The internet is an unpredictable place. Even when traffic on your website seems relatively steady from one day or week to the next, it doesn’t take much for a sudden influx of visitors to cause issues with your server. Of course, the last thing you need is for your site to crash when demand is at its peak.
A variety of factors can lead to web traffic spikes, from seasonality (i.e., an increase in online shopping during the holidays) to DDoS attacks. Below, we’re discussing a lesser-known issue that could lead to a higher volume of visitors, so you can ensure your website is prepared. Let’s take a look!
What Is the Slashdot Effect?
The Slashdot effect (also known as the Reddit effect or the Reddit “hug of death”) occurs when a site crashes due to a sudden and unexpected spike in traffic. This increase happens when a link to the website (or a specific page within it) goes viral after it is shared on social media or another heavily populated platform, such as Reddit. As large numbers of people click on the link that has been shared, the site’s server may struggle to handle the influx of traffic. As a result, it could crash or cause visitors to experience extremely slow page-loading times and other issues.
How to Prepare for Slashdotting
Going viral on social media can be one of the best things that can happen to your brand – but only if your site and server are adequately prepared. If your website can’t handle the increased traffic, you could miss out on a huge opportunity to boost brand awareness and bring in more customers. Of course, if your server ends up crashing due to the high number of visitors, your business’s reputation could suffer.
The good news is that there are several steps you can take to prepare for the Slashdot effect, starting with making sure that you have the right server to handle large amounts of traffic as needed. This is where a dedicated hosting plan can make all the difference. Specifically, a dedicated server can offer the load balancing that your site needs to handle an influx of traffic without missing a beat. This type of hosting can also provide you with the protection you need to prevent downtime, ensuring that visitors are able to access and explore your site reliably – even when thousands of other people are browsing at the same time.
ReliableSite Servers Are Up to the Challenge
At ReliableSite, we offer a wide selection of dedicated servers to suit your needs. All of our hosting plans come with a 100% uptime service level agreement and additional redundancies to keep your site running smoothly. In turn, you’ll be prepared if your site experiences the Slashdot effect or any other unexpected spikes in traffic.
For more information about our dedicated hosting plans, or to begin setting up your customized server, contact the ReliableSite team today!