There are many tools out there to help with various aspects of running a website. One which, until recently, I had neglected is an external website monitor (I used my own polling scripts, which was time consuming and fiddly). Even with regular server maintenance and updates problems can still occur:

• Memory leakage
• Disk space running out
• Network outages
• Malicious activity

I’m sure there are lots of options out there but I’m currently using UptimeRobot as they provide an excellent free service to get you going. This provides basic HTTP monitoring and page keyword monitoring for up to 50 websites.

The paid options seem reasonable compared to similar services from other companies and add features like SSL certificate monitoring and domain expiry monitoring. They also provide Apple and Android apps. I have the Apple one and it seems to work well.