Fortunately, you have a few options when it comes to backing up your WordPress site including WordPress plugins and built-in backup plans that are included with popular hosting companies like GoDaddy and Bluehost.
WordPress Backup Plugins
Many plugins are easy to install and use, but a few stand out from the rest. As mentioned in the accompanying video, you can check out a detailed breakdown of some of the most popular in WPBeginner’s list of the 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons).
Their list includes the following plugins:
Of the seven listed, UpdraftPlus is the plugin that I’ve used most often. It’s free but also has a premium version that allows users to migrate and clone sites. Once installed, you can easily view your existing backups, schedule backups, and remotely store backups of your site.
Why You WordPress Backup Should Be Stored Remotely
Setting up a remote backup is crucial since storing backups on your web server can be costly in a few ways.
First of all – if there is a data loss or hardware damage on your local server (or a zombie apocalypse), your original data and backup may both be wiped out. I’ve also seen this type of data loss when a customer forgets to pay for their hosting account and the data gets wiped.
Secondly, if you’re adding multiple backup sets to your local host, you will likely run into server storage limits that can lead to fees or outages.
While remote storage isn’t usually free, it’s usually very affordable and gives extra peace of mind that your data is safe on a different server in a separate location.
If you have a site that rarely changes, you may be able to get away with manually backing it up a few times a year This will save you space and money as it can be stored on your local computer which is still separate from your web server. If you update your site often, this may still be an option but not quite as appealing.
WordPress Backup Through Hosting
If you don’t want to install a bulky plugin, you do have another option. You might have a hosting account that provides cPanel access. With this access you’ll likely have the option to download your full website backup and store it locally and may even have the option to do a full Account Backup, which would also download any emails stored on the server.
Make sure to find out what your backup options are by contacting your host for more information.
GoDaddy – Free Daily Backups?
I use GoDaddy for domains but I’ve never been a huge fan of their hosting. They are one of the most popular hosting companies in the world due to how large their domain business is.
With GoDaddy, all plans include free daily backups and one-click restoration. If using GoDaddy, you will want to inquire if that backup is going to a remote location or being stored on their web server. You may once again run into a limited space issue, and if you’re not on a remote server and it goes down, you could lose both your site and backup at the same time as mentioned above.
Bluehost Built-In Backup
Bluehost’s Prime Plan includes CodeGuard which is a remote daily backup and makes the need for WordPress backup plugins unnecessary. CodeGuard also includes daily site monitoring for changes, one-click restoration, and stores redundant copies of backups across multiple secured locations.
*Remember to do your homework when deciding on a hosting plan as many at the lowest price level may not include any backup options.*
Another WordPress Backup Option – Premium Hosting
The third option might be the simplest: I’ll do the work for you! I offer a dedicated server where I host and maintain a couple hundred WordPress client sites. That means no plugins on your end and managed remote continuous backup. My server is setup with a continuous (hourly) remote backup, 1 mirror drive backup, 1 nightly local backup, and another remote backup to Amazon S3 three times per week. So you won’t lose your data on my server! You can follow THIS LINK to get more information on my Premium WordPress Hosting.