Should a web site be down or running slowly, it has the capacity to not only affect brand reputation but also to discourage potential and existing customers from returning to the site. Ineffective web services, much to the delight of competitors, mean that customers will go elsewhere.

The most effective way to ensure web services are running smoothly and problems are promptly dealt with, when inevitable failures occur, is to use a web monitoring service.

A web monitoring service should be independent from the company's own web services so that monitoring takes place from the site's users' perspective.

It is not enough just to monitor a website from the in-house network. Doing so will not alert you to problems with your internet connection and firewall.

Even if monitoring takes place from a remote location, the fact that your remote service cannot contact your website does not automatically mean that there is a problem with the website. The problem may be with the connection from your remote service to the internet. Therefore, your site should ideally be monitored from a number of sites located on different networks, in different geographical locations.

When monitoring, real transactions should be performed with the monitored servers on a regular basis. This ensures that your site is totally functional and assists in pinpointing problems when they occur so that downtime is kept at a minimum.

You also need to know the cause of problems quickly. It may be that the web server software has stopped responding, or the network cable has been disconnected from your web server, or there may be problems with your isp.

Notifications of errors must be able to be transmitted immediately to the relevant individual either via email, mobile phone or pager. Email may not be an appropriate communication mode at all times especially as, if your website is down, your email server may also be down.

It is useful if notifications can be tailored to the requirements of the company's escalation procedures, ensuring alerts reach the most appropriate individual.

Another important component in web monitoring is the ability to provide statistical information, which gathered over time, helps diagnose complicated problems and helps you judge the performance of your service providers. It can prevent problems by revealing patterns of resource usage and performance that might otherwise go undetected and by uncovering trends that are useful in preventative maintenance.

It is also useful to remember that a website is only as good as its supporting services, like dns servers, email servers and other infrastructure that you may use. Monitoring all of these services will ensure maximum uptime for your site.

It takes time and money to create and develop quality web services. Problems can damage a company's reputation, making the web site more a liability than an asset. Effective independent monitoring services will notify you of problems, long before your customers do.