FAQ: What Happens When My Website Goes Down?

“What happens when my website goes down?”

Every so often, we get a panicked call from a client saying that his or her website is down. Immediately, we get asked what the issue is and what caused the site to crash. But a website crashing is kind of like a car breaking down; the cause isn’t the same every time, and there are several factors that could be affecting it.

On the rare occasion that we get a call saying a website is down—or if a customer is simply curious as to how we handle the situation—there are several causes we look at to determine the issue and how to resolve it.

There are a number of different factors that can lead to a website crashing. Some of the most common ones we see include:

An Expired Domain: To keep your site up and running, your domain needs to be renewed on a yearly basis (kind of like getting new stickers for your license plate). If you forget to renew your domain, your site could go down until you pay the yearly fee. The minimum period is one year however, we highly recommend registering for 5 or 10 years at a time to minimize this issue.

Code Errors: Code errors are most often caused by outdated plugins (WordPress, Joomla) or someone working on the site and making an error.

Server/Hosting Provider Error: The hosting provider is where the actual computer files and images for your website resides. For many of our clients, that would be our Rapid Website Platform , or else it would be our hosted servers. If the hosting site is experiencing issues, running scheduled maintenance or even weather issues, it could cause your site to go down.

DDoS Attack on Website Host: A DDoS attack (denial of service attack) is an attempt to make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources. While this usually doesn’t happen to small businesses, it can affect smaller websites that share the same server as a website getting attacked.

Malicious Hackers: Unfortunately, many hackers out there will attack a site simply because they can. So if your website isn’t highly secure, you run the risk of being hacked.

An Unmaintained Website: The software that runs your website, like WordPress, Joomla or our Rapid Website platform, are constantly updated for security and improved functionality. If you don’t constantly make these updates, it’s more likely to crash. Outdated websites are more likely to have problems than new, updated websites, and if it isn’t regularly maintained, a simple change could cause your site to go down.

If you find that your website isn’t working properly, the first step is to check on another device to make sure the problem isn’t just occurring on your own browser or computer. Too many people think there’s an issue with their site, only to later realize their internet connection isn’t working or a cord has been chewed through by a pet.

The next step is to see if you can personally determine the cause. Some browsers or websites will give you an idea of what the issue is based on the message that appears on your screen. If you can pinpoint the issue, you’ll be able to get it resolved faster. If you’re unsure of what the issue is, contact your IT support or website manager immediately to let them know what’s going on. They should be able to find the cause and a solution fairly quickly.

While your website is getting fixed, let your customers know you’re working to resolve the problem. Send out a quick update on your company’s social media profile saying you’re aware of the site crash and are working to fix it quickly.

The best solution to reducing website downtime is to work with a company that handles your hosting and maintenance for you. When you work with Locallogy, you can rest assured that if your website does go down, we work diligently to get it back up and running as soon as possible. We actively maintain our websites and ensure that any issues are tackled quickly and efficiently by a team of professionals.

When your website has less downtime, you’ll have more opportunities to capture your audience’s attention and turn your visitors into leads.