My website is down for 24 hours

what should I do?

[malasorte]

My website is down for the last 24 hours. I called my web hosting provider three times and they keep telling me that they are working to correct this problem. In the meantime I'm loosing money and I am afraid I will screw up my position in the SERPS.

What can I do? Look for another host?

[txbakers]

If you change hosts, it will take another 24-48 hours to propagate across the web.

If you are generally happy with your host, just deal with it. Everyone has dificulties from time to time.

Otherwise, a new host might be in order.

[J_RaD]

yea sometimes stuff happens, but 24 hours is a bit excessive.

If you don't have any complex SQL database on the back of it you could copy it all down to a local webserver at your house.....use DNS forwarding to point it to the IP at your house when your host goes down. Then swap it back when your host comes back online.

[malasorte]

Thanks for the answers! Finally, after more than 30 hours the site is back online.

[LifeinAsia]

Demand the following from your host:
1) Detailed explanation of the problem and why it took so long to fix.
2) What steps they have taken to ensure the same problem never happens again.
3) (this depends on your SLA) The exact amount they will refund to you and when you will receive it.

If any of the 3 answers are unsatisfactory, immediately look into changing to a different host.

Since you are their client, it is completely up to you how you define "unsatisfactory." My "satisfactory" level would be along the lines of:
1) Nearby construction crews cut Internet backbone cable and it took 30 hours to restore service.
2) Have purchased redundant connections from alternative providers to ensure that connectivity remains even if access to one provider dies.
3) A bare minimum of 5% of my monthly hosting/co-location fee. Your contract with them probably absolves them of any liability for lost revenue, so you probably can't expect to get much from them.

[malasorte]

Thanks LifeinAsia, maybe I will do just that.

However, I will think about it first, in 6 months since I've been with them the site never had a problem. But on second thought, in 30 hours I lost an amount equivalent to what I pay them for two months of hosting! Maybe I will give them a call :)

[Demaestro]

malasorte...

I have to say that 24 hours to correct any problem seems like a lot. Unless it was something beyond their control I would have some doubt about the competance level of their IT staff.

Do you have any agreement about uptime?

[txbakers]

My hosting company is different from the DNS server company.

When Hurricane Wilma hit the coast of Florida the DNS server got knocked out for about 30 hours. The generator,which was supposed to keep running, got knocked out by the hurricane. So my sites were still up, but a large group of people couldn't access them. It was very frustrating.

Stuff happens. The company in Florida is one of the most reputable, stable companies out there.

Still, you could ask for a refund, or an extra month free, or something like that. The worst they could say is "no."