Website Won’t Load or Shows Error Messages
How you’ll notice:
- Customers calling to say they can’t access your website
- Your website shows “This site can’t be reached” messages
- Pages load very slowly or not at all
Quick checks you can do:
- Try accessing your site from your phone and computer
- Ask friends in different locations to check
When to call for help: Immediately – website downtime costs small businesses earnings.
Who to call: Your hosting provider first, then your web developer.
Contact Forms Not Working
How you’ll notice:
- Sudden decrease in website inquiries
- Customers saying they tried to contact you online but couldn’t
- Test messages you send yourself aren’t delivered
Quick checks you can do:
- Fill out every contact form on your website yourself
- Check your spam folders for form submissions
- Test forms from your mobile phone
When to call for help: Within 24 hours – broken contact forms directly cost you potential customers.
Who to call: Your web developer or website support team.
Website Loading Slowly
How you’ll notice:
- Customers mentioning your website is slow
- You notice delays when browsing your own site
- Decreased website traffic or inquiries
Quick checks you can do:
- Test your site speed using an inline tool such as Google PageSpeed Insights
- Check your internet connection isn’t the problem
- Try accessing from different devices
When to call for help: If speed problems persist after checking your internet connection.
Who to call: Your hosting provider first, then your web developer.
Mobile Problems
How you’ll notice:
- Customers saying your website doesn’t work on their phones
- Text appears too small or buttons don’t work on mobile
- Your website looks wrong on your own phone
Quick checks you can do:
- Test your website on multiple phones
- Check both portrait and landscape orientations
- Try all buttons and forms on mobile
When to call for help: Mobile problems affect many of your potential customers.
Who to call: Your web developer.
Email and Communication Issues
How you’ll notice:
- Not receiving expected customer inquiries
- Customers saying emails to you bounce back
- Your business emails going to customers’ spam folders
Quick checks you can do:
- Check your spam/junk folders
- Send test emails from your business email address
- Check your email storage isn’t full
When to call for help: If customers report email delivery problems or you’re missing expected inquiries.
Who to call: Your email hosting provider or web developer.
Search Engine Visibility Problems
How you’ll notice:
- Big drop in website traffic from search engines
- Your business not appearing for searches you used to rank for
- Customers saying they can’t find you on Google
Quick checks you can do:
- Search for your business name on Google
- Look for any Google Search Console error notifications
When to call for help: If you notice significant drops in search visibility or website traffic.
Who to call: Your web developer or SEO specialist.
Security Problems
Warning signs:
- Unexpected pop-ups or ads appearing on your site
- Google warning messages about your website
- Website redirecting visitors to other sites
- Customers reporting suspicious activity
Immediate actions:
- Change all website passwords immediately
- Contact your hosting provider
Don’t try to fix security issues yourself
When to call for help: Immediately, security breaches need fast action to keep customer data safe.
Who to call: Your hosting provider and web developer immediately.
