Changes without breaking sales.
THE RISK
An update breaks the checkout and you do not notice.
Every sale is lost until someone tells you.
THE PROCESS
- Back up
- Update on staging, if available
- Test the checkout there
- Update live during a quiet period
- Test the checkout immediately
- Watch for the next hour
WHAT TO TEST AFTER EVERY UPDATE
A complete purchase, with a real payment method.
Not just that the site loads.
WHAT ORDER TO UPDATE IN
The shop platform, then extensions, then the theme.
One at a time where possible, so you know what broke.
WHEN NOT TO UPDATE
During a promotion Before a period when you are unavailable On a Friday
WHAT TO KEEP
The previous version of anything you update, so you can revert.
IF SOMETHING BREAKS
Revert immediately, then investigate.
A working shop on an older version beats a broken one on the newest.
