Imagine this: your website goes dark. Customers are mid-checkout, and then suddenly, everything stalls. Transactions freeze and sales dip. It’s a scenario no business wants to face, but it happens, often without warning. The cause might be technical or external, but your ability to respond quickly can shape how customers perceive your brand and influence whether they return or choose to do business with another merchant.
At Maya Business, we understand how critical it is to keep your operations moving. That’s why we offer business solutions designed to help you stay connected with customers and collect payments securely, even when your main sales channel is offline.
Whether you’re dealing with an unexpected outage or planning ahead for possible disruptions, this guide offers practical ways to stay in control. From alternative payment channels to customer communication, you’ll find strategies to sustain your business momentum without missing a beat.
1. Switch to an Alternative Payment Channel Immediately
When your checkout page goes offline, every minute counts. Customers won’t wait around. They’ll either find another way to shop and pay or abandon the purchase altogether. That’s why it’s critical to have an alternative payment channel ready to deploy.
One effective option is Maya Invoice Payments, a digital invoicing solution that functions much like a virtual payment terminal. It lets you create and send branded invoices with secure payment links via email, SMS, or chat apps, channels your customers already use and trust. With support for credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, and QR Ph codes, Maya Invoice Payments offers a smoother, more familiar experience than manual bank transfers or over-the-counter payment centers.
By setting it up in advance through Maya Business Manager, you’ll be ready to respond quickly when your site goes dark. Customers will see that you’re prepared and focused on keeping transactions simple, even during unexpected disruptions.
2. Communicate Proactively with Customers
A sudden outage can leave customers unsure of what’s happening behind the scenes. Without timely updates, they may assume their orders failed or that your business is no longer accepting new ones. That uncertainty can lead to hesitation and lost sales.
To keep customers informed, use the channels they check regularly. You can post updates on your social media pages or send a quick email blast to your subscriber list. For urgent notifications, consider direct SMS to help clarify the situation. Keep each message clear and concise, explaining the nature of the disruption and when you expect it to be resolved.
If you’ve set up alternative ways for customers to place orders, include those details in your updates early so customers know where to go. Even a simple acknowledgment shows that you’re present and actively managing the situation. Consistent communication helps preserve trust and keeps your audience engaged while you work to restore normal operations.
3. Set Up a Contingency Sales Workflow
A website outage is far easier to manage when everyone on your team already knows their role. Prep your team with a response plan that outlines who handles customer inquiries, how orders are recorded, and which channels to use for payment confirmations. Even simple drills can help everyone stay sharp and reduce hesitation when it counts.
Maya Invoice Payments supports this kind of agility. Through Maya Business Manager, you can view and track all incoming payments, even when they’re made outside your main website. With all transactions visible in one dashboard, reconciliation becomes faster and less prone to error once your site is back up.
A well-rehearsed plan backed by reliable tools does more than just keep things moving. It gives your team the confidence to lead through interruption, not just react to it.
4. Leverage Social Media for New Sales
If your website is down, your social media accounts can temporarily take its place as your sales floor. Platforms such as Facebook or Instagram can be used to feature products and post timely updates, while TikTok offers opportunities to capture attention through short, creative videos. These tools keep your offerings visible and allow you to interact directly with potential buyers.
Messaging features also allow you to confirm orders, arrange delivery or pickup, and share alternate payment methods. With Maya Invoice Payments, you can send custom invoices directly through chat, allowing customers to complete their purchase using their phones. This keeps the transaction quick and convenient for both sides.
Photos, short videos, live streams, and behind-the-scenes content also help sustain interest and reinforce your presence in customers’ daily scroll. By treating social media as an extension of your online shop, you stay top of mind and ready to convert interest into action, even while your main site is down.
5. Review and Strengthen Your Website and Payment Resilience
Once your site is back online, use the recent downtime as a prompt to reassess your setup. Start by reviewing your hosting provider’s reliability, your platform’s ability to handle traffic spikes, and the strength of your security protocols. Then look at your payment system: can it operate independently of your website, so you’re not left without options during future outages?
Solutions like Maya Invoice Payments offer flexibility and protection when your main checkout goes offline. You can send invoices directly to customers with built-in fraud safeguards that help prevent unauthorized transactions. The service also includes comprehensive technical support from Maya, making it easier to integrate and troubleshoot as needed.
By strengthening both your site infrastructure and your payment tools, you reduce the risk of disruption and build a more resilient e-commerce experience. Each incident becomes a chance to improve systems and prepare for whatever comes next.
Enjoy Continued Sales Even When Your Website Is Down
Sign up for Maya Business to keep transactions flowing even when your website is offline. With solutions like Maya Invoice Payments, you can continue collecting from customers through payment invoices sent via email, chat, or SMS. It’s a simple way to maintain cash flow and reassure customers that you’re ready to serve them under any circumstance.
Setting up a Maya Business account also gives you access to a Maya Business Deposit account that you can use as your settlement account. With an industry-leading 2.5% interest rate per annum, you’ll earn PHP 25,000 in yearly interest on a PHP 1 million deposit. You can send money to partners and suppliers for free via InstaPay and PESONet, helping you save more on operational costs.
Signing up also qualifies you for a no-collateral Maya Flexi Loan offer of up to PHP 2 million in just three months, giving you another funding source to strengthen your online infrastructure and further develop your e-commerce. Just use Maya as your primary processor for all wallet and card payments. The more you use our solution, the better the loan offer will be.
Sign up for Maya Business today to enjoy the benefits of a payment and banking partner built for your growth.
