Sometimes websites go down, and it happens for a variety of reasons. Many are resolved in a few minutes and there is no action needed from anyone, and often the issue is with a third party, such as your internet service provider for example. In this post we look at what to do should your website go down. Whatever you do, don’t panic as issues are often easily resolved.
Step 1 – Check your Internet Connection
The first thing to do if you feel your site has dropped out is to check that your internet connection is functioning. To do this, see if you can access any other websites. If you can, then your site could be down due to a hosting issue. If you can’t there is a possible fault either with your hardware, or a problem at your ISP’s end.
Another thing you can do to test if it’s an issue with your internet connection is to;
- try logging in to the website, via your mobile device. While doing so, make sure that you are NOT connected to your Wi-FI network, and using 3G/4G internet.
- ask family/friends/business contacts to test if they can access the website from their computers – this is particularly effective if they are using a different internet connection from the one you are using yourself.
If you have access to other websites move on to step 2. If you do not, move on to step 3
Step 2 – Confirm if your Site is Down
If you feel your site is down you can confirm this by visiting this site: http://www.isup.me/.
Simply copy and paste your site’s URL into he box and press enter. It will tell you whether your site is actually up and running and you can’t see it, or is it down full-stop.
If the site can be seen by the rest of the world, but not by yourself, try clearing the cache and refreshing the page and identify any issues in your internet connection. This will probably make your site visible once again.
Step 3 – Reboot your Hardware
So now you have concluded your hardware is malfunctioning try shutting everything down and unplugging everything, especially any dedicated internet equipment you have such as routers. Wait for five minutes and plug everything in. Switch on the equipment that needs to be switched on, and wait for everything to boot. If you are still having no joy, call your ISP provider. They will be able to confirm if they have issues, or if it is an issue at your end.
What do I do if I get a Specific Error?
If you get a specific error such as 403 Forbidden, Google it. This will not only tell you what the problem is, it will also hopefully give you the information you need to fix it.
Contact your Website Administrator
If you absolutely can’t can the website to work, then you should contact your website administrator. They should be able to check what’s wrong, and fix any issues. If you receive any errors, make sure to include a screenshot of the error in your communication with your administrator.
Bear in mind that the largest percentage of website development companies, purchase hosting services from larger website hosting companies in order to provide the service to you. What that means is that some issues are out of your webmaster’s control – and any deep, more complicated issues will need to be fixed by the data centre administrators and not by your web master.