Moving a website from one server to another is not like moving house – it is a much simpler process that can be completed in a few hours, and you don't even need to carry boxes.
Have you decided to change your website hosting? Here are a few things you need to pay attention to, so that the transition is smooth and your website is not damaged along the way.
Why switch to a different hosting provider?
In a free and dynamic market, website owners benefit from fierce competition in the field of website hosting. Good deals pop up often, and sometimes it makes sense from a consumer perspective to take advantage of these deals and save money on the ongoing costs of the website. However, in most cases, the decision to switch website hosting is due to dissatisfaction with the existing hosting. Problems such as a slow website, poor customer service, hosting that does not ensure information security, and more. There are also cases where the website has grown and developed, and the current hosting simply no longer suits the website's needs, so it is necessary to upgrade to better hosting and transfer the website between servers.Step 1: Purchase new hosting
Before you cancel your previous hosting, purchase a new service and choose the hosting package that best suits your needs. Only after you have completed the purchase process and verified that you have full access to the new server should you begin transferring the website.Step 2: Full website backup
This step is critical in the process of transferring a website to another hosting provider. Without backups, you may find yourself without a website at all.Make a full backup of all the data on your current server: copy all the files and databases of all the websites you manage on the server and save them on your computer. If you have a WordPress website, you can make backups using a plugin. On servers where you have access to a high-quality control panel such as cPanel, you can perform a backup using the control panel. If there is no organized control panel for the server (an excellent reason to switch hosting providers), download the files using FTP. If you don't know how to do this, ask the new hosting company to help you with the transfer. Most will be happy to help.
Make a note of the redirects you have set up, the email accounts you have created, and the FTP accounts. In some cases, you will need to reconfigure all of these on the new hosting service.
Step 3: Copy the materials to the new hosting provider
Transfer the files and databases to the new hosting. At this stage, you can check how the website will look on the new hosting using a website preview tool.
Step 4: Change the DNS information at your domain registrar
The transition is almost complete. At this stage, you need to "notify" the domain registrar (the website where you purchased your domain) that the website address should now point to a new location. The new storage will provide you with the DNS server addresses that need to be configured. You should receive two addresses, which usually look like this: ns1.ichsunlinux.cc and ns2.ichsunlinux.cc (note that one address will usually have the number 1 and the other will have the number 2). Make the change at the domain registrar.
Keep in mind that it takes time for the change to take effect, and it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a whole day, depending on your internet provider. Sometimes you need to restart your home router for the new settings to take effect. If the update is delayed, check that you have configured the servers correctly and contact your hosting company if necessary.
Step 5: Reconfigure your email software
If you had an email account with your old hosting provider, you will need to set up a new one with your new hosting provider. Once you have created a new email account (with the same address, of course), you will need to update the settings in your email software so that it knows how and where to retrieve your messages. The technical support team at your new hosting provider will give you the information you need to reconfigure your email software. Don't wait for the DNS to update; make the changes immediately to minimize the time your email account is unavailable.
If you had email forwarders, you will need to reconfigure them on your current hosting account.
Step 6: Final checks and corrections
At this stage, the website should already be working on the new hosting. Log in to the website and the management system and check that everything is working properly—click on the various links on the website, send yourself an email from the contact form, check that all the plugins are working and that the website looks as it should on a computer and on a mobile device. If you have a WordPress site, you may need to reconfigure the site's link structure and/or media settings.
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