What to do when my website is down

In today’s digital world, your website is quite often the first point of contact between your business and potential customers, so when your site goes down, it can lead to a moment of panic for the website owner and cause customers to move on to your competitors. Find out what to do when your website is down to minimise disruption to your online presence.

Stay calm – confirm the issue

The first reaction to a website going down is often panic. Take a deep breath and confirm whether the issue is on your end. Try accessing your site from multiple devices and browsers. It's possible that the problem might be limited to a specific device or browser.

Check your internet connection

Sometimes, the issue might not be with your website but rather with your internet connection. Ensure that your internet connection is stable, and try accessing other websites to confirm that the problem is isolated to your site.

Also try accessing your website from your mobile phone using 4G (not connected to the Wi-Fi that’s potentially having the connection issue), as this can determine if it’s a connection issue.

Ping it using Pingdom

Pingdom is a great tool that allows you to quickly check the status of your website. By simply entering your website's URL, you can get an instant response about whether your site is online or offline.

Contact your hosting provider

If your internet connection is fine and your website is indeed down, the next step is to contact your hosting provider immediately. They can check the server status and inform you of any ongoing maintenance or server issues. Be sure to have your account information and website details ready when you contact them.

Review recent changes

Think about any recent changes you made to your website. Did you update plugins, themes, templates or content? Sometimes, conflicts or errors in updates can cause a website to go down unexpectedly. If you suspect this might be the issue, revert to a previous backup or contact your web developer for assistance.

Check for overdue payments

Ensure that your hosting fees and domain registrations are up to date. Sometimes, a lapse in payment can lead to website downtime. Review your billing and payment records to rule out this possibility.

Always make sure your domain and hosting companies have your correct payment and contact details on file to ensure you get your renewal notices in a timely manner.

Use website monitoring tools

Consider implementing website monitoring tools that can alert you when your site goes down. These tools are very handy in providing real-time notifications, allowing you to react quickly and minimise downtime.

Communicate with your audience

If your website downtime is prolonged – most likely due to a domain or hosting issue, it's crucial to communicate with your audience. Use your social media profiles, email newsletters and any other communication channels to inform your visitors about the issue, its cause and when you expect it to be resolved. Transparency with your customers and target market can help maintain trust.

Implement a maintenance page

If your website is expected to be down for an extended period, consider creating a temporary maintenance page. This page can inform visitors about the issue and provide contact information, social media links or alternative ways to reach your business.

Regularly backup your website

To prevent data loss and minimise downtime, regularly backup your website and its database. Not only are backups a crucial step in maintaining a healthy online presence, but these backups can be a lifesaver in case of website issues, allowing you to restore your site to a previous working state if necessary.

Evaluate your hosting provider

If your website downtime issue is indeed a hosting issue, take a moment to evaluate your hosting provider. If your website going down is a recurring problem, it might be time to consider switching to a more reliable hosting service.

Note: Here at Marketeam, we offer hosting for websites – take a look at our website hosting page for more information.

Website downtime is an unfortunate but common occurrence in the digital world. How you handle it can make a significant difference in minimising its impact on your business.

By staying calm, promptly addressing the issue, and communicating transparently with your audience, you can maintain your online reputation and keep your digital presence strong.

Remember that prevention is key, so take proactive steps like regular backups and website monitoring, keeping your software up-to-date and keeping your contact details up-to-date with your providers to reduce the risk of downtime in the future.