Imagine having a website that you have put a lot of time and effort into – developing the appearance and functionality of the site, writing and uploading content, and working hard on search engine optimization.
Now imagine that you make one simple change- installing a plug-in or updating a website theme – and something goes wrong. The website is compromised, or glitches. What can you do?
If you perform regular back-ups of your website, then there is no need to panic. You will easily be able to revert the website to its exact form at the time of the last backup.
If you perform your backups manually, then there is a chance that you have not found time to do one for a while, or you have forgotten.
This means that you might lose some of your content or some of the changes and updates you made to your site since the last backup.
Automated backups remove a lot of this stress for you. They happen periodically in the background without you having to stress about it or remember them.
This means that if something ever goes wrong, the automatic backup function will have an up-to-date version of your website ready to go.
If you want to learn more about automated website backups and why they are important then you are in the right place. We have put together this helpful guide which tells you everything you need to know.
What Are The Different Types Of Website Backups?
There are 2 main types of website backups: automated and manual. Automated backups occur automatically by your web host.
Manual backups are done manually by you. Both methods are effective, but there are some advantages to choosing an automated backup over a manual one.
Keep reading to find out more about the different types of website backup.
What Is A Manual Backup?
A manual backup is when you take a copy of your website files from your server onto your computer. It is usually done by copying all of the files from your web host folder onto your local machine.
This is a good way to keep copies of your website files locally but it has its drawbacks.
One major drawback is that you lose any changes you’ve made to your website once you have copied them over to your local machine.
Another problem with doing a manual backup is that it takes a long time. It could take hours to complete depending on how much data you have stored on your website.
What Is An Automated Back Up?
An automated backup is when your web hosting company does it automatically for you.
There are two types of automated backups: incremental and full. Incremental backups only save small amounts of data each time they run. Full backups save every file on your website.
When you use incremental backups, you don’t need to worry about losing anything because your site would still work after the backup had been completed.
However, if you were to delete a page or upload new pages to your website, those changes wouldn’t be saved. So using incremental backups isn’t always ideal.
How Do I Know Which Type Of Website Backup To Use?
You should choose between incremental and full backups based on what type of website you have. For example, if you have a static website, then you should use incremental backups.
Static websites are ones where the content doesn’t change often. If you have a dynamic website, then you should choose full backups.
Dynamic websites require frequent updates so you would want to avoid deleting old content and re-uploading it again.
Why Should You Perform Regular Website Backups?
There are many reasons why you should perform regular backups. The most obvious reason is that you can restore your website to the same state as it was before you performed the last backup.
This means that if you accidentally deleted a page or uploaded a new page, you can quickly add it back to your website.
Another reason is that if you make changes to your website, then you can see these changes immediately.
If you haven’t performed a backup recently, then you won’t be able to tell whether or not the changes you’ve made are working.
You may think that you’re making progress but actually, you aren’t seeing any results. By performing regular backups, you’ll be able to spot problems before they become too big.
Another benefit of regularly backing up your website is that it will help prevent disasters like hard drive crashes. If you do experience a crash, then you’ll be able to recover from it without having to start from scratch.
How Often Should You Perform Website Backups?
The frequency at which you perform backups depends on the size of your website and how frequently your website gets updated.
Smaller sites might only get an update once a month while larger sites might get one every week.
If you have a large amount of data stored on your website, then you should perform daily backups. Daily backups ensure that you never miss out on important information.
They also allow you to easily access previous versions of your website.
If you have a smaller website, then weekly backups are probably enough. Weekly backups give you plenty of time to complete them without causing major disruptions to your business.
How Long Does It Take To Perform A Website Backup?
It takes anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour depending on the size of your site and how busy your server is. Most people find it easier to schedule their backups in advance rather than doing them manually.
You can also schedule them for a time when you are not working on your website, so you are not interrupted when you are working.
Summary
Website backups are very important for security and peace of mind. A manual backup is better than no backup, but automated backups are more reliable and much easier.
Hopefully this website can teach others and help you in getting your blog out there, capitalizing on it as much as you can, and can serve as the kind of resource I wish I had had. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and make a name for yourself!
- Bluehost Vs HostGator: Host Features, Reviews, And Test Results - October 7, 2022
- Bluehost Vs DreamHost: Host Features, Reviews, And Test Results - October 7, 2022
- MidPhase Review: Host Features, Reviews, And Test Results - October 7, 2022
Related Posts:
