06/09/2014

Why Your Web Host May Not Want You to Use a Website Monitoring Service

There are certain things your web host probably doesn't want you to know about. For example, what their actual uptime rate really is, or how much that guarantee they offer is actually worth. Another thing your web host doesn't want is for you to know why it is so important for you to use a quality website monitor to protect the uptime of your site.

What Does Website Monitoring Have to Do With Your Hosting Provider?

All web hosting services experience some amount of downtime. When there is scheduled downtime, your host will usually notify you regarding the issue. However, when unscheduled downtime occurs, you can't be positive that your hosting service will alert you of the problem. This is where a website monitoring service comes into play.

When your site goes down, no matter what the problem may be or whose fault it is, a quality website monitor immediately notifies you of the fact that your site isn't performing properly or is completely offline. If your web host is the reason for the downtime, you'll know about it. Even if the outage happens in the wee hours of the morning when your hosting company thinks you may not notice, your website monitor will alert you. This allows you to see exactly how much downtime your site is experiencing, and if the uptime ratio your hosting provider promised you is actually being provided.

What to Do If Your Website Monitoring Service Keeps Notifying You of Downtime

If your website monitoring service keeps sending you notifications that your site has gone down, you need to get to the bottom of the issue so you can resolve it. It may not be your hosting company's fault. Your site may have outgrown the hosting package you paid for and an upgrade may be in order. If, however, the downtime is the fault of your hosting provider, it may be time to start searching for another company to fulfill your hosting needs. After all, the company may guarantee their uptime by reimbursing you for what you paid for in hosting for the time your site was down, but this refund only equates to a few dollars, if even that. The hosting company will not reimburse you for lost profits or damage to your site's reputation due to the downtime.

If your hosting company has nothing to hide, they won't have any problem with you utilizing the services of a quality website monitor. The not-so-reputable hosting companies, however, do not want you to know just how valuable a website monitoring service truly is.