There are many reasons for businesses to migrate to a new web hosting service provider. From inadequate space to uncompetitive prices or frequent breakdowns, these reasons are sure to encourage customers to move.
Switching to a new web hosting provider may seem a daunting tasks. However, it is in fact a manageable process.
Choosing a New Web Host
You should consider these points when choosing a new web hosting service provider. These include the operating system (OS), the bandwidth and disk space requirements, the uptime and customer service. When migrating to another web hosting service provider, it is a good idea to remain on the same operating system, be it Linux or Windows. Most websites needs a database and it is very likely that all web host today offer support for either MySQL or PostgreSQL.
Determine the Specifications You Need
The bandwidth and the disk space provided by the new web hosting service provider are important because they affect the speed and the amount of data storage space allocated to your web hosting account. These specifications are usually clearly stated in the new web hosting provider’s plans. It will be easy to identify which plan falls within your budget. Uptime is another one to look for because when your website is down, visitors will be lost and it will cost you.
An Overview of the Move
In short, you will need to back-up your website, configure email, change your DNS settings and recheck the links on your website. It will be good to use a reliable FTP client to download all the required files onto your computer as a backup and not attempt to move it from site to site directly.
After moving your site to the new web hosting service provider, check the configuration of your email. Settings may include things such as MX and SPF records.
Final important configuration needed is on the DNS. The new service provider might assign you a temporary IP address. With this IP address, you could check if the website is functional. The existing domain name will have to point to the new IP address. For this, you need to seek advice from the domain registrar. They would advise how to change. If your domain registrar has built-in tools, the configuration will be easy to perform.
After migrating to a new web hosting service, you can start to check in detail if your site is working perfectly. Do check for the layout, look and the functionality of internal web pages such as contact forms, plugins or special scripts.
Final Thoughts
Migrating to a new web hosting service provider need not be overwhelming. However, the transition could be made easy if you plan properly and execute with confidence.