What Is Server Downtime and How Does It Affect Your Website?
Anyone who runs an internet business understands that site downtime leads to lost customers and a tarnished reputation.
This is why so many online business owners strive to keep their backup servers running constantly, thereby limiting the dreaded site downtime that is unavoidable.
What is server downtime?
Server downtime is the period over which your website is not available due to an issue with the server that hosts it. Look for a closed store: customers are unable to shop. When your server is unsuccessful, visitors fail to access your website, which can be a major issue for your business.
Causes of server downtime
Several factors can cause server downtime:
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Hardware Problems:
Servers, like any other device, can experience hardware issues. A faulty hard drive or memory can cause the server to stop operation.
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Software Issues:
The server can crash because of some bugs or critical issues in the software that runs on it. The software needs to be up-to-date and secured to function properly.
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Cyber Attacks:
Hackers may allow servers to crash. A distributed Attack of Service (DDoS) attack, for example, overpowers the server with traffic.
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Errors made by humans:
Mistakes happen. A minor mistake during maintenance on the server or updates may cause unexpected downtime.
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Power Outages:
Servers want power to operate. If there is a power outage and no backup power source, servers will shut down.
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Network Problems:
Issues with an internet connection or network hardware may cause a server to be disconnected from the internet.
How Server Downtime Affects Your Website
Server problems can have a serious effect on your website and business. Here’s how:
Revenue Loss:
If you run an online store, every minute of downtime may cause lost sales. For example, if your site generates $1,000 in sales per hour, one hour of downtime equals $1,000 lost.
Damage to Reputation:
The same downtime can harm your brand’s reputation. Visitors expect your website to be available around the clock. When it is not, they can start seeing your company as insecure.
Poor User Experience:
Downtime disables visitors. If someone cannot manage to access your website when they need it, they are less likely to return in the future.
SEO Impact:
Search engines, like Google, rank websites based on many kinds of factors, including uptime. Frequent downtime may harm your search engine rankings, making it less easy for new visitors to find you.
Customer Trust:
Trust is difficult to earn and easily lost. If customers can’t access your site, they may question the security and reliability of your service.
Preventing Server Downtime
While you can’t prevent all downtime, you can take steps to minimize it:
Regular Maintenance:
Schedule regular service during off-peak hours to update software, look for issues, and perform necessary repairs.
Use Reliable Hosting:
Find the best hosting provider with a high record of uptime. Verify the feedback and support options to ensure they are reliable.
Backup Power:
Use backup power supplies (UPS) or generators to keep your server operational during power outages.
Monitoring Tools:
Use tools to monitor your server’s performance. Set up alerts to be notified of problems as soon as possible, enabling you to address them quickly.
Load Balancers:
Distribute traffic across multiple servers to prevent a single server from getting overpowered, lowering the risk of downtime.
Regular Backups:
Create regular backups of your data to make sure you can quickly restore your site if something goes wrong.
Conclusion
Finally, server downtime can have an important impact on your online business by causing customer loss and reputational damage. Understanding the causes, such as hardware problems, software issues, cyber-attacks, human error, power outages, and network issues, is critical. To avoid downtime, keep your servers up to date, choose a reputable hosting provider, use backup power sources, monitor server performance, implement load balancers, and make regular backups of your data.