This past week we had one of the biggest Charlie Foxtrots we ever had at WebDesign.com and iThemes – a complete server failure on one of our hosting platforms!

I’m not going to go into the specifics of this hellish nightmare partly because I don’t know what the heck I’d be talking about and it’s complicated.  What I can say is that most people don’t know that hosting companies may have a backup of the actual website design but they do not provide – or guarantee – a safety net for content.  Let me say it this way…if the server eats it you are S.O.L.

The problem is NOT downtime but losing your blog posts, your photos, and your hard work.

We actually salvaged and restored most of our client’s information by hunting it down through Google.  This, by the way, is not a standard operating procedure for any hosting company.  We did it because we felt horrible.

I am being honest so that you understand the importance of backing up your own content and data.  This is solely your responsibility.  Our Code Ninja, Chris Jean, will be providing some excellent and thorough posts and videos on backing up your website very soon, but until then let me encourage you to do a few things:

  • Back Up ALL of your content (text, posts, and graphics) to a hard drive.  I recommend a 500GB Seagate Drive or online company like Mozy.com.
  • Don’t write directly in WordPress.  Create a document that you can paste from and save.
  • Schedule weekly backups for added precaution.
  • Read the fine details from your hosting company.  In the event of a catastrophic event, they cannot be held liable for the actual content of your website.

As soon as we have the educational resources available from WebDesign.com I will post them.

I do want to wrap up by saying that our clients who were on that particular server were filled with grace and patience.  We truly appreciate them and their understanding.

So don’t wait … back up your business documents and website today!

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