Understanding the Differences between Different Types Website Monitoring Strategies

Nowadays almost everyone knows the value of website monitoring services. What they don't always understand is that not all website monitoring is created equal. There are different methods of monitoring the uptime of a website, and knowing those differences means ensuring that you choose the website monitoring service that can best serve your needs and the needs of your business.

Internal Monitoring vs. External Monitoring

There are two main categories of website monitoring including internal monitoring and external monitoring. What's the difference? When referring to internal versus external website monitoring, one is usually referring to a corporate firewall. Internal monitoring is done inside the firewall and external is done from outside of the firewall. External website monitoring encompasses testing and monitoring the performance of your website all the way from the server to the end user. Internal website monitoring does not have this ability and only monitors internal issues. End-to-end performance monitoring, which is another word for external website monitoring, is the best solution for determining your website's availability and performance for your customers.

How Do You Get External Website Monitoring for Your Website?

The best way to have external website monitoring performed is to utilize a website monitoring service. Some services offer both external and internal monitoring if you choose to have both types of monitoring in place.

How Much Does External Website Monitoring Cost?

The cost can and will vary depending upon your needs. Some sites offer "free" monitoring, but the "free" services offered are usually very limited in their value and functions and you end up paying for upgrades that are needed to truly monitor the performance of your site. When shopping for website monitoring service, it is never a good idea to shop based on price alone. You need to look at factors such as how many servers the service has monitoring your site, how often your site is checked, and how you are notified if an issue does occur.

Expanding to External Website Monitoring

If you have internal website monitoring in place and think your site is covered due to that fact, you may be in for a rude awakening. Without external website monitoring in place, you will not know how issues that may arise with your site are impacting the end user. Only with external website monitoring can you ensure that your site is truly protected from prolonged performance issues and dreaded website downtime.