Help! My website is DOWN!

There is nothing more worrying or frustrating than when your website goes down. Every website owner will experience that heart-stopping moment when your webpage fails to show. Or, worse, when you see the dreaded Google quarantine message!

Often it can be hard to work out what exactly happened and how to fix it, without the help of tech support. Here at BSO Digital we’re going to run you through the most common causes for website crashes and how we can fix them.

Hosting

Do you have good hosting? Bad hosting can be one of the biggest issues when it comes to website stability. Always do your research when it comes to picking a host for your website. What is their down time like? What kind of security do they use? Do they have good customer service? What is their tech support like? The website host you choose determines how well your site will run – an important factor for all website owners, but especially eCommerce vendors. Your site needs to run well, load quickly and be accessible 24/7.

tech supportViruses

Online viruses are another notorious way for a website to crash. Not only do they cause problems for users, who may be infected with malware, but Google’s quarantine procedures will also stop the flow of traffic to your site.

Taking your site down and rolling it back to a previous backup might seem like a daunting task but the longer you leave an infected website online, the worse hit you’ll take to your reputation. If you can’t access a backup or the site has been significantly changed since the last back up, then you will need to hire an expert to comb your code and remove the malware manually.

How do websites become infected? Bad hosting can see viruses jump from one website to another, creating a chain of infection. As we mentioned earlier, you should always research your web host thoroughly before signing up. If your “neighbours” – other sites hosted by the same company – seem a little dodgy, then it is probably best to choose another host.

If you do wish to jump to a new host, BSO Digital offers 24/7 tech support. You can submit tickets via our website, or emailing directly. Thanks to our internal messaging system, support tickets will get priority and our in-house team will be right on the case. Even if you’re site crashes at 3 in the morning, someone will be available to help you out!

However, sometimes the fault can lie with your own computer. Spyware downloaded onto your computer can catch your website password and upload a virus from there. Regularly scan your PC for malware and other viruses to be sure you’re not passing anything on to your website. Which leads us into our next point –tech support

Security

What about security? I know it can be frustrating when you sign up to a website that requires an elaborate password of letters, numbers, symbols and uppercase letters. But this really should be your standard practice for all passwords – including your website password. The stronger it is, the less chance a hacker has to break into your site. Changing your password routinely, too, also helps with security.

Nobody likes getting their site getting hacked, but it’s unfortunately very common across all types of websites. BSO Digital recommends that your website’s password is 8 characters long and contains capitals, symbols and numbers. You should also update your site and plugin’s regularly. WordPress was developed with security in mind and BSO Digital furthers this by adding extra defences to protect your website from hackers and spam.

Keeping your PC’s anti-virus up to date, and ensuring you routinely scan your computer for viruses will also help. Don’t forget, a virus from your computer can infect your website, too!

Domain Renewal

tech supportNot renewing your domain name might seem like an obvious issue, but it happens more often than you think! Domain renewals are only due once a year for <.com> and every second year for <.net.au>, so it is easier to forget than you think.

Keeping on top of when your renewals are due is the best way to ensure your site keeps running. Mark your due date on a calendar and ensure you’ve got your account paid on time, or earlier.

If you need help with domain name registration, advice or maintenance, feel free to contact BSO Digital. We can also help with domain migration and new domain formats, like <.melbourne>.
A website crashing can be a devastating event for all website owners, whether you be a casual blogger or a big name brand. Prevention is, of course, the best cure so keep our four big tips in mind to protect your website and your business!

Want to know more? BSO Digital has a collection of helpful articles on some common tech support issues. We also employ Melbourne-based, English speaking staff, so you can be sure your problem will always be understood and quickly corrected. We dislike call centres as much as you do, so rest assured when you call us, you will be speaking directly to one of our team members!