You type your address in and get a blank page, a scary warning or an error with a number on it. Meanwhile customers are searching for you and finding nothing. Before you panic, know that "down" is not one problem. It is a symptom, and the cause decides the fix. A few quick checks will tell you which kind you have, and that is exactly what we will ask you for.
Start with the error message itself
Look at what the browser actually says, because each message points somewhere different. A "this site can’t be reached" or "server not found" message usually means the domain name is not pointing anywhere, which happens when a domain expires or its settings were changed. A "403", "500" or "503" error means the name works but the server behind it is struggling or has stopped serving your files. A browser warning about the connection not being private points to a lapsed security certificate rather than a dead site.
Take a screenshot of whatever you see, and try it on mobile data as well as wifi.
Four quick checks you can do in ten minutes
- ✓Domain renewal — log in to wherever you bought the name and look for an expired or "on hold" status
- ✓Hosting account — check for an unpaid invoice or a suspension notice in your email, including spam
- ✓Recent changes — note whether anyone updated a plugin, changed a setting or moved the site just before it broke
- ✓Other devices — open the address on a different network and another browser to rule out your own connection
Why sites really go offline
The dull reasons are the common ones. A renewal card expired and the domain lapsed. A hosting plan was suspended for a missed payment. An update clashed with something else and took the site down. Sometimes the only person with the logins left, and renewal notices went to an old inbox.
The cause tells you whether you are looking at a quick reactivation or a site that cannot practically be repaired.
What we do with a down site
We start by assessing what is actually wrong, using the web address and whatever accounts you can reach. If the old site can be brought back by fixing the domain or hosting, we will say so plainly. If it cannot, or if keeping it alive would just repeat the problem, we rebuild it on our managed hosting with backups, HTTPS and uptime checks included, and point your domain at the new site once you approve it.
We cannot tell you a restoration time before we have looked, and we do not promise to recover the old site’s files or data. We work from what you can supply: your logo, photos, wording and a list of what the site needs to do.
What to send us
- ✓The web address — exactly as customers type it
- ✓A screenshot of the error — so we can see which kind of failure it is
- ✓Any logins you have — registrar, host or email, even if you are unsure what they are
- ✓The last thing that changed — a renewal, an update, a move or a new designer
What to expect, honestly
- ✓We assess before we promise — no restoration time can be stated until we have seen the cause
- ✓Old files are not guaranteed — we rebuild from what you can supply, not from a recovered copy
- ✓We cannot reset a login for you — the registrar or host controls those accounts
One example of what your site could look like
This is one sample we designed. Yours is built around your business, your photos and your words, and we have more examples if you want to compare directions.
What it costs
Websites are priced one-time by size, plus Website Care at $30/month for hosting, HTTPS, backups, weekly checks and A/B testing. Every package includes a consultation, mobile-friendly design, copy we write for you, a contact form, essential search setup and 10 revision rounds. Monthly SEO is an optional add-on when you are ready for it.
Optional add-ons, billed separately
The prices above are for your website. These two are separate monthly products you can add now or later. Neither is part of the website price.
Monthly SEO, from $50/month: new pages published on your site every month. See Monthly SEO →
Business Spotlight, from $30/month: articles about your business, labeled as paid, published on The Company Chronicle. See Business Spotlight →
How it works
1. Consultation
We learn your services, customers and goals, in English or Spanish.
2. We write and design
We draft the words and build the site around your business.
3. 10 revision rounds
You review and request changes until it is right.
4. Launch and care
We launch, then Website Care keeps it hosted, backed up, checked weekly and A/B tested.
Keep reading
My website was hacked · My web designer disappeared · Who owns your website · What a website costs monthly
