Website and Internet downtime are a necessary evil. It needs to happen so that proper maintenance and security tests are carried out, and everything works as it should. But not all downtime is scheduled, and the impact it can have on business can be severe.
The average online business will suffer around 14 hours of downtime every year. That’s almost 2 whole working days – and the potential loss of a lot of business. But, these factors can easily be accounted for with proper planning. And, as we say, the benefits of this amount of downtime outweigh the negatives.
The trouble begins when your site goes down for extended periods of time – for whatever reason. And today, we’re going to outline some of the difficulties you might experience. Let’s shine a light on the biggest issues with downtime for your business.
Losing sales – and money
Of course, the most obvious problem with downtime is that you will lose sales. You can’t sell from an online platform that can’t be accessed. It’s not only sales that will suffer – it’s your ability to pick up new, online leads that will take a hit. And the longer you remain offline, the more you will lose out. Your best bet is to invest in a disaster recovery plan or service. Doing so will reduce the impact of any downtime, as all your services will be switched to alternative servers, for example.
Continued loss of service
If your business is providing an online service, you can expect problems, too. Customers may get angry – and rightfully demand a refund. In short, the costs of being offline can be significant, so it’s necessary to prepare for any eventuality. Of course, the failover process in your disaster recovery plan can help, but it won’t always happen straight away. So, make sure you bear this in mind when approaching potential solutions to prevent downtime. You can reduce your business’ fail over with Infrascale or other disaster recovery services.
A hit to your reputation
Downtime can also have an adverse impact on your reputation. Not every visitor will get angry if they can’t access your site once in awhile – it’s a regular occurrence But if it continues, your rep will take a hit. Make sure you use your backup services to communicate with your customers. All it takes is a simple explanation, and your reputation should be intact.
Loss of resources
If you have employees, what are they going to be doing when you are experiencing downtime? Again, this can have a significant impact on your business. Everything from your forecasts to profit margins will be tied into everyone being productive. And if there is no way staff can work, then those figures will be out of sync. The best way to approach this issue is to allow for more downtime than you might expect. And always have a backup plan of action so they can carry on working while you sort everything out.
We hope you get something out if this guide to the big issues caused by downtime. It can have significant adverse effects – so consider your options sooner rather than later.
