When you run a small business, there are probably hundreds of things competing for your attention.
Actually… we get it… more like THOUSANDS of things competing for not only your attention, but your valuable time and energy.
Website security might not be at the top of the list.
In fact, for many business owners, website security is something they only think about when something goes wrong.
That’s understandable. You’re busy running your business, serving customers and keeping everything moving. The technical side of your website can easily become someone else’s problem.
But your website is an important business asset, and protecting it should be part of your overall business strategy.
A hacked, compromised or unavailable website can damage your reputation, interrupt enquiries and potentially put customer information at risk.
The good news is that good website security doesn’t have to be complicated.
If you have a WordPress website, there are some straightforward steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk.
Why Website Security Matters
Your website represents your business 24 hours a day.
Customers expect it to be:
- Available when they need it
- Safe to use
- Professionally maintained
- Reliable
- Trustworthy
If your website is hacked or compromised, the consequences can extend well beyond the website itself.
A compromised website could be used to distribute malicious content, redirect visitors to other websites, send spam or expose sensitive information.
Even if your website doesn’t process payments or store large amounts of customer data, it’s still worth protecting.
Your website is part of your reputation.
1. Keep WordPress Updated
One of the simplest ways to improve WordPress security is to keep everything updated.
This includes:
- WordPress itself
- Plugins
- Themes
- Security software
- Other website components
Updates aren’t just about adding new features. They can also address security vulnerabilities and bugs.
However, there’s an important distinction between updating and simply clicking “Update Everything”.
Poorly managed updates can sometimes cause compatibility problems.
Before making significant changes, it’s sensible to have a current backup and check that the website continues working correctly afterwards.
That’s one reason professional WordPress website maintenance can be valuable for busy business owners.
2. Use Strong Passwords
It sounds obvious, but weak passwords remain a significant security risk.
Avoid passwords based on:
- Your business name
- Your address
- Your phone number
- Family names
- Simple combinations such as “admin123”
Use strong, unique passwords for your website administration accounts.
Better still, use a reputable password manager to create and store complex passwords.
And don’t use the same password for your website that you use for your email or other important accounts.
If one account is compromised, reused passwords can potentially give attackers access to others. We’ve seen situations where a business’ website was completely taken over by a hacker, all because they had a simple name+three number combination as their password. These dreaded hackers are too good at what they do, so you need to ensure you have ultra-strong passwords protecting your website backend.
3. Limit Administrator Access
Not everyone who needs access to your website needs administrator privileges.
WordPress allows different user roles, so give people only the access they actually require.
For example, someone who only needs to write blog posts probably doesn’t need full administrator access.
Review your user accounts periodically and remove access for people who no longer work with your business.
This is particularly important if your website has been around for several years and multiple developers, employees or contractors have worked on it.
4. Don’t Ignore Your Plugins
One of the great things about WordPress is the enormous range of plugins available.
You can add functionality for:
- SEO
- Contact forms
- Security
- Ecommerce
- Bookings
- Analytics
- Social media
- Performance
But every additional plugin introduces another piece of software that needs to be maintained.
Unused plugins should generally be removed rather than simply left sitting on your website.
Outdated or poorly maintained plugins can also create security and compatibility problems. Here’s a great article that goes into why it’s so important to keep your plugins updated.
A good rule is simple:
If you don’t need it, don’t keep it.
5. Back Up Your Website
If something goes wrong, a reliable backup can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major business problem.
Your website should be backed up regularly, ideally automatically.
Backups can protect you against:
- Hacking
- Server problems
- Accidental deletion
- Failed updates
- Human error
- Website corruption
But there’s another important point.
Don’t just assume your backups are working.
They should be periodically checked to make sure they can actually be restored.
A backup you can’t recover from isn’t much use when your website is down.
6. Make Sure Your Website Uses HTTPS
Look at the address bar when you visit your website.
Does it begin with:
https://
rather than:
http://
HTTPS encrypts information transferred between the visitor and your website.
You’ll also see the familiar padlock symbol in most modern browsers.
For a business website, HTTPS should be considered essential. And it’s something we at CJI Tech Solutions can help with.
It helps protect information submitted through forms and provides visitors with reassurance that they’re interacting with a properly secured website.
7. Choose Good Website Hosting
Website security doesn’t stop with WordPress.
Your hosting environment matters too.
Cheap hosting isn’t necessarily bad, but your hosting provider should provide appropriate security, reliability and support.
Good hosting can contribute to:
- Website performance
- Uptime
- Security
- Backups
- Server reliability
For businesses investing in website design in Perth, hosting should be considered part of the overall website solution rather than an afterthought.
To deliver top-tier reliability, we host client sites on DreamIT Host’s Australian NVMe infrastructure with hosting data centres in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, ensuring built-in DDoS protection, real-time security monitoring, and lightning-fast local load speeds.
A great-looking website isn’t much use if it’s sitting on unreliable infrastructure.
8. Protect Your Website From Spam
If your website has contact forms, comments or other methods for visitors to submit information, you may eventually encounter spam.
Spam can range from annoying messages through to automated attempts to exploit vulnerabilities.
Appropriate measures can include:
- Spam filtering
- CAPTCHA or alternative verification
- Form protection
- Comment moderation
- Security monitoring
The right solution depends on how your website is being used.
The goal isn’t necessarily to make your website difficult for visitors to use. It’s to prevent automated abuse while keeping the genuine customer experience simple. And how annoying is spam, are we right?
9. Monitor Your Website
Security isn’t something you should only think about after receiving a warning.
Regular monitoring can help identify unusual activity before it becomes a bigger problem.
Depending on your website, monitoring might include checking:
- Unexpected changes to content
- Suspicious administrator accounts
- Unusual login activity
- Broken pages
- Security alerts
- Unexpected redirects
If something doesn’t look right, investigate it rather than assuming it’s nothing.
10. Have a Plan for When Something Goes Wrong
Even with good security practices, no system is completely immune to problems.
That’s why it’s worth having a recovery plan.
Ask yourself:
If my website disappeared tomorrow, what would I do?
(or if you’re really stuck, who could I call? CJI Tech, obviously…)
You should know:
- Who manages your website
- Where your website is hosted
- Where your domain is registered
- Where your backups are stored
- Who has administrator access
- How the website can be restored
This information shouldn’t live solely in the head of the person who originally built your website.
A business should retain control of its important digital assets. Sadly, in this day and age, you need to have contingency plans in place when it comes to your business’ online presence.
What About Small Business Websites?
You might think:
“I’m only a small business. Why would anyone bother hacking my website?”
It’s a fair question. You’ve probably asked yourself at some stage.
The answer is that attacks aren’t always personally targeted.
Automated systems can scan thousands of websites looking for vulnerabilities.
That means being a small business doesn’t necessarily make you invisible.
In fact, smaller businesses can sometimes have fewer resources dedicated to security, making basic security practices particularly important.
Website Security Is Also About Customer Trust
Security isn’t purely a technical issue.
It’s also about how customers perceive your business.
Imagine finding a local business through Google and clicking through to its website, only to find:
- Security warnings
- Broken pages
- Strange redirects
- Outdated information
- An obvious lack of maintenance
Would you feel comfortable handing that business your details?
Probably not.
Your website contributes to your credibility, whether you realise it or not.
That’s why professional website design in Perth should consider security, performance and maintenance alongside appearance.
Don’t Confuse Security With Complexity
Good website security shouldn’t make your website difficult to use.
The objective isn’t to put layers of complicated technology between your business and your customers.
It’s to quietly protect the website in the background while keeping the customer experience simple.
A well-maintained WordPress website can provide a secure, professional and easy-to-use experience without visitors ever needing to think about the technology behind it.
What Should You Do If Your Website Has Been Hacked?
If you suspect your website has been compromised, don’t ignore it.
Contact your website developer or hosting provider and have the site assessed.
Depending on the situation, the response may involve:
- Removing malicious files
- Restoring a clean backup
- Resetting passwords
- Updating software
- Removing compromised accounts
- Checking for vulnerabilities
- Reviewing server access
The sooner you respond, the better.
Trying to fix a compromised website yourself without understanding what caused the problem can sometimes make matters worse.
Again, this is something we can help with.
Website Security Should Be Part of Your Website Strategy
Security shouldn’t be something bolted onto a website after it’s built.
It should be considered from the beginning.
When planning a new WordPress website, security should sit alongside:
- Design
- SEO
- Performance
- Mobile responsiveness
- Content
- Conversion optimisation
- Ongoing maintenance
This approach creates a website that’s built not just to look good today, but to remain useful and reliable as your business grows.
Final Thoughts
Your website is one of your most valuable digital assets.
You don’t need to become a cybersecurity expert to protect it. You simply need to make sure the basics are being handled properly.
Keep your software updated. Use strong passwords. Limit access. Maintain reliable backups. Choose good hosting. Monitor your website and don’t ignore security warnings.
And if you’re too busy running your business to manage all of that yourself, that’s completely understandable.
That’s where professional website support can make a real difference.
At CJI Tech Solutions, we build and support WordPress websites for businesses across Perth and Western Australia, with a focus on performance, security, SEO and ease of management.
Whether you’re looking for a new website design in Perth (or beyond), need help maintaining an existing WordPress website, or are concerned about the security of your current site, getting the right advice early can save you a lot of headaches later.
A secure website isn’t just good technology.
It’s good business.
Of course, as always we are happy to have a chat about how we can help. Feel free to drop us a line and we can take it from there.
Key Takeaways
- Keep WordPress, plugins and themes updated.
- Use strong, unique passwords and limit administrator access.
- Remove plugins and user accounts you no longer need.
- Maintain regular, tested backups.
- Make sure your website uses HTTPS.
- Choose reliable website hosting.
- Monitor your website for suspicious activity.
- Have a recovery plan if something goes wrong.
- Treat website security as an ongoing part of website maintenance, not a one-off task.
