When it comes to website downtime, it is important to understand that the issue is as much of a public relations issue as it is a technical issue.

1. Website Downtime: It Isn’t
Just a Technical Issue

2. When it comes to website downtime, it is important to
understand that the issue is as much of a public
relations issue as it is a technical issue. The way in
which you handle your website’s downtime has a
significant effect on how the downtime affects the
public’s perception of your online business. While
downtime is sometimes unavoidable, handling the
downtime properly can mean the difference between
lost customers or increased customer loyalty. If you
want to minimize the damage your website downtime
does to your site’s image, keep the following tips in
mind.

3. Always Be the First to Know
If a customer is the one who has to notify you of the
downtime or if it takes you hours to realize your site
has gone offline, it’s not going to make a good
impression. When downtime occurs, you need to be the
first to know. That means having quality website
monitoring in place. When you enlist the help of a
quality website monitoring service, you ensure that you
are the first to know the moment your site goes down
and not a minute later. That means you can get to work
on not only the technical aspects of your site’s
downtime, but the PR aspects as well.

4. Notify Your Customers
If your site is down you want your customers to know
that you are aware of the problem and that you are
working to correct it. That means displaying an error
message on your site that explains your site has
experienced a glitch and that you are working to get
the site back online as quickly as possible. The
message can be professional or humorous, whatever
fits with your brand’s image, as long as you make the
message clear – you know about the downtime and you
are working on it.

5. Put a Spin on It
How can website downtime lead to increased sales?
When you offer customers a coupon code with a
discount to apologize for the downtime after it happens.
Your customers know that you are truly sorry for the
inconvenience that the downtime may have caused
them, and will appreciate the gesture that the discount
offers. In addition, when customers decide to make a
purchase because of that coupon, your site will
experience increased sales that can help make up for
the profit losses the downtime caused your company to
incur.

6. Plan Ahead
When it comes to website downtime, it is important to
always put your best foot forward, remembering that
the downtime is as much a PR issue as it is a technical
one. Always have plans in place. These plans should
not only include how to get your site up and running
again as quickly as possible, but should also plan for
how you will keep your customers informed and how
to compensate them for the downtime when it does
happen. This will ensure that any downtime that does
occur does minimal damage to your company’s
reputation.

7. Alertra.com is a leading provider of website monitoring
and alerting services. We monitor the availability and
performance of Internet-connected devices. As part of
our website monitoring service, we provide timely alert
notifications and access to detailed reporting. We offer
monitoring service to all sizes of businesses right from
small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Visit us at
http://www.alertra.com for detailed information on our
web monitoring services.