Your website will definitely have issues such as crashes and failures from time to time. Heeding the following tips can help set up a data backup plan and schedule that will help you retrieve the data you need and put your mind at ease. This is perhaps one of the greatest almighty realities that can never be washed away particularly if one lacks discipline when it comes to backup. If you construct your website with the help of one of our top web hosts you will have an online dwelling with excellent up-time. They are two separate things but one does not necessarily exclude the other and therefore something like a server crashing, the site being hacked or files being accidentally deleted are very much possible. Now, imagine a backup: you return your website to its typical functionality or, at the very least, a state before disaster. Discover 5 simple and effective methods to backup your website. Protect your data from unexpected events with these easy-to-follow steps. Ensure your website’s safety and continuity today

Companies especially should be particularly wary of supporting the websites they own. Of course, you must not lose valuable orders or inventory data in the case of some mishap. Fortunately, setting up the proper backup is not a complicated endeavor at all. It’s just a matter of figuring out how and how often you are going to do it. Once this is accomplished, it is most desirable that you archive your backup in a more secure location such as an additional external drive or cloud service and guarantee that this is done at least periodically. 

What is the frequency of website backup? 

If you do not make active changes to your site and it remains almost the same for several days, then weekly backup will suffice. However, if your website is updated daily and you are adding more products/services or information for instance, then daily backup might be necessary. 

It is aimed at storing the most recent “snapshot” of your website, so if something occurs, you still have the new elements rather than returning to a previous snapshot. In other words, the frequency of back up of the website depends on the usage of the website where a website that is frequently used requires to be backed-up more frequently while the one that is not frequently used requires to be backed-up less. 

Here’s a general guideline: 

• Daily Backups: In case a website has an hour, daily changing content for example an e-commerce site with new products every day or a news site with new posts every hour, the recommended backup is daily. By doing this you shall ensure that all recent changes and contents are captured. 
• Daily Backups: Those who have dynamic sites, which are updated on a daily basis like news websites, online magazines and weekly backups will be sufficient. This is good because it provides enough protection for data while at the same time not overburdening your backup solution.
• Monthly Backups: If the content of the website is updated rarely then it is safe to back up the website once a month mainly for websites such as a small business website with information that does not change often. However, it is advised that you backup your website to avoid losing all your data in the long run. 
• Before Significant Updates: It is advisable to perform a backup before approaching a website design agency for major changes to your website. This creates a copy and if a complication arises while updating then one can always restore from this point.  

5 Easy ways to backup your website 

Your website is more than just a collection of web pages; it’s a digital hub for your brand and business. Protecting your website is crucial to success. In this section, we’ll explore two reliable methods for backing up your website. 

1. Manually backup

Manual backups: a hands-on approach 

Imagine organizing your digital belongings like arranging items in a secure vault. Manual website backups involve taking matters into your own hands and personally copying all your website’s essential elements to a safe location. It involves you personally taking the steps to ensure your website’s content, images, code, and other essential elements are preserved in case of data loss or unexpected issues. 

Manual backups give you direct control over your website’s safety, ensuring your important data is within arm’s reach whenever you need it.

How to manually backup your website? 

Now that you know what manual backups are, this section will guide you through the steps to initiate a manual backup for your website. Simply follow these steps: 

1. Log in to your web hosting account. 
2. Locate the directory where your website files are stored. 
3. Use an FTP client to download the entire directory to your computer. 
4. Store the backup file in a safe location. 

2. Using cPanel

Many web hosting services use cPanel, a user-friendly control panel frontend with many push-button options. Although cPanel backups are technically manual, they’re easier to perform than the previous method.

1. Log into your site’s cPanel control panel.
2. Enter the Files section and click Backup.
3. Click “Download” a Full Website Backup. There are also options to do partial backups that include just the home directory or SQL databases. This is particularly useful, as it shortens the download times associated with large website or database backups.
4. Select Home Directory as your backup destination, and then enter an email address to receive a notification when the backup is complete.
5. Click “Generate Backup” to start the backup process.
6. Click “Go Back“. You’ll see a link that displays Backups Available For Download. From here, you can download the backup archive file. 
7. WordPress-backed websites require an extra step. In the Databases section, click phpMyAdmin and then select your site’s database. “Click Export“. Finally, “click Go” on the next page to download the SQL file. 

Remember, this is not an automated backup method. You must manually execute regular backups. 

3. Use a WordPress Plug-In

Have a WordPress-powered website? You can use several WordPress plug-ins to perform a backup. UpdraftPlus is a popular option.

1. Install UpdraftPlus, and activate it.
2. Go to Settings and click the UpdraftPlus tab.
3. Click Backup Now to create a downloadable, archive file.

UpdraftPlus has other features that enhance the backup experience. You can use the plug-in to back up your site on a schedule, removing the manual backup hassle. You can also link UpdraftPlus to a cloud storage account so that your backed up files are automatically sent there. UpdraftPlus makes the entire backup process wonderfully simple. Our other recommended WordPress backup plug-ins include Backup & Staging, BackWPup, Total Upkeep, and XCloner.

4. Use Filezilla

The standard way to backup your website also requires the most know-how. Manually backing up your website requires using FTP software to move the files to your local computer. We recommend using Filezilla, one of our best free software picks. Here’s how to do it.

1. Fill in the Host, Username, and Password fields. Host is your site’s domain name or IP address, while username and password are the credentials used to access your site’s control panel.
2. Click “Quickconnect“. Once you do, you’ll see a set of folders that represents your website in Filezilla’s bottom-right area.
3. Navigate to the publichtml folder. “Right-click” it to open a contextual menu.
4. Select “Download” to copy the publichtml folder to your PC. 
5. Alternatively, if you’re using a WordPress-powered site, download the wp-content directory and the wp-config.php file. 

Your backup is complete! Now, save the file to a thumb drive, encrypt the data, or upload it to the cloud.

The problem with this manual method is that it’s…manual. You’ll need to retrace these steps whenever you want to make a backup. Plus, it’s not the simplest operation, which may be a problem depending on your technical knowledge. However, there are simpler ways to backup your site.

5. Use a Managed Service

The next step, the easiest step, is to sign up for a managed backup service. These third-party services, such as BackupMachine, Codeguard, and Dropmysite, handle the backup process for you. The steps may vary slightly from service to service.

1. Create a profile with the third-party backup service.
2. Click Add Website.
3. Supply the software with your domain, username, and password credentials.
4. Select the root directory.
5. Click the backup icon.

That’s it! The apps automatically backup your site on a set schedule. Depending on the service, you can change the backup time to one you prefer.

There’s a literal price to pay for this hands-off approach, though. CodeGuard has a $5-per-month Personal Plan that lets you create a daily backup of a single website (professional plans start at $49 per month). Dropmysite’s cheapest option is $29.99 per year, but it lets you back up unlimited websites and databases daily. BackupMachine has a free tier with monthly backups (it also has premium options that offer backups with increased frequency). Research these third-party services to see the full scope of their offerings.

Some web hosts offer these services as add-ons to your hosting plans. For example, you can purchase CodeGuard via HostGator, one of our Editors’ Choice picks for web hosting services.

Back It Up and Breathe Easier

Those are just a few ways to backup your website. Even the more complicated backup options become easier once you’ve done them a few times. We recommend backing up your website every week, but if you frequently update your site, or are involved in e-commerce, you should consider daily backups. Always be prepared. 

In most cases, restoring your site is as simple as reversing the backup process. You simply log into your website’s control panel, and upload the archived files back to the site’s home directory. Regarding the cPanel and WordPress plugin options, you’ll typically find restore options next to the backup options. Hopefully, restoring your site will be a rare occurrence.