When it comes to building an online business, it is essential to have a fully working site or else it will miss out on potential customers, which may result in loss of revenue. This means that online marketers should always make sure their site is up and functioning properly as different issues can affect the loading or working of their websites. These are easy corrections, but they will need to diagnose website of which they can do on their own at the office or at home to ensure their site is available to the entire world.
When potential clients attempt to visit the site and see an error on the webpage, it means there is a problem somewhere. Maybe the website host is not functioning, the site has a problem or there is an issue between the host server and the computer. To identify the issue, there are easy tests that individuals can perform to find and fix the problem.
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1) Check if the Issue is Out of Hand
The website that clients are trying to access might not be up at the moment. To find a way to diagnose your website try visiting the Down for Everyone site and enter the problematic site’s URL will help clients to know where the issue is. When the website tells the clients that it’s not just them, they may as well relax since there is nothing they can do but just wait for the right person to diagnose website and correct their technical problem.
2) Try to Reach another Website
If another website loads without any problem, it means that the internet connection is functioning properly. If it is not, then the problem might be with the internet connection. At this time, contacting the internet service provider is the best thing to do. If the internet connection is functioning properly, but clients are still having a problem with accessing the website, then trying other options such as visiting the website’s hosting firm, can help determine where the problem is.
3) Try Loading the Website in a Different Browser
There might be various settings configured incorrectly on the browser. We recommend trying to load the webpage on a different browser to find out if it can load. If the computer has only one default browser, clients can download and install other free browsing applications such as Chrome, Opera and Firefox. Whatever the browser in use, trying something else is important. There could be a problem between the problematic website and the browser.
Trying to load on another browser might not be long-term since it is not a satisfactory solution, especially when they are attached to a specific browser. But this technique functions in a pinch and clients can begin doing some research to know why that particular website has issues with the browser.
4) Try the IP Address
Keep in mind that a domain name is only a friendly label. In fact, the real and main location is often the IP address. Before performing anything else, try entering the IP address in the browser. But the first thing is to have the IP address itself. To obtain it, use Whois Domain Name Lookup site and ensure the Whois tab is highlighted before entering the domain name. If the issue is identified through this simple test, the screen will display lots of data. Next, scroll down the screen to the next section that contains the Geo-Information for specific IP address. Try using this technique to see if the website will load and function perfectly.
5) Change the Hosts File
The host’s file normally contains different exceptions to the IP addresses and domain names. If there is something wrong with the host’s file, there is a possibility of a working IP address, but the domain name is failing to function. Clients can use the windows search tool on the computer to find the notepad%windir% \system32\drivers\etc\hosts to identify it.
This simple directory will provide the user with the host’s file in the notepad before using it to look for the website’s name. If the name of the site is identified, the client should insert a (#) at the start of the line and save and then close the file. This will help to determine if the issue is with the host and will help get the solution.
6) Check if the Site is Blocked
Use the Control Panel tool to search for internet options on the computer. Choose the security tab and then navigate to the restricted sites tab or icon and then to the sites button. Removing the site if it’s appearing on the list is the best solution. Also, checking if parental controls are enabled is another way of ensuring that the website is working correctly.
If there are parental control applications enabled on the computer, they may be blocking the access to certain sites. After disabling the parental control application or software try accessing the site once again. The procedure for this process normally varies depending on specific parental control application being used.
7) Visit the Site’s Hosting Company’s Website
Both the host firm and the website that down uses the same server. If the hosting company’s website is not functioning, then the problem might be with the server. If the host site is accessible and functions correctly, then the problem is with the domain name or the website itself. This will help to identify and build the website to ensure clients are accessing its services.
Also, try to visit the website on another device such as the smartphone, tablet or computer to help diagnose the website and identify where the issue is. This helps to ensure that there is nothing wrong with the ISP. If the user can access the site, then there is a need to contact the ISP provider for help. If the site is not accessible at all, the issue is still either with the domain or website.
8) Check if the Account is Suspended Due to Non-Payment
Log in to the account to see if it is currently suspended due to delayed or non-payment. Use the account panel to log in and check. If there is a large notice appearing at the top of the computer screen, it means that the account is not active. To correct this problem, click on to the make payments tab or button to pay. After which, the account will be re-enabled for clients to access its services. After the payment, an email will be sent and the system will automatically enable the account. The DNS for the website must propagate again online after taking several hours. After this process, the site will resolve again.
9) Check if the Server is up
If the registration is up to date and the website that’s hosting the account is not suspended, but still, there is no access to the domain even when using the proxy website, it’s essential to check to ensure that the server is up. This can be achieved by running the traceroute command to the server. Also, it can be achieved by the pinging command on the domain. If the process of pinging the server or completing the traceroute is difficult, look for support since there are some design mistakes to avoid during the development and hosting of a website. If the traceroute command shows many hops timing out, contacting the ISP support will be helpful.
