When I finished building the Lemko Coating website, one of the last things I did before handing the project over was zip up every single file and deliver a copy to Nathan. The source code, the images, the configuration files, all of it. He owns it. If something happens to the server tomorrow, he has everything he needs to rebuild.
That's not standard in this industry. A lot of developers keep the files and the access to themselves. If you leave, you start over. I think that's wrong. But it also taught me something: most business owners never think about what happens if their website just disappears one day.
It Happens More Often Than You Think
Websites vanish for all kinds of reasons. Server hardware fails. Hosting companies go out of business (it happens). A hack wipes your files. A bad plugin update corrupts the database. Someone accidentally deletes the wrong folder. Your hosting account lapses because the credit card on file expired and the renewal email went to spam.
Any one of those can take your entire site offline. And if you don't have a backup, you're not looking at a quick fix. You're looking at a complete rebuild. New design, new content, new images, everything from scratch.
"My Hosting Provider Has Backups"
Maybe. A lot of hosting companies advertise automatic backups. But read the fine print. Some only keep backups for 24 to 48 hours. Some only back up once a week. Some don't guarantee the backups work at all. Their terms of service will tell you (in legal language) that backups are provided "as a courtesy" and they're not responsible if the restore fails.
I've seen hosting backups that were weeks old. I've seen hosting backups that were corrupted and unusable. Relying on your hosting provider as your only backup strategy is like keeping your only house key under the doormat. It might work. It might not. You don't want to find out at the worst possible time.
What a Real Backup Looks Like
A proper website backup includes everything you'd need to rebuild the site from zero on a brand new server:
- All site files: the code, the templates, the stylesheets, the scripts. Everything that makes the site function.
- Images and media: your photos, logos, videos, PDFs. These are often the hardest things to replace because the originals get lost over time.
- Database: if your site uses one (WordPress, for example), the database holds all your content, pages, posts, settings, and user accounts.
- Configuration files: server settings, email configuration, API keys. The stuff that connects everything together.
And the backup needs to be stored somewhere separate from your hosting. If your server dies and your backup is on the same server, you've lost both. That's not a backup. That's just a second copy in the same burning building.
How Often Should You Back Up?
It depends on how often your site changes. If you're running an online store with new products and orders every day, you need daily backups. If you have a standard business website that gets updated once a month, weekly or even monthly backups might be enough.
The question to ask yourself: if I had to restore from my most recent backup right now, how much work would I lose? If the answer makes you uncomfortable, you're not backing up often enough.
For most small business websites, here's a reasonable schedule:
- After any significant update: new page, redesign, content overhaul. Back it up immediately.
- Monthly at minimum: even if nothing changed. Configs get updated, SSL certificates rotate, small things shift. Capture it.
- Quarterly full download: at bare minimum, download a complete copy of your site files to your own computer or a USB drive four times a year. This is the absolute floor.
The Cost of Not Having Backups
Rebuilding a website from scratch costs real money. If you paid $1,000 to $2,000 for your site originally, that's what you're paying again. Except this time you're also paying for the urgency, because your business is offline while you wait.
Compare that to the cost of a backup system. Most of the time it's included in a maintenance plan, or it's a few minutes of work per month if you're doing it yourself. The math is simple.
I keep backups of every site I build and manage. Every project gets archived. Every update gets a snapshot. If something goes wrong, I can have a site restored in hours, not weeks. That's not a selling point. That's just how it should be done.
What You Should Do Right Now
If you have a website and you're not sure whether backups exist, find out. Ask your developer. Ask your hosting provider. If nobody can give you a straight answer, that is your answer.
At the very least, get a copy of your site files on your own computer. You paid for them. They're yours. Having them in your hands means no matter what happens to the server, the hosting company, or the developer, you can always recover.
If you want help setting up a backup plan or just want someone to take an honest look at your current situation, let me know. I'll tell you where you stand and what I'd recommend.