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I’m sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but these last 12 months have reinforced the lesson that not everything in life goes according to plan.

So, I invite you today to think about your online presence, and especially your website, and the arrangements you have in place for “curve balls” and other emergencies.

Here are some examples to consider:

What if your website account, or provider, gets hacked?

• At a minimum, make sure that you’re using a strong password for your website account. Enable 2-factor authentication, if you can.

• Ask your provider if they have a “rollback” option to revert to an earlier version of your website, in the event somebody breaks in and changes key pages. This doesn’t seem especially common these days, so I’m hoping if enough of us ask, that will change.

• If you’re using WordPress, please update your plugins to increase your chances of staying secure.
  More on my WordPress concerns here.
  Related: What to know about migrating from WordPress.

• Keep a copy of your website wording and images elsewhere.

• Even simple screenshots, taken using a plugin like GoFullPage, will considerably reduce your stress, if you need to rebuild your site.

What if your website provider ceases trading?

Hopefully you’d get some notice of this, but if the machine hosting your website goes down, your site will disappear. If you’ve worked with a smallish website company and they are billing you for hosting, you’re at risk if they go out of business. And we all know big names can run into financial trouble, too.

What’s running on autopilot?

Specifically, what tools are on your website on autopilot, that should be disabled, if you’re unwell or unavailable?

I’m thinking here about online appointment scheduling, if it offers immediate access to your calendar. I recently got started with Dubsado, which I absolutely love, but I’m aware that folks can now book a free consultation or Power Hour with me. The calendar time is confirmed automatically, and then an automated appointment reminder goes out, too. If I’m lying in hospital with a broken leg and concussion, that’s not a fun experience for the person I’m supposed to meet.

If you’re in this boat too, consider making arrangements with a trusted friend or Virtual Assistant, who could step in.

What should happen to your website, when you pass away?

Sorry. It’s no fun to think about this, but if you’ve built a strong personal brand, your family might want guidance for managing your online presence. I’ve found helpful information on digital estate planning from the folks at Everplans, including their (paid) service where you can unlock certain access after you die. (I have mixed feelings about Everplans overall, so I’m not necessarily endorsing their service.)

What happens if your website designer is suddenly unavailable?

Unfortunately, this can happen too. I came across a really sad story of someone who lost not only her website, but her domain name too, when her web designer passed away suddenly. If you’ve invested heavily in building your online business, this is a massive setback. If you’re working with a one-person website service, I think it’s reasonable to ask what plans they have in place.

And if you’re offered the chance to control your own domain name registration and/or be an admin on the platform where your website is hosted, I think that’s worth the extra effort. It means, in the worst case scenario, you can hire someone else to take over.

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If you’re talking to a website designer about a new website project, don’t be afraid to ask some of these questions. If they are organized and professional, they’ll either have a process in place, or will work something out with you. Please don’t get into the situation where all your eggs are in someone else’s basket.

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A note for my 1:1 clients

I’m working on plans for many of these aspects, including specific advice for backing up your website on Carrd and Squarespace. As we complete our work together, I’ll ask if you’d like to nominate an emergency contact who can guide me about your website, if you’re unavailable. At the end of our project together, you become the owner of your website and get full admin rights. And… yes, I’m putting some basic arrangements in place so that you’ll be contacted if anything happens to me. Look for an email from me about all this soon.

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