What To Consider When Migrating to Another Web Hosting Provider

One of the most important aspects of running a successful business is making sure your website can be accessed by everyone. Uninterrupted traffic and higher placement in Google’s search results are more likely for sites that are hosted on reliable, fast, and well-optimized servers. Therefore, picking a reliable web host is crucial when launching a commercial website.

In the case of selecting a web host, though, a cookie-cutter approach isn’t necessarily the best bet. Storage space, speed, features, and cost are just some of the factors that any website must consider. The vast majority of companies pick a hosting plan without giving it much attention, only to find out later that it can’t support their growing website.

With a drop in search engine results and a subsequent loss of business, most business owners and webmasters are hesitant to transfer to a new hosting provider.

In reality, changing web hosts is a simple and painless process. This article’s purpose is to serve as a tutorial for when you decide to switch web host companies.

When Should I Switch Web Hosts, and How Do I Do It?

You can move your website from one web server to another on your own, or you can engage a third party to handle it for you. We should consider both possibilities.

CHOICE 1: Expedite the Site Switch by Hand

Check to see if migration is free or cheap before beginning the procedure. If so, and you’re not a total tech.

However, here is a look at the steps involved if you intend to do this manually.

Replace Your Current Host

Today, many hosting services are available, and they all have their own quirks and benefits. Based on your budget, storage needs, and server specifications, pick the option that works best for you.

Move Contents of Your Webspace

Transferring files and folders from one web host to another is a breeze if your website is static (no database required). FileZilla, Cyberduck, and Core FTP Pro are all excellent FTP/sFTP tools that make this a breeze.

To export your database from cPanel, you’ll need to use phpMyAdmin.

Originally found at: https://www.phpmyadmin.net/

Install the content management system programs (like Joomla or WordPress) on the new host before uploading the database. This is made possible using the import/export features that WordPress provides.

Look at Your Site in Action

Once the files have been loaded, it’s time to make that they’re being read properly. In this way, you’ll be able to identify and fix any problems. Prior to transferring your domain name, there are a few ways to check out your new website. At this point, you should look for problems with the site’s navigation, database, and missing links.

Move Personalized Email Addresses

One of the most time-consuming aspects of manually migrating to a new server is moving email accounts. Three potential outcomes are outlined below.

The MX Record Entry in your domain registrar’s DNS settings must be updated to link to your new hosting provider’s mail servers if your email is currently housed there.

Make sure your MX records in the DNS have been changed if your email is hosted elsewhere.

To transfer your email and files from your old web server to your new one, you can use the cPanel File Manager.

Transfer the Domain Nameservers.

If you change your domain name, people will automatically be sent to the updated version of your site. In your hosting control panel or welcome email, you can find the nameservers for your new host. You can also ask the service personnel for assistance.

Check It Once More

It may take up to 24 hours for the new nameservers to take effect (usually faster, sometimes instantaneous). After that, you should check out each page and use the forms to make sure they’re functioning properly.

Option 2: Having Someone Else Handle the Switch to the New Host

The migration process is best outsourced to a web hosting firm for busy business owners and people who aren’t tech knowledgeable. As one of many web hosts, we provide this service at no cost to you. Simply sign up and submit a migration request to get started. You can rely on their support team to see you through it.

Tips for a Smooth Website Migration

Transferring a website from one host to another involves a lot of back-end work. Your website may be inaccessible for a number of hours while DNS servers are being transferred from your old host to your new host.

A company may go under as a result of this. Nobody wants their clients or site visitors to wait around for long periods of time.

Here are some suggestions for preventing that from happening.

1. Wait until the relocation is finished before canceling your current hosting plan.

It is important to let your previous host know about the changeover, but doing so before the transfer is complete might lead to downtime and the loss of important database information.

When asked to cancel a plan, many hosting providers immediately remove the website in question. They typically issue a refund of the remaining balance immediately rather than waiting for the current month’s subscription to end before doing so.

While this has its advantages, it also means that any deleted files are gone forever. Pre-arrange a transfer by calling them first.

2. Get a zipped copy of the files as a backup.

To create a copy of your website’s files and database, go to your cPanel. In order to conveniently and rapidly back up your data, it is essential that both hosting services use the same web-based administration technologies.

The next step is to find the Backup section of your settings and administration menus. To create a copy of your site’s main “public html” folder and any subdomains, you’ll find the necessary tools here. It will also assist you in creating a backup of your MySQL database.

Then, to retrieve the necessary files, navigate to the ‘Download Backups’ section of cPanel and click there (in compressed form).

3. You should not decompress the files.

Remember that the new server will be responsible for extracting the compressed backup data. The newly installed host often notifies its customers via email of the change in the IP address and name servers. The new IP address will now work to access your site.

4. Inquire into the Various Databases

Verify that backups of your MySQL databases do not include sensitive information such as user names, passwords, or access levels. The MySQL database interface in cPanel is where this data has to be entered.

5. Make Use of the New Domain Nameservers

The time has come to change over to new name servers once you’ve finished the aforementioned tasks. You can now access your files and data on the other server and advise the domain registrar that you will be utilizing the new domain nameservers.

Infrequently Encountered Problems with Web Hosting Migration

It calls for both forethought and an awareness of potential pitfalls. Making the transfer with this information will be easier.

Several potential snags in the host migration procedure are outlined below.

It can harm search engine optimization.

There are multiple ways in which moving your site to a different server could hurt your search engine rankings.

When Google first visits a website, it looks at its IP address. One of the elements that affect a user’s ranking is how close they are to the business. You should put a lot of thought into where your servers will be located.

Also, if the new host is causing your site to load more slowly, you should expect a decline in traffic and rankings. This necessitates making sure the new server can cope with the traffic.

The Challenge of Migrating Customer Information, Including Account Information and Transaction History

Unfortunately, this is a prevalent gripe among our eCommerce clientele. Maintaining positive client relationships throughout the switch to a new host is essential.

A user who previously registered on your old site should be able to do so without any problems on the new one. Passwords and other sensitive information are usually encrypted by hosting providers for user safety. This information is encrypted and will not be easily decrypted by the next host. Because of this, it may be difficult to simply hand over login information.

You also need your purchase history to transfer over to the new site without any problems. However, it is a time-consuming operation to transfer all of this information to a new server.

Numerous strategies exist for overcoming these obstacles. Companies should be aware of the risks associated with consumer data migration and take preventative measures to avoid them.

3. The Disappearance of Vital Documents

The loss of your site’s files and database during a web host migration is a nightmare. Reverting to a previous version of your site to fix this problem can be time-consuming and costly.

Making a copy of your data before you migrate will protect you from this kind of catastrophe. Plugins for this exact purpose exist for popular CMS platforms like WordPress.

4. You neglected to acquire the required information to access the internet.

The ability to fully control your website’s configuration is essential, regardless of whether or not your current and prospective hosting providers are amenable to a transition. No amount of trying will make the change if you haven’t already acquired these components.

You’ll need the following items before you can begin the changeover.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Hostname, Username, and Password

What you need to know about credentials:

• Web host login and password
• Email client login and password
• Social media and social media management login and password
• Domain registration login and password
• Your CMS credentials
• Your Google credentials (particularly if you use Google-based tools and plugins)

5. A phpMyAdmin timeout

It’s likely that your database is quite sizable if your website has been around for some time. If your database is larger than phpMyAdmin’s default two-megabyte upload/import limit, you may not be able to export it via the web interface.

The choices when this occurs are:

The php.ini file on your server should have its limit raised.

To export your database, use the command line tool MySQL dump.

If available, use cPanel’s database export and import tools to bring your database over.

To transfer your WordPress site, use the import/export functions.

It is possible that the new host is missing files despite your best efforts to transfer them. Verify that there were no failed transfers by reviewing the FTP client upload message log and that all of the folders on your new hosting have the same permissions as the ones on your old hosting.

To further troubleshoot, rename the. htaccess file and refresh the page.

The Importance of Keeping Your Search Engine Optimization in Check During a Website Transfer

It is expected that a website transfer will lead to an increase in revenue, increased traffic, and a better user experience. However, search engine optimization (SEO) suffers when migrations aren’t handled properly.

Maintaining your site’s search engine optimization (SEO) during the relocation process will assist your team in reducing any disruptions and keep visitors coming even after the move is complete.

Here’s how a bad website migration might hurt your search engine rankings:

Errors in the Content

Customers’ loyalty to a brand is based on the quality of its content. It’s unfortunate that problems with broken redirects, missing or incomplete content, and other unforeseen hiccups might affect your SEO if site migration isn’t managed effectively.

To make sure nothing is overlooked, it’s a good idea to keep a running inventory of all the content, settings, and customizations you currently have in place.

Domain Errors

Hosting provider migration is a time-consuming and difficult operation. The performance of your site and the success of your migration are both at risk if any of the following is overlooked or done incorrectly.

Failing to request a domain transfer during the allowed time frame or failing to unlock the domain with the prior host

Failing to properly configure the parameters for the new host.

The trouble with Websites

Errors such as “file not found” can be disastrous to a website’s internet reputation. These dead links prevent Google from properly ranking your site since they divert valuable “link juice” elsewhere.

SEO Checklist for Website Migrations: How to Keep from Losing Viewers

Here are some considerations to make before, during, and after a website relocation. Taking these into account can help you fix unforeseen issues before they negatively affect your site’s rankings and visitors.

Establish a Reliable Site Migration.

If you are considering a switch in web hosts, chances are you want to either improve your users’ experience or strengthen the security of your website. If you want the change to go off without a hitch, you’ll need a solid migration plan.

Conduct an audit of your content and web pages to determine their visibility on the new site. In addition, you must implement 301 redirects so that users are sent to the updated pages.

You should always back up your site.

Make that the “canonical” tags have been changed to point to the latest version. You absolutely must ensure this does not happen, as having numerous URLs go to the same page is a huge no-no.

Take notes on your metrics. Commonly, migrations result in the loss of many historical pointers. Spend some time going over and noting down this information.

Modify Your Domain Name Server Information

To use the new IP, you must update your DNS settings. If you want to be sure the DNS upgrade doesn’t affect site speed.

Notify Google of the Domain Name Change

Notifying Google of a domain name change is crucial if all traffic will soon be redirected there. You can avoid a drop in search engine rankings by doing this.

You can accomplish this by submitting a completed change of address form and verifying your new domain name in Google Search Console (GSC). The Search Console may also send you notifications, so keep an eye out for those as well.

Keep an Eye on the GSC for Problems

You have done a lot of work on your website, and it shows. It is, therefore, prudent to monitor your GSC account for indexing problems. Make sure the bots can successfully crawl your pages by monitoring statistics like index count, crawl errors, and search queries.

Know When to Contact an SEO Company

When a lot is riding on the success of a website, it’s best to have a professional search engine optimizer handle the migration. An SEO team, whether in-house or contracted from outside, may provide invaluable advice and assistance throughout. They can prevent your company from losing customers, prospects, and money.

An SEO firm should be consulted during this phase of website relocation.

1. If you see a decline in traffic (or if you aren’t receiving relevant traffic)

The volume of visitors to your site is an early barometer of success. If you’re using Google Analytics and notice a decline in site visitors, professional assistance is available.

2. When Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) Do Not Display (or Rank) Your Site

Try typing the address of your site into the search bar of Google. Is your webpage one of those displayed? Do you see your site on the following page of search engine results? It’s safe to assume that if your company isn’t easily discoverable on the first page of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs), then your target audience isn’t either.

3. You Should Find a Hands-Off Approach

The process of migrating a website takes a lot of time and work. You should use an SEO firm that has handled projects of this nature before if you lack the technical expertise or time to do it yourself. Together, they can make the change easy and bring in targeted visitors.

Conclusion

In many cases, it becomes necessary to switch web hosts in order to better serve the needs of a website. But it’s not a simple task to accomplish. Mess it up once, and it can permanently ruin your traffic, reputation, and money.

As a result, it is crucial to comprehend the finer points of changing web hosts. The above data should prove useful in facilitating a smooth move.