Do you own a small business? Do you wish to keep your sales going even during a pandemic? Then you need to maximize the power of your website.
Unfortunately, not all small businesses use a website. Studies reveal that only 64% of small businesses in the United States have a website. Moreover, 75% of consumers judge a brand’s credibility through its website design.
But having a website is not enough. It must also be working at all times.
Continue reading below as we teach you how to check website availability using different tools and methods.
Old-School Ping
As we mentioned above, there are many tools that you can use to check website availability. However, it remains wise to check if a website is down using the traditional route.
And this is through the old-school URL ping test.
But to set the record straight, this method does not use any Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). Instead, the URL ping test uses advanced HTTP request for validating the response of an endpoint.
Furthermore, this method measures your site’s performance concerning the response. To create your first ping test, open the Availability pane. Select “Create Test” and fill in the important fields.
These include your URL, Parse dependent requests, Enable retries, Test frequency, and Test locations. After performing the test, you can view the results in two different views: line and scatter plot.
After testing, give it a few minutes before hitting “Refresh.” Thereafter, you should be able to see the results.
The good thing about this method is you can inspect and edit the tests. After your results analysis and you see failures, simply click a red dot. From there, you can diagnose the failure through correlated server-side telemetry.
You can also log an issue item in Azure Boards. This allows you to track the problem closely.
Additionally, you can view the Test Duration and Availability Metrics using Metrics Explorer.
Using Website Planet
Now let us move on to third-party tools. The first is through Website Planet, which is one of the most popular options. What makes Website Planet an easy favorite is its simplicity.
It offers a straightforward approach that tells you if a particular site is working or not. To use this tool, head on to Website Planet and type your website URL on the blank field. Hit the “Check” button and it will give you the results in a matter of seconds.
As we earlier said, this tool is straightforward. The results page will show you direct-to-the-point results without any complications. It will show you if the service status is up or down.
It will also give you the site’s IP address. You will also see the site’s response time, as well as its response code.
In case the results say that the site is down, it will show the word “DOWN” in red and all caps. It will also tell you the reasons why your site is down. One of the most common reasons why a site doesn’t work is overloading.
Sometimes, a network problem or outage may also leave a website down. If your site is undergoing maintenance, users will likely not be able to access it.
Via Site24x7
If your business is already in other parts of the world, Site24x7 is your best bet to check if your site is working across all your locations. Whether you have a location in London, Barcelona, or China, Site24x7 can help determine your site’s availability.
Go to Site24x7’s website and fill up the field with your website URL. Hit “Test Now” and wait for Site24x7 to gather your site’s information. Thereafter, a graph and a table will appear on your screen.
These two contain the information as to how your site is performing in different parts of the world. There is a “Status” column that says “OK” if your site is working in a particular location.
In case your site is down, dash symbols will appear next to the countries instead of “OK.” Also, it will say “Host Unavailable” under the IP column.
Like Website Planet, Site24x7 also updates you on your site’s total response time. Moreover, it provides information on its first-byte and last-byte time. Additionally, it gives you the numbers on the time to resolve DNS and the time to connect.
Check Website Availability Via Small SEO Tools
Another option that offers simple and straightforward results is Small SEO Tools. If you want nothing but the basics, this is the tool for you.
Enter the Small SEO Tools website and type your site’s URL on the blank field. Thereafter, hit the “Check Server Status” button and let the tool do its magic.
Wait for a few moments until a results page appears on the screen. There, you will get a status report on your site’s HTTP Code. Right beside it is the Status column, indicating if your site is “OK” or not.
Despite its simplistic approach, there is a plus to using Small SEO Tools. It allows you to check the status of up to 10 different web sites at the same time.
Using Host Tracker
In case you want a checker that will give you more information, Host Tracker is your top choice. Yes, Website Planet already gives you a lot of information. But Host Tracker takes things to the next level by going down to the smaller details.
Apart from the status of your site, it gives you a glimpse at your site’s speed, HTTPS, and ping. It also checks your site’s health, security, trace, and port.
Furthermore, you can use Host Tracker to monitor your site in a real-time fashion. This means Host Tracker can notify you automatically whenever your site goes down.
To use the tool, go to the Host Tracker site and look for the “CHECK SITE” column. Thereafter, select the “Ping” tab since you want to find out if your site is up.
Fill up the field with your site’s URL, as well as your test location. You may also check your site’s status in other parts of the globe by selecting “All World.” Hit “CHECK” to proceed with the diagnosis.
Wait for the results to appear on your screen. From there, flesh out the details that you need. If there is a downside to Host Tracker, it doesn’t come for free.
You have to pay an amount if you want to enjoy the automated notifications.
Via HideMy.Name Proxy Server
As the name implies, this tool works by using a proxy server. In turn, you can redirect your website via the proxy server to various locations to check its status.
The idea behind this method is that the connection will first go through a proxy server coming from a different location. This location may come from another part of the world. Thereafter, the server will send a request to your website.
The request will flash on your screen.
Head on to HideMyName.com and hit the “Try it for free” option. Type your website URL and hit “Send me code.” HideMyName will then send you a free VPN login code via email.
Next, click on “VPN for Windows” to install the software. There is also a version for Android, Mac, or Linux in case you’re using any of these. After installing, launch the HideMyName.com VPN program.
Enter the code you received and select the country you wish to test your website connection. If your website isn’t accessible, it means it is down in the country that you selected.
Since this works only for the free trial option, you will need to buy a premium plan to continue using HideMy.Name. Alternatively, you can generate a new VPN code by registering with a different email.
Through UpTrends
This is another tool that you can use to check your site’s availability in different parts of the globe. UpTrends lets you compare the results from every endpoint. This gives you an idea of how your site is faring from every point in terms of total load time.
The load time represents three key metrics. These are connection time, download time, and resolve time. Connection time pertains to the time it takes to connect with your site’s IP address.
Download time is the time when the download request happens. As for resolve time, this concerns the time it takes for a domain name to translate into an IP address.
Through these methods, you can reduce the number of times your clients will ask “is this site down” about your site. And to take things further to the next level, you should likewise check this article by policysweet.com. This will help protect your digital assets from cyber-attacks.
Improve Your Website Further
Now that you know how to check website availability, you can provide service to your customers whenever they need it. But learning how to check if a website is down is only one of the many things you should learn.
Improve your website further by reading our different blog posts. We discuss tips and tricks that will unleash the potential of your site. We also feature different tools that will turn your website into a faster and more engaging one.