Comments on: Status sites http://www.tamingthebeast.net/blog/web-development/status-sites-0308.htm Ecommerce, web marketing and development news and research by Michael Bloch of Taming the Beast.net Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:44:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Michael Bloch http://www.tamingthebeast.net/blog/web-development/status-sites-0308.htm#comment-49751 Michael Bloch Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:59:00 +0000 http://www.tamingthebeast.net/blog/web-development/status-sites-0308.htm#comment-49751 Brian, thanks for the very detailed solution! Using that method, I'd definitely opt for the mirror site option that you touched on - mainly due to search engine considerations (preserving rankings). Brian, thanks for the very detailed solution! Using that method, I’d definitely opt for the mirror site option that you touched on - mainly due to search engine considerations (preserving rankings).

]]> By: Brian http://www.tamingthebeast.net/blog/web-development/status-sites-0308.htm#comment-49707 Brian Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:31:05 +0000 http://www.tamingthebeast.net/blog/web-development/status-sites-0308.htm#comment-49707 Status updating can be done easily and WITHOUT your members needing to know or remember any special Web address, if you use URL-pointing to your main site to begin with. Here's what I mean: 1. I purchase my domain name from any service that provides URL-pointing (most do), such as mydomain.com. 2. I LEAVE my domain name there (I do not transfer it to my web hosting provider). 3. I set up my web hosting account in the normal way, obtaining a dedicated IP address (this is usually offered, and is either free or the charge is very negligible). 4. Once the web site is ready to "go live", I go back to my domain name provider and point the URL to the dedicated IP address. Now, visitors to the URL will actually go to the dedicated IP address and will never see the redirection, and it is instantaneous (in my experience). 5. On a different hosting service, purchase the tiniest possible website with dedicated IP address. Might cost you $4 or 5 per month. Here is where you host your "status report" (you could be more ambitious and set up a mirror site, but that's a different matter). 6. Now, if your main site becomes inaccessible, you can INSTANTLY redirect customers to your status site by merely changing the IP address for redirection at your domain hosting site. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO PROPAGATE THROUGH THE DNS SYSTEM AGAIN (remember when you first set up a website, it took a day, two or three for your URL to be registered with DNS servers). Your permanent URL (on your domain provider site, not your website) is permanent. The redirection happens at your domain provider, and is simply an entry in their database, which is "live" in their system immediately (or almost so), and which is what you change when your main site goes down. SUMMARY: 1. Use URL-pointing from your domain name provider even to your main site. Always get a dedicated IP address - it's cheap and very useful. 2. Set up your website and do NOT transfer your domain name to their name servers. 3. When the website is ready, point your URL at the domain name provider to the dedicated IP address of your website. 4. Set up a microsite with dedicated IP address on a totally different hosting service. This is your status site. 5. Now, if the main web host goes down or experiences problems, just change the redirection IP address at your domain name provider to the IP address of your status site. I use (and am in NO WAY commercially affiliated with) mydomain.com to register my domain names. The redirection feature is free, and I have had to switch IP addresses to my status site only three times, but each time it provided seamless, uninterrupted service to customers who never knew or were in any way inconvenienced by the fact that they were going to a different site (there are ways to mask the IP address, beyond this comment). Status updating can be done easily and WITHOUT your members needing to know or remember any special Web address, if you use URL-pointing to your main site to begin with.

Here’s what I mean:

1. I purchase my domain name from any service that provides URL-pointing (most do), such as mydomain.com.

2. I LEAVE my domain name there (I do not transfer it to my web hosting provider).

3. I set up my web hosting account in the normal way, obtaining a dedicated IP address (this is usually offered, and is either free or the charge is very negligible).

4. Once the web site is ready to “go live”, I go back to my domain name provider and point the URL to the dedicated IP address. Now, visitors to the URL will actually go to the dedicated IP address and will never see the redirection, and it is instantaneous (in my experience).

5. On a different hosting service, purchase the tiniest possible website with dedicated IP address. Might cost you $4 or 5 per month. Here is where you host your “status report” (you could be more ambitious and set up a mirror site, but that’s a different matter).

6. Now, if your main site becomes inaccessible, you can INSTANTLY redirect customers to your status site by merely changing the IP address for redirection at your domain hosting site. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO PROPAGATE THROUGH THE DNS SYSTEM AGAIN (remember when you first set up a website, it took a day, two or three for your URL to be registered with DNS servers). Your permanent URL (on your domain provider site, not your website) is permanent. The redirection happens at your domain provider, and is simply an entry in their database, which is “live” in their system immediately (or almost so), and which is what you change when your main site goes down.

SUMMARY:
1. Use URL-pointing from your domain name provider even to your main site. Always get a dedicated IP address - it’s cheap and very useful.

2. Set up your website and do NOT transfer your domain name to their name servers.

3. When the website is ready, point your URL at the domain name provider to the dedicated IP address of your website.

4. Set up a microsite with dedicated IP address on a totally different hosting service. This is your status site.

5. Now, if the main web host goes down or experiences problems, just change the redirection IP address at your domain name provider to the IP address of your status site.

I use (and am in NO WAY commercially affiliated with) mydomain.com to register my domain names. The redirection feature is free, and I have had to switch IP addresses to my status site only three times, but each time it provided seamless, uninterrupted service to customers who never knew or were in any way inconvenienced by the fact that they were going to a different site (there are ways to mask the IP address, beyond this comment).

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