Having trouble with a particular website? Consider this routine!

If you're anything like me, technology can be very hard to get your head around. You're looking at the girl who tried her WiFi password 47 times today and asked an IT technician before realising I was using a lower case letter somewhere instead of a capital. D'oh. Anyway, here's a guest post about what to do when a particular website is down and you don't know what to do...

It can be frustrating when a website we rely on is failing to work as intended. This can sometimes dilute our goodwill for the brand and our willingness to use it from that point on, but it’s always best to check for an easy fix on our end before we escalate a complaint.

We all know the frustration when a button isn’t working as intended, when we can’t checkout with our shopping cart or subscribe as we hope to. It might be that part of the website’s code is broken, or the browser we’re using to view it is less-than-ideal.

 

In this post, then, we’ll discuss the best routine to follow should you be experiencing issues with a particular website. If you can follow this each and every time, you’ll be able to determine if the problem is on your side, or if there genuinely is a problem with the portal you’re using. While this might not settle your frustrations, at the very least it can give you peace of mind knowing that you’ve tried everything.

Delete Your Cookies & Cache

It might be that your web browser needs to refresh itself, because prior incorrect settings are causing incompatibilities. Head to the settings menu of your web browser (or the history tab) and remove cookies and clear the cache to retry. You can learn how to clear cookies on iPhone in this linked guide. If you’re still having trouble, try another browser, another device, or a private/incognito window which should disable all cookies as you sign in.

Disable Any Functional Browser Extensions On That Page

It could be that a browser extension you’re using is blocking the page. For example, you may have installed an adblocker that has paused the function of a button you need on the website, which is why you can’t progress to checkout. Or, it might be that your extension is blocking scripts, or perhaps declining all cookie request windows, meaning that the website hasn’t loaded correctly. With extensions recently revealed on Safari in iPhone, and web browsers offering their own storefronts, you may find that disabling these could grant you the functionality you’re looking for - if only for this website.

Google Uptime & Look For Twitter Complaints

Sometimes, it may not be you, it could be the brand itself that’s having issues. If you’re using a relatively popular site, someone may be in your exact position right now. That’s why Googling can help. Usually “Is X down for anyone else, or just me?” can help you identify if anyone has reported service outages or problems. Alternatively, Reddit can usually provide immediate questions such as this if anyone has asked them, and lastly, looking at the Twitter or Twitter support page of your chosen brand will help you identify if anyone is having issues, or you can search the brand name as a term and see anyone in the world complain about it. This can give you a good idea of if your problem is personal or universal. If all else fails, reaching out to the brand can be wise.

With this advice, you’re sure to troubleshoot your issues if a website isn’t functioning as it should.