up your website?
Website backups should also be done on a regular basis, just like computer backups. The best case scenario is either daily or weekly backups, or around as often as you update your website. For example, if you only publish a single blog post per week and that’s the only update you make to your site, then weekly backups will suffice.
Reasons why you need to backup your site
10 reasons why you should back up your website right away. Let’s get to work!
1. Guard against human error
Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. You might delete an important file on your website, make a change that breaks some of its functionality, and so on. There are ways to fix these kinds of errors, but in our experience, few are as efficient as restoring a previous backup. To put this into perspective, imagine that a significant part of your website ceases to work. You have two options:
- Identify the problem and look for a way to solve it.
- Restore your website’s most recent backup and move on.
The first method can be quick or take a lot of time, depending on how serious the problem is. However, with the second approach, you can have your site up and running quickly. All you need is a recent enough backup that you won’t lose any valuable data.
The primary takeaway is that backups can save you in situations where you or someone else makes a mistake on your site. To be as safe as possible, you’ll want to create those backups frequently, even on a daily basis (keep reading to find out how DreamHost makes this process simple).
2. Reverse problems during updates
Updates are necessary to keep your site functioning smoothly. At the same time, it’s not uncommon to perform an update to your site, only to see something unexpectedly go wrong. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make changes, you just have to go about them safely.
Ideally, you’ll have an automatic backup system set up for your site. That way, if you update any of its key components, you’ll have a recent restore point available just in case. It’s also smart to make a manual backup before you start tinkering with your website.
It might take you a few minutes or longer to get that backup ready. However, you’ll be happy you made the time if anything goes wrong during the update process.
3. Prevent loss of data
Imagine that you have a blog with hundreds of posts, and someone on your team deletes one (or more) of them by mistake. In the past, we’ve seen people delete entire libraries of content because they didn’t know what they were doing or they gave certain users too many privileges.
One of the primary reasons to maintain a backup system is to ensure that your data will be safe, even in situations like the one described above. That means you need to have a full backup of your site in place, and the same goes for your personal data as well.
What’s more, data loss can occur even if there’s no human error involved. That means having backups is essential, even if you and your team know what you’re doing.
If you’re worried about losing important data, we recommend you take things one step further. Not only should you have multiple backups available, but you should also avoid keeping them all stored in the same location. We recommend uploading your latest backups to the cloud, as well as keeping a copy on your server for redundancy’s sake.
4. Handle compatibility issues after new installations
If you use WordPress or any other Content Management System (CMS), then you probably rely a lot on add-ons, such as themes and plugins. Both types of tools can be incredibly handy. However, each time you install a new add-on, you’re introducing an element that might not play nicely with the rest of the site’s ecosystem.
Just as with updates, this doesn’t mean you should avoid plugins and themes. Instead, what you need to do is be careful about the ones you install. Make sure they have good reviews and ratings, and that the developers update them frequently.
You’ll also want to back up your website before you activate a new theme or WordPress plugin, just to be safe. With this approach, if a compatibility issue pops up, all you have to do is revert to a previous backup. Then, you’re free to install an alternative tool.
5. Resolve malware infections
A lot of people think of malware as something that can only affect personal computers. However, a surprising number of websites are infected with some kind of malware, and a lot more of them are vulnerable to it.
Even if you’re proactive about website security, attackers have highly-sophisticated techniques in their arsenals. Also, keep in mind that not even smaller, lesser-known websites are safe from attacks. WordPress users, for example, often face threats from bots looking for vulnerabilities they can exploit.
Troubleshooting malware can be particularly tricky since it’s hard to know when your site is fully clean. Even then, if you don’t identify and patch the security ‘hole’ that led to the infection, you’ll remain vulnerable. Having a backup ready to go will help you get your website clean faster.
6. Provide protection against hackers
There may also be times when attackers try to access your site directly to deface it or steal important information. If someone manages to breach an account with administrative privileges, for example, they might change its credentials to lock you out of your site.
This shouldn’t happen if you take the right security precautions. It’s especially critical to have Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) enabled on your site. If there is a hack, however, there are three ways you can proceed:
- Try to recover access to your account through your email.
- Contact your web hosting provider to ask for their assistance.
- Restore a backup from your hosting panel.
The first option might not always work since attackers will probably change the email associated with the account right away. If you’re using a reputable web host, the company should be able to help you but that can take time.
Restoring a backup, on the other hand, can help you regain control of your site quickly. Once you do, you can update your credentials to ensure that attackers are locked out once more.
7. Simplify the process of migrating web hosts
In a perfect world, you wouldn’t need to switch web hosts. However, a lot of people make the mistake of choosing the first provider they run into that looks decent. That usually ends up about as well as an episode of 90 Day Fiance and often leads to messy separations.
This means you may need to migrate from one web host to another at some point. The process involves moving all of your site’s files from one server to another. The good news is that if you’ve taken our advice to heart, you already have multiple full copies of your website ready to go.
There are a lot of ways you can use backups to migrate your website. You can copy files manually, use dedicated tools, or ask your new provider to do it for you. In any case, having a backup ready means that you can switch web hosts at a moment’s notice if you need to, which gives you a lot of freedom.
8. Make it easy to create a testing version of your website
Whenever you want to make a significant change to your site, the safest way to do so is by using a testing environment. That way, if something goes wrong during or after the update, you can keep it from affecting your live website.
To do this, you’ll need what’s called a staging site. There are several ways you can go about creating one, and they’re all pretty straightforward. What’s more, having a recent backup of your site in place means you can be ready to set up a staging copy in minutes.
9. Ensure an Uninterrupted Revenue Stream
If you make money from your website, then you need to ensure that it’s always accessible. Every minute that it isn’t working can cost you money. Just to give you an idea of the stakes, Amazon estimated that a little downtime during its Prime Day event cost it anywhere between $72–99 million.
If you run a small business, you’re probably not working with those kinds of numbers. However, that means it’s even more important not to lose out on any potential earnings due to problems with your website. An hour’s (or a day’s!) lost income can be a significant blow to any business.
Troubleshooting unexpected problems from scratch can take a lot of time, as we mentioned before. On the other hand, if you can restore a backup, you’ll get your website back online and earn money quickly. Then you can take your time to find out what went wrong in the first place and keep it from happening again.
10. Foster strong security practices
If we had a dollar for every time we recommended that website owners backup their data, we’d be millionaires. However, if you took a dollar away for every time someone ignored that advice, we might break even.
The fact is that backups are about as versatile as sliced bread. Plus, you have so many options for how to back up your site that there’s no excuse not to do it. Backing up your data, in general, is the cornerstone of good digital security.
If you take your website seriously, you’ll also want to read up on the other best security practices you can implement. However, the first step is to create a backup right away and repeat the process often. Sooner or later, it will save your site so now’s the perfect moment to start.
How website backup services work
Website backup services ensure backing up your website requires very little work, many of them by making the process automatic.
Websites have a lot of moving parts and a variety of files required just for your website to load the right way. Forget to backup a crucial file and your website might not load properly. If you’ve ever played around with the code of your own website, then you’re probably familiar with how changing a single line of code can bring your website offline. Yeah, not fun.
When you use an online backup service, you don’t have to worry about individually backing up each website element and file yourself. The service does it automatically in the background. This helps to ensure that every single file is included in the backup, and you can restore your site with a simple click if the need arises.
You need only choose your online website backup service of choice, configure it to your website, and choose the frequency. The application will run in the background, silently backing up your website’s data to your preferred guidelines.
3 benefits of using an online backup service
An online backup service makes your life easier and your website safer in a few main ways.
1. Backups are effortless
When you use a service that creates automatic backups, it removes the work entirely from your to-do list. You can trust that all new changes and updates to your website are being quietly backed up, while you focus on the main work of running your website. In contrast, backing your website up manually to a hard drive is something you have to remember to do which makes it easy for busy people to forget.
2. Enhanced security protocols
If you’re manually backing up your site and using a basic storage solution, your levels of security won’t be as high as those a cloud backup solution provides. An HDD backup can open your files up to risks like data corruption, storage malfunction, and physical damage. Online backup services not only have multiple layers of security to protect your files, but they’ll be stored on redundant servers. This means that copies of your site’s files are stored across multiple physical servers.
3. Speedy site recovery
One of the biggest benefits of using an online backup service is being able to restore your site to a previous version in an instant. With quick website recovery and data restoration times it’ll be like your site never took any damage in the first place. A lot of online backup services will also offer technical assistance for restoring your site or even have one-click recovery options. This is a must-have for website owners who don’t want to go through the technical process of restoring their sites themselves.
How to back up your website using cPanel
Many web hosting plans come with cPanel. If you don’t want to pay for an online service, cPanel gives you a way to manually create backups. You just have to remember to go in and take these steps on a regular basis. Consider creating a calendar alert so you actually remember.
- Log into your cPanel account.
- Scroll down to the Files section, and select Backup.
- Click on the button that says “Download a Full Account Backup”. You also have options to backup specific sections of your website, if you want a faster process.
- Choose the destination where you want your backup to go, and fill in your email address.
- When your backup is ready, you’ll receive an email and see your backup listed in the “Backups Available for Download” section.
Choosing the best website backup service
When you’re looking for a solid website backup service there are certain features you’ll want to keep an eye out for. The last thing you want to do is choose a low-quality online backup service. Here are three key features you’ll want to keep an eye out for when choosing a backup service:
1. Off-Site Backups
You want your backups to be protected from hackers and hardware failure. This means that your backups need to be stored in an off-site protected location, not just on a traditional website server. Look for an online backup service that offers off-site backups as part of their service offering.
2. Automated Backups
If you have to create your backups yourself, then you’ll probably never get around to it. Our lives are busy, and you probably have a handful of website-oriented tasks you’re trying to complete every day as well. The last thing you’ll remember to do is backing up your website. Plus, it’s a simple enough task that it’s easy to put off until “tomorrow”.
With automated backups, you don’t have to think twice about backing up your website. Just sign up for a service, create a backup schedule, and the rest is taken care of for you. Automation is one of the most important aspects of an online backup service. Without automation, the task probably won’t get done.
3. Redundant Backups
Another very important feature of your online backup service is redundant backups. This is where your website files and folders will be stored in multiple server locations. Or, you’re having backups of backups made. This ensures that a single event won’t bring down your backups or storage, and you have multiple lines of defense, instead of a single point of failure.
Conclusion
As mentioned, there are a lot of ways you can back up your website. Some web hosts will do it for you and others enable you to create backups on demand from your control panel. With so many options, I’m sure it’s difficult to choose how to plan your backup workflow. Therefore, we’ll finish up with some final closing tips to help you move on from here:
1. Choose something that fits your budget and timescale
The full features of the automated solutions will cost a few dollars a month, but it’s important to weigh that up against the time and stress you’ll save over backing up yourself.
2. Decide on the best backup schedule
If you have a database or any other dynamic element, ensure that you back up at least once a day. Otherwise, back up as often as your website changes. And, if possible, schedule your backups to happen at the quietest time of your website to avoid any disruption.
3. Check your backups regularly
Several surveys have shown that the biggest pitfalls people make with their backups is that they forget to check them. Ensure that your files aren’t corrupt and that your backup contains everything you need to do a full restore of your website. There’s just one vital tip left to share.
4. Do it now
Disaster could strike at any time. Backup your website now and back it up every day. If a nightmare strikes, you’ll be ready to take control and get back online within minutes.