A Web 2.0 Backup Plan for Your Business

I was reading an article on MSN’s Business on Main website called, “Prepare for Popularity“, which discussed the steps to take to prepare your business for a quick upsurge in website traffic.  You know, the kind that happens if you get featured on Mashable or you get mentioned on Oprah’s Twitter account.  

It got me thinking about all of the different ways that we need to make sure our business is protected, especially in this web 2.0 landscape where everything is “in the cloud” so to speak.

This blog post will unearth some of the practices you can follow to make your business safe in this fast-paced, technological business atmosphere.

Back Up Your Blog / Website

The first, and most important, area that you want to focus on for backup and security purposes is your blog and / or website.  Since this is generally where people store the most amount of information, it is vital to have a system in place to back it up.

If your site is built on HTML, use an FTP client to download your website files regularly.  Most hosting accounts also offer the ability to perform a full backup from the cPanel and some accounts will let you schedule these to occur regularly.

For your WordPress sites, you can export all of your data manually (pages, posts, etc.) or you can install a plugin to backup your blog automatically.  These plugins should also have the ability to let you setup a direct-to-email backup file.

Back Up Your Stored Files Online

Many of us have files stored “in the cloud” using a service like Dropbox.  It is vital to backup these files to your local hard drive and then consider purchasing an external hard drive to use for storage and safety purposes only.  A service like Dropbox could disappear so you don’t want to be left wondering where your files went.

Store your local files on your external hard drive as well to protect against potential computer hardware failures.

It is also a great idea to store your external hard drive outside of your home or office or store it regularly in a fireproof safe.  While some people have redundant drive systems in place, a simple external hard drive can do the trick for many solopreneurs.

Mozy Online Backup is a great solution for both your web files and your online files.

Back Up Your E-mails & Your Marketing Lists

A lot of people are using Gmail and other web-based e-mail accounts but are not taking the necessary precautions to backup their data.  For example, there are horror stories of people getting their Google accounts disabled and then losing full access to their e-mail.  It is important to create a backup of your e-mail accounts wherever possible.

Another important area for online entrepreneurs is the e-mail marketing list.  Whether you use MailChimp or 1ShoppingCart or InfusionSoft, make a point to backup your e-mail lists frequently.  If ever your account was compromised or the service shut down, you wouldn’t lose one of your company’s most valuable assets.

Back Up Your Social Media Sites

It might sound a bit funny but wherever possible, backup the data from your social media sites.  One in particular that lets you do this is Facebook.  You can actually go into your account and request all of your Facebook data in a downloadable file.  This is a great way to at least capture some of the great information shared via Facebook and your contacts.

Sitepoint shares 13 Tools to Back Up Your Social Media, which is definitely a post worth looking at.

Where else should people be implementing backup and security measures in their business?  Leave your ideas in the comments below!

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My blog is part of an online influencer network for Business on Main. I receive incentives to share my views on a monthly basis.

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