"switching off" a site

[jkemp]

If I wish to remove my site from the web for a short period of time how do I go about it? Will this effect my Google ranking when I switch it back on? How do I switch it back on? Thanks in advance.

[Duncan Rounding]

I wouldn't recommend removing the site but you can suspend ordering instead. Look on the Business Settings - Ordering tab - Ordering Options on Website - Suspended.

[jkemp]

Thanks Duncan.

[completerookie]

one alternative or a mixture of both

you could also use htaccess to tell the visitors (including google) that the site is temporarily unavailable by returning a 503 or 307 message (just search "htaccess 503" for more details), search engines understand 503 or 307's, and returns later

[pinbrook]

Look on the Business Settings - Ordering tab - Ordering Options on Website - Suspended.

if you do this, there is an option somewhere to change the text of the message to something more friendly and informative

[leehack]

Good point Croccy, it's in design > text, standard message sounds like the suthorities have been in and taped off the joint.