If you are not satisfied with the current web host for its poor customer service and inability to meet your needs, or you plan to search for a better financial arrangement, you may want to change a web host. Changing web host is not as difficult as it seems. Just follow the process below, and you can do it yourself.
Schedule the Time
To successfully change web host, it is indispensable to make a plan. Have a list of all the steps and details needed in the process, such as the files to be moved, the settings to be changed, etc. In addition, it is necessary to choose the right time to move your website. You need to select a period time in which most visitors do not visit the website, such as 00:00am to 03:00am, to make sure as few visitors as possible can be disrupted in the process.
Do Not Lose the Original Data and Files
Back up all the data and files on your original host and the website content should be compressed into an archive file to minimize the mistake. Besides, you need to remember maintaining the directory structure.
It’s better to manually copy over databases in case that there are incompatibilities between your existing host and the new one. Because back up the data is time consuming, so you need to make sure budget enough time.
Research A New Web Host to Meet Current Requirements
Research a good and reliable web hosting company. The new web host should offer you enough growth space and upgradable plans, so that your website can easily upgrade when it grown out of the current resources. Besides, it is necessary to have a list of all the server information to make sure that the new web host can provide all the features you need.
Do Not Delete the Archives
After finding an appropriate new web host, you need to upload the files and database to the new server and make sure all the files and data are now on the new host. Do not delete the archive in which you originally back up the files and data, and if the new host doesn’t work out, you are able to back to the previous host.
Keep Regular Customers
Do not change the previous URL, you should make sure that the regular customers can link to the new website through the original URL. It is a necessary step to ensure the visitor volume on the new website.
Test New Site
After all the files are uploaded and the settings are modified, you should conduct a small test by using the temporary URL to ensure everything is working. During the test process, if there is any problem, it can be solved promptly. Only when you have finished moving the files and testing the site thoroughly, you can update your DNS information and make the URL point to the new server.
Conclusion
A comprehensive consideration about changing a web host can make sure that the whole plan runs smoothly. If following the steps above, you can save a lot of time and efficiently avoid some mistakes.
