Right here on this very blog, I’ve given instructions for upgrading WordPress, backing up your database, backing up your files, installing plugins, and upgrading plugins. I’ve even collected those posts into a free ebook — you can get your copy by subscribing to my Weekly Web Tips (if you’re reading this in your email, you’re already subscribed, and there’s a link to download the ebook over on the right!).

I also totally get that keeping all this stuff backed up and upgraded might be enough to really freak you out, especially if you’re just starting out with WordPress. I get that seeing that little “Please update now” message just adds one more stressful task to your already bulging to-do list.

If you’re stressed about keeping your WordPress site backed up and keeping track of upgrades to your themes, plugins, and WordPress itself, I can take care of all of that for you.

I’m opening up 10 slots in a pilot program to address these very stresses.

You can join the Peace of Mind Program during December. I’ll close the program on December 31 or when the 10 spots fill up, whichever comes sooner.

If you have a site that’s built on WordPress (version 2.8 or higher; email me if you have an older version…) and you want to hand off the backing-up-and-upgrading chore for three months, sign up for the Peace of Mind program. Read on for some details.

Here’s how it works:

1. You pay me $89 during December 2010.
2. You give me access to your WordPress dashboard and your web hosting account.
3. I install and configure two important plugins: WordPress Backup and WP-DB Backup. If there’s any troubleshooting involved in getting them working correctly, I’ll take care of it.
4. I create full backups of your site’s database and files immediately, and email them to you.
5. I schedule weekly database backups (to be emailed directly to you).
6. I schedule regular file backups (depending on how frequently you update your site — no less frequent than once per month) to be emailed to you.
7. I upgrade WordPress (as long as you have version 2.8 or higher), your theme if necessary, and all the plugins that have available upgrades, right away.
8. I log into your site monthly (December, January, February, and March) and upgrade anything that needs upgrading (WordPress, your theme, and your plugins).
9. I’ll set you up with a free uptime-monitoring service (either Pingdom or UptimeRobot, probably) so you’ll be notified if your site goes down.
10. If something should happen to your site such that you require restoring from a backup (may it never happen!), I will attempt one database restore and one file restore. I also know some experts who can help you recover from a hack or crash.

A couple of important caveats:

You should understand that while having backups in place is very important, that alone does not increase the security of your website — it just allows you to recover more quickly, without loss of data.

Staying upgraded does have significant security benefits, but it is only one part of the security puzzle. I can’t guarantee that you’ll be completely safe from hackers, vulnerabilities in your web hosting setup or site code, or random unforeseen events.

Now that I’ve scared your socks off…

I strongly believe that the most basic backup and upgrade precautions (which is exactly what’s included in this program) are the most important.

If you are fully backed up and upgraded, your website is less vulnerable to malicious intruders than the majority of sites out there. And online criminals tend to go for the easy targets.

Take your website out of the running by backing up and upgrading regularly — I’m here to help you do it.

Ready to invest in peace of mind for your online empire?

Go to the Peace of Mind Program page to join.