Change your Web Hosts for better service

Moving web sites to a new web hosting provider can be a daunting challenge and risk if not done so with caution and knowledge of options. You must choose from thousands of web hosting providers each claiming to provide "cheap," "reliable," and "high-quality" service for your web hosting server. This article will assist you with the process of choosing a new web hosting provider and following the steps needed to make a smooth transition to the new web host.

What are My Options?

In order to determine the most appropriate web host to meet your needs, you must first sit down and determine what you want your web site needs (e.g., database, support for programming language). Always consider your plans for the future. For example, you need enough space, bandwith, and transfer to avoid a future premium for extra services or additional web host transfers. At the same time, you do not want to pay high, unnecessary costs for space, bandwith, and transfer that you will never use. Be cautious of claims of 24/7 customer and technical support. 1-800 numbers do not always provide immediate or even timely assistance. Search for a company with a good, honest support structure with various support options: support tickets, email support, live chat, and phone support. You can test company support for web hosting and email or open a support ticket and determine their response time. If you wait longer than 24 hours for a response, then that particular web host may not be a good choice if you expect reliable web hosting help. You can also determine a web host's credibility by looking through customer testimonials and contacting customers if possible. Aside from testimonials you can use search engines to find forums and other areas where customers may discuss the web host in detail. Caution, research, and attention to detail will maximize the likelihood that you will find a web host that fits your needs and meets your expectations.

Steps involved in Changing Web Hosts

Closely following a step-by-step transition plan will help make the switch between web hosts free of errors and frustration:

• First, plan the transition well in advance. Decide upon a termination date a month in advance to increase the likelihood of a smooth transfer and to avoid the possibility of an inaccessible web site.
• Second, you need to sign up your new web hosting service. Web accounts are often set up in as little time as 24 hours. The wait for completion of setup will vary from web host to web host.
• As you wait for your account to be created, back up all web files to the old web hosting provider. Although you may have all website files saved on your local computer, storing backup files elsewhere could assist you in averting a major disaster. It is recommended that you back up HTML files, database files, script files, and server log files. You should have the directory structure mirror the directory structure of your web host and download files into the directory.
• Upon receiving notification that your web hosting account is complete, expect a notification email from your new web hosting provider. This email will typically contain information that you need to setup a web site including web hosting FTP server information. Using this information, FTP to your new web hosting provider and upload all of your files. Create directory structures on the web server and upload all files to the directory.
• Install script files or databases that will be used on your website. You can also set up email accounts through the administration panel. Once installation of script files and databases are complete, you can use a temporary URL to test your web site. The temporary URL will likely be included in the notification email. And could be in the following format (i.e., http://viola.lunarpages.com/~your-webaccountname).
• Test your web site online using the temporary URL directory. Verify that all scripts are functioning appropriately since each web hosting server may need a different server environment to meet user expectations. Also, test all hyperlinks in the normal web sites if possible to detect broken links. Monitoring web site downtime is another testing precaution that you can take. Your website located on the old web hosting server should continue to operate as you continue to test the temporary URL directory.
• Contact your current domain names web hosting registrar to change the old DNS (Domain Name Server) to point to the new DNS of your new web hosting provider. DNS information will likely be sent to you via email upon successful registration with the new web hosting provider. You can also find DNS information from the web site of your new provider. The DNS record often takes between 24 and 72 hours to change and propagate through servers.
• Conduct final testing by repeating all tests to ensure that the web site is properly up and running. You can terminate your old web hosting account upon conclusion of all other steps.

If you take some time and carefully explore your options, you can transfer your web hosting server between web hosting companies more easily. Moving web sites can be a highly beneficial experience for the knowledgeable and cautious mover.

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