Guest Post – 4 Things to Keep a Website Up and Running
Life is unpredictable and there are many uncertainties. You can be prepared to a point, but you just don’t really know for sure what to expect. For instance, there was a 7.7 magnitude earthquake off of British Columbia’s coastal waters near Haida Gwaii. In some lower areas around Vancouver, some felt the shaking. Luckily, I was not in one of those areas. It was a big quake and there would have been substantial damage and casualties had it not been in a remote area so we were very fortunate.
Then there’s Hurricane Sandy, taking its toll on the East Coast. I’m sure many people took precautions, notified their clients and customers about their work, and made other plans when they heard about the looming storm coming their way, but you really don’t know what to expect until it happens. It’s a sit and wait game.
Are you like that with your business? Do you put plans in place in case of the unexpected? Or are you just hoping it won’t happen to you? Ignoring the facts won’t make unpleasant events go away; it’ll make it harder for you to deal with it when it happens.
There are a lot of things in your business you have to look after. Some are minor like keeping a website up and running, but these are important details that are often overlooked. Thankfully, there are business tools or virtual assistants to help make things seamless for you.
Domain Name Expiry
Do know when your domain name expires. Most registrars will send you a reminder notice. You don’t want someone snatching it up, but don’t panic because you get a renewal grace period. If you renew after the grace period, you’ll incur additional costs. An expired domain name goes through a life-cycle. For peace of mind, secure your domain name; take action immediately so you can save yourself the extra expenses and a headache.
Web Hosting
Most, if not all web hosting companies offer monthly or yearly payments. You can set up a payment schedule to automatically deduct the amount from your credit card or PayPal account. You’ll save more if you opt to pay yearly. Bonus: You don’t have to worry about having enough money each month.
Bandwidth
An exceeded bandwidth means you’re losing money. The longer your site is offline, the more you lose so keep track of your growing website.
Site Backups
Always, always, always backup your site before and after you make changes, but don’t just leave it on your hard drive. Better yet, back it up to an external or portable hard drive. Depending on your web hosting company, they may back up your site for an additional fee. Don’t forget to backup your databases.
Events from Mother Nature are reminders that you shouldn’t be too complacent. Plan, prepare and maintain your business website because you never know what surprises are waiting around the corner.
Sophia McIntyre is an Internet Marketer, Article Marketer, Ghostwriter, and founder of WorkAtHomeSpace.com, a free resource focusing on work at home jobs, home businesses, ghostwriting services, money making opportunities, and more.
