Get a Reliable and Fast Internet Connection

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Actually, that's a no-brainer. You can't maintain a web site via a 56kbps dial-up line having serious hiccups when you need to upload fresh content or fix a bug immediately. Your Internet connection to your web server is as critical as the bandwidth available for your visitors, 24/7.

You need a fast and reliable Internet connection, like cable or DSL, and you need a backup too, for example an ISDN dial-up line. That means, you will sign-up with two internet service providers (ISPs) and you need two independent physical lines to your ISPs. Additionally, if you travel a lot, ensure that your laptop can connect to the internet in different ways. It's not a bad idea to sign up for an AOL account then, which gives to access to the Internet regardless when and where you need an Internet connection.

That sounds paranoid, but it isn't overcautious. If your business relies on a Web site running 24/7, the reliability of your web server partly depends on a reliable access for maintenance purposes.

Also, most of your visitors still surf on slow dial-ups. That means, you must be able to test your site's speed frequently with a slow Internet connection, that is your backup line. If a page -including all images- does not load within 10 seconds, you lose visitors to a great degree. You can't maintain a Web site via dial-up, on the other hand you will not discover slow loading pages while surfing via DSL or cable.