Before a storm, a Southwest Florida business should do five website jobs: post a clear notice on the site, update Google Business Profile hours, back up what you cannot rebuild, pause or limit online booking, and tell customers by email or text. Afterward, reopen in the same order and remove the notices.
Key takeaways
- The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center, so storm risk continues for weeks after the summer peak.
- Customers check Google and your website before they call. If both say "open" while you are boarded up, you lose trust.
- Google Business Profile lets you set special hours and mark a location temporarily closed. Do it before you leave, from your phone if needed.
- Back up the things a hosted website does not hold for you: product and customer exports, passwords, and your own originals of photos and copy.
- Write your messages now, in a calm tone, and keep them in a document you can paste from in minutes.
When is hurricane season, and why plan your website around it?
The National Hurricane Center states that the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. As of October 2026, that leaves weeks of season still ahead. For a Fort Myers, Cape Coral or Naples business, that is a real planning window, not a formality.
The website matters because it is where customers look for answers when your phone is off or your building is closed. A site that says nothing leaves them guessing. A site with a short, accurate notice answers the question before they ask it.
This checklist is about your online presence only. For physical safety, evacuation and insurance, follow your county's emergency management guidance. The U.S. Small Business Administration advises having a plan to communicate with employees and customers and to tell everyone when you will reopen.
What should I do before a storm?
Work through this list in order. Most items take minutes if you prepare the wording early.
- Write three messages in advance. A "we are closed for the storm" notice, a "we are reopening on [date]" notice, and a short "still closed, here is what to expect" update. Keep them factual. Do not promise a reopening date you cannot control.
- Add a banner to your website. Many Shopify themes include an announcement bar; check yours in the theme editor. Say what changed, which services are paused, and the one way to reach you. Link to a page with details if you need more room.
- Update Google Business Profile. Set special hours for the closure period, or mark the location temporarily closed. Google notes that edits may be reviewed before they appear, so do this early rather than the night before. Our Google Business Profile optimization checklist shows where these settings live.
- Pause or limit online booking. If customers can book your services online, stop new bookings for the closure window or remove those dates, so nobody pays a deposit for an appointment you cannot keep. Check how your booking tool handles blocked dates and test it before you need it.
- Send an email or text. Message only people who opted in. Keep it to the point: what is closed, how long you expect, how to reach you, and what happens to existing appointments or orders.
- Back up what is yours. Export your products to a spreadsheet, which Shopify supports as a CSV file you can use as a backup. Store customer lists, original photos, logos and your written copy somewhere off your office computer.
- Record your logins. Make sure at least one other trusted person knows how to reach your domain registrar, Shopify account, Google account and email provider, and that you can use two-step verification codes if your phone is damaged.
What does a Shopify-hosted site protect, and what does it not?
A Shopify site is hosted by Shopify, not on a computer in your office, so a power cut at your location does not by itself take the site offline. What a host cannot do is update your hours, pause your bookings or answer your customers. That is why the notice, the Google profile and the messages are your jobs.
What should the website notice say?
Treat the banner like a sign on the door. Use plain words and put the most useful fact first.
| Element | Strong version | Weak version |
|---|---|---|
| Status | "We are closed until further notice because of the storm." | "Closed due to circumstances." |
| What is affected | "Appointments and online orders are paused." | Nothing about services |
| Contact | One email address and one phone number, checked daily when possible | "Contact us" with no details |
| Reopening | "We will post an update here by [day]." | A firm date you may miss |
| Safety | "Please follow official county guidance." | Advice you are not qualified to give |
How do I reopen after the storm?
Reopen in the reverse order, and only when you can actually serve people. Premature "we are open" messages cost more trust than a late one.
- Check your own situation first. Power, internet, access, staff and supplies.
- Test the website. Load the home page and a service page on your phone, submit your contact form, and place a test booking if you use one.
- Restore Google Business Profile hours. Remove the temporary closure and confirm the live listing matches your real hours.
- Reopen booking in stages. Release the nearest dates first so a backlog does not overwhelm you.
- Remove the banner. Replace it with a short thank-you if you like. An old closure notice left up for weeks looks neglected.
- Send the reopening email or text. Include any changed hours and how existing appointments will be handled.
- Review what went wrong. Note what was slow or missing and fix it before the next warning.
Frequently asked questions
When does hurricane season start and end in Florida?
The National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. That is the official window for the Atlantic basin, which includes the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and so covers Southwest Florida. Storms can form outside those dates but are less common. Plan your website notices, Google Business Profile steps and customer messages before the season begins, and review them again each fall.
Should I take my website offline during a storm?
Usually no. Taking a site down removes your best way to tell customers what is happening. A better approach is to keep it live with a clear closure banner, pause booking or ordering that you cannot fulfill, and update the notice when things change. If you sell physical goods that cannot ship, say so plainly. Taking the site offline also hurts if people search for your name and find nothing.
How do I show special hours on Google Business Profile?
Sign in to your Business Profile, choose Edit profile, find the hours section and set special hours for the dates you will be closed, or mark the business as temporarily closed. Google says changes may be reviewed before they appear publicly, so make the change before the storm arrives. After you reopen, remove the temporary closure and check how your listing looks in Google Search and Maps.
What should I back up before a hurricane?
Back up what you would struggle to recreate: your product list exported as a CSV from Shopify, your customer or client list, original photos and logos, your written page copy, and your account logins. Keep copies off your office computer, for example in cloud storage. The SBA's storm guidance specifically advises backing up computer data in the cloud or on a flash drive.
Can I pause online booking without breaking my site?
Yes, in most booking tools you can block dates, close a calendar or switch off new bookings, and your pages stay live. The details depend on your tool, so test it now and write down the steps. Add a note near the booking button explaining the pause, and decide in advance how you will handle people who already booked, including refunds or rescheduling under your own policy.
Will a website care plan help me during hurricane season?
A care plan is one way to have a person responsible for your site, but what each plan includes differs, so read the scope before you rely on it for storm updates. It does not replace your own decisions about closing, rescheduling or refunds. If you want help with banner changes or post-storm checks, ask us in advance what is covered and how fast we can respond.
Sources
- National Hurricane Center (NOAA): Atlantic hurricane season climatology
- Google Business Profile Help: Edit your business hours
- Shopify Help Center: Export products to a CSV file
If you would rather not edit a banner during an evacuation, a website care plan starts at $49 a month for Website Care Essentials, covering up to 5 pages. If you need to message customers, we can set up Klaviyo Email and SMS for $262. Our Fort Myers web design page explains how we work, our FAQ answers common questions, and our Fort Myers local SEO checklist covers the rest of your local listings.
