This is a very common scenario: Chuck wakes up to find his website has disappeared from the web, he gets a “404″ error (or a default welcome) screen, meaning the page isn’t found. He runs to the phone and tries to call his web designer… and the designer has also disappeared. Suddenly Chuck’s website is gone and he potentially lost the biggest form of “money while you sleep” marketing there is. Chuck is in shambles at this point and keeps trying to email and phone his web designer to no avail, he contacts other web designers and finds out he has to pay more money to have his website rebuilt, when just last night, he had a perfectly fine money making machine. Chuck’s nightmare could have been prevented.
Backing up your website is the safest way to ensure that even if your website designer runs away, the server with your website on it spontaneously combusts or your hosting account defaults and erases all your data, that you still have a fully functioning website after the catastrophe.
So what steps can you take to ensure you save $600, $900 or perhaps even $2,000 worth of design, content and files?
1) Ask your web designer for a backup
On a CD, on a flash drive, in a zipped folder sent through email. It doesn’t matter as long as you receive it. They can charge for this service as it can take a bit of time to create the backup depending on the size of your website.
2) Use a FTP (File Transfer Program)
For the involved client, this can be a great way to save money while being on the safe side as well. Use a FTP program (CuteFTP, FireFTP, etc) which are downloadable from the internet at no cost to back your website up. This will require information from your web designer, such as the FTP username, password and host name. Once you’re ready to go move all the files from the server to the local disk into a folder properly titled “Website Backup”. More detailed instructions for using FTPs can be found online.
3) Mirror Image the Website on a Different Server
Using the FTP scenario with an unrelated hosting provider, you can back your website up into a cloud server seperate from the one your website is on. Which is an even better way to ensure that your website is not lost in desk paperwork or a catacomb of files on your computer.
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