How to minimize downtime issues
At some point, every web hosting provider has unscheduled downtime or scheduled downtime that lasts longer than scheduled. The following practices can help minimize its impact on your clients and on your reputation.
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Host your company website separate from your clients' sites
Your site isn't useful to your clients when they need it if it goes down when their sites do. Not being able to access your site or their own sites can leave clients feeling helpless and wondering if you've pulled the plug and left.
Host your site on a server not shared with your clients, either on another of your servers or with another web host. Have it not only on a different server but in a different datacenter so that if the downtime problem is with the datacenter, your site won't go down with your clients' sites.
Be informed
Know the cause of the downtime and confirm that someone is working to fix the problem. Keep yourself updated so that you can pass on accurate updates.
Keep your clients informed
There are numerous ways to keep your clients informed. Use several so that clients have a variety of ways that they can keep updated on the situation. Keeping your clients informed will help clients maintain confidence in you and reduce the stress caused by unscheduled downtime.
Maintain a current client mailing list
With daily backups to a server other than your clients' servers, you have your clients' email addresses. Email your clients when you have news about what's happening and how long the downtime is estimated to be.
Publish a status page on a different server
If a status page is accessible to all clients, they can find out what's happening even if they aren't receiving email or other updates.
Post updates via company Twitter and Facebook accounts
Not everyone uses Twitter or Facebook, but if those who do follow you at these sites, they'll have an easy way to follow what's happening.
Honor your uptime guarantee
If you promise refunds or credit for downtime, provide what you promised. Even if you didn't promise it, consider offering refunds or credit for future hosting if downtime extends for more than a short time. Such a goodwill gesture can help keep clients who might otherwise leave.
Explain it all in the welcome email
In your welcome email to new clients, explain the methods by which they can be kept informed in the event of downtime. Ask clients to use an email address with a domain not hosted on the same server as their site for their contact email so that they can receive emails from you when the server is down.
See also
Web Hosting Wiki article text shared under a Creative Commons License.
