WordPress.org came out with a new update to their software: WordPress 3.5. Each time a major release comes out, they dedicate it to a Jazz musician. This one is dedicated to the drummer Elvin Jones. Here is a short video from WordPress.org with highlights of the new version:
Some of the new features in WordPress 3.5 are:
- New Media Manager
- New Theme – Twenty Twelve
- Admin Enhancements
- Retina Ready
- Accessibility for devices
- Color picker
Here are the steps I go through to Update WordPress:
Before I do ANYTHING, I wait a few days for the dust to settle and see if a newer version has come out. i.e. 3.5.1
1) First, I backup my WordPress Website with a Backup Plugin
2) Second, I update my plugins before I update to the latest WordPress
3) Third, I update the WordPress Software from inside the admin dashboard.
4) Fourth, I check to see if any plugins can be updated if they are compatible with the latest version of WordPress. If so I update those.
Generally this can take a few days while the plugin programmers update their plugins.
5) Fifth, I click around my site in the admin to check out the new features, and then I click around on the outside of my site to make sure everything looks ok.
It’s also very important to have a hosting company that understands how to handle WordPress.
I have found that HostGator (my affiliate link) to be the best at this! They know a lot about WordPress, and can explain things to you in simple English on the phone. All my sites are hosted by Hostgator and the help is exceptional especially at 3:00 am when things go wrong.