Having your blog site down is one of the most nerve wracking things that can happen to a blogger. But in my case, all it took was a few steps to get back in business
Not too long ago, my blog site was down for two days. I had been working hard to get the word out and I was getting great feedback so this was a mighty smack to say the least. Once I got over the nasty surprise I kicked into tech mode and tried to get to the bottom of the issue. Turns out was a technical glitch with the domain registration that “magically” solved itself after I made a call but that got me thinking about how many other bloggers went through a similar issue and how it could be handled.
Here are five steps that will help you get to the bottom of things:
1. Calm down
It may seem like a cliche but like many, my mind was racing with possibilities about what happened to my blog site on top of being angry. Hacked, software upgrade malfunction, plugin issues…I had to make a conscious effort to relax, assess the situation and not come off like a lunatic.
2. Error messages
What was the exact error message that came up when I tried to reach the site? In this case it was a DNS error which means that the domain server was unable to resolve the name of the blog site. Because I was able to resolve the domain name of other sites, the problem was with my blog host and not with my internet service provider (ISP).
3. Do a command ping
This is an old trick I learned as a Technical Manager years ago. A command ping was used to check if the packets of information could be sent to different parts of the network, including external sites. I opened up a command screen (in my case Windows Start>Run>cmd) and tried to “ping” my blog site: ping www.yourblog.com. If everything is OK, you should get something that looks like this:
The ping stats show replies to the request. If you’re unable to get to your site, you wouldn’t see something other than these 4 positive replies that would tell you the ping failed.
4. New blog site software plugin additions
A while back I had a problem with an SEO plugin. It was touted as, the best, powerful and wound up crashing my site. So I retraced my steps and remembered if there were any new plugins. The only major change to my blog site was upgrading to WordPress 3.5 which, by the way, has nothing to do with DNS issues.
5. Get support document ready
I made sure I took screenshots of what I had done and the error messages. I also made sure that I mentioned any new plugins I had added in the support doc I created. Once support got back to me, I was able to take the necessary steps.
If your host is worth the fee you’re paying, they will find this information useful and will help you get to the bottom of your site crash. When the problem is solved, it will take some time for your site to propagate and come back on line. In some cases a few minutes but count on two to four hours.
Once I was back online, I breathed a sigh of relief because it could have been worse. Thank goodness I could get back to promoting my blog site and getting more traffic.
){kind=link}
Thanks so much for dropping by. I can imagine how awkward it can feel but the great thing about you is that you have a system of steps in place. That to me is one of the most valuable resources and as a blogger. By the way, thanks! I have to be honest, I had no idea that I was on the list so I’m going to have to check it out and thank her profusely for the honor.
Thanks! That sometimes happens to me as well and I am tickled as well as honored for the mention.
D. Dixon recently posted…6 Simple Farming Concepts That Apply To Blogging
Really wish it could help when my sites were down. But back in no time.
Well, it helps to be prepared. Thanks for stopping by
D. Dixon recently posted…Doing Keyword Research: Finding Your Competition
Hey D, thanks for the tips. I used your tips and found this also: http://downforme.org seemed to tell quickly if a blog was up or down, though was made for websites. Either way, cheers for the tips above and hope that tool helps others too. :.)
Hi Checker,
Thanks so much for posting that site. I will definitely check it out. Thanks for your comments!
D. Dixon recently posted…6 Simple Farming Concepts That Apply To Blogging
Thanks for this great article. I still remember when i experienced blog site down for the first time, I was really impatient and my head was cracking, so pissed off and in the end it didn’t give me positive result. Being calm is the key.
Lhyme recently posted…tv kijken op laptop
It is one of the hardest things to do and that’s why it’s so important. I’m hoping things worked out well for you in the end. Thanks so much for stopping by and Happy New Year!
D. Dixon recently posted…Is Your Webhost Worthy Of Your WordPress Blog? 5 Signs They Are
Hi D.,
Website troubles are a nightmare for small businesses. When your personal Website is down, it’s bad enough. When your business is riding on a Website that isn’t functioning, it can be a huge blow that’s difficult to recover from.
Heather Stone recently posted…Turn a Product Launch into B2B Content Marketing Gold
Websites are virtual real estate and you’re the landlord. If you don’t take care of the problem, there are a whole host of more serious problems that await. That’s one way I look at it and that’s what helps me through step #1 for sure! Thanks so much for stopping by, Heather!
D. Dixon recently posted…8 Strategic Ways To Find The Right Guest Blogging Opportunity
Dixon, We work very hard & give more priority in writing blogs and sharing it in social media, but we spend very less time to think or take preventive steps. Recently i had problem where i was not able to post any blog. After few hours came to know it was due to some new plugin which was creating the problem, immediately deleted & it worked.
Very useful tips & will surely help to handle the issue.
lokesh recently posted…Facebook Page Customization Tips to Improve Brand Visibility
You know, Lokesh, I had something similar happen to me and that’s why I’m so careful now about the plugins I use. That experience was added to my arsenal and I’ve been more or less fortunate ever since. Thanks so much for dropping by
D. Dixon recently posted… 3 Free Tools To Help You Track Your Social Media Strategy
I really appreciate this post. One of the most useful post for me.
(dofollow)
I remember how much I’ve suffered when my site got suspended for 5 days. the thing about snapshot you have said i think is the most important. Your hosting service can really take you out frm that if you can provide details with snapshots..
NishantWorld recently posted…How To Add Troll And Rage Faces on Facebook Chat
Hi Nishant, When I was in IT that was the one thing that really helped me assess the problem and also helped others get what I was saying. That saying about a picture being worth 1000 words is spot on. Thanks and I’m glad you got something from this. Come back again!
D. Dixon recently posted…4 Reasons Why Last Minute Social Media Marketing Will Fail
HI
I cam here from Lisa’s post.
Great post.It is really a very awkward feeling when the site is down and we are sitting in front of the client with demo going on. I have faced these type of situations many times. I usually need to check the database most of the times, at times the query might have failed.
Congratulations being in top 13 upcoming blog on LISA’s list. My Best wishes.
Thanks
Sapna
sapna recently posted…A Day in Naive Bloggers Life – Part 2(Infographics)
Hi Sapna,
Thanks so much for dropping by. I can imagine how awkward it can feel but the great thing about you is that you have a system of steps in place. That to me is one of the most valuable resources and as a blogger. By the way, thanks! I have to be honest, I had no idea that I was on the list so I’m going to have to check it out and thank her profusely for the honor.
Again, thanks for stopping by and please, come back again.
D. Dixon recently posted…Blog Site Down! What To Do When Your Site Crashes
Some of my worst memories of being online and marketing were being down. I had some major growth pains with blog engage. We had been going down what seemed like everyday. The new server however is just an amazing machine but it better be for 1700 USD a year. I loved how one of your tips were to calm down, if it were only that easy LOL.
bbrian017 recently posted…Join the Blog Engage referral program with Affiliate Lights
LOL, it is so essential because I found myself ready to just have it out with the host (and I still might) but you really need to not come off like a crazed lunatic. Having an IT background where one of the servers I was managing was hacked helped me learn that lesson. $1700/year…you have every right NOT to be calm. Thanks for stopping by, Brian
D. Dixon recently posted… 3 Free Tools To Help You Track Your Social Media Strategy
Knowing the basic nature of errors helps to, Page Cannot Be Displayed 404 means site is unreachable, either DNS issue, site isn’t running or down, or you are blocked somehow (no internet connectivity). 500 error or Database Connection Error, indicates something wrong with backend database, website, blog, or something at the configuration/plugin level. 403 is a permission issue, blacklist blocking your IP or configuration issue…etc.
Start from there, in WordPress most errors are going to be caused by upgrades gone awry or plugins, so log into your hosting provider, use FTP to move your plugin folders out if you have issues around your blog crashing or errors instead of 404 page not reachable, check your access logs on hosting provider can help too.
Justin Germino recently posted…Winners of the 10 Days of Giveaways
Exactly, being familiar with the errors really helped me get this done in the least amount of time. Speaking of FTP, I had just upgraded to WP 3.5 so I had a fresh backup ready just in case. Thanks for your great insight, Justin!
D. Dixon recently posted…Blog Site Down! What To Do When Your Site Crashes
I know this feeling all to well. It’s very frustrating. I recently had my hosting review site hacked people were sending out emails with phony email accounts they setup. I had my site down for 18 hours. I finally had to disable the XM emails so that VPS doesn’t receive emails or send them. It’s good to have two separate accounts with two respectable hosting services because as we all know hacks are frequent.
Hi Garen,
You know, I was lucky to not have that happen this time but you are not alone in working to find security alternatives. I am definitely researching and finding out what I can do for this and my other sites in the next month because it’s becoming so prevalent. Thanks for reminding me of how important that is and glad you got it resolved.
D. Dixon recently posted…Blog Site Down! What To Do When Your Site Crashes