How To Switch Web Hosts

Everything was find in cheap web hosting world until — suddenly — you created a page that drew tons of traffic. In an instant, your site traffic surpassed that web hosting allowance. When this happens, you have two options: upgrade or find a new hosting company. 

Upgrading is the better choice if it's affordable. Unfortunately, most inexpensive web hosting companies tend to offer cheap and small packages with expensive upgrades. In the instance that an upgrade is not possible, you can still move your site without much trouble. Here's how.

How to Move A Site

Planning ahead is the key to moving a site with success. Otherwise, your site will experience downtime. Downtime in Internet terms can mean the death of your site — it's when your clients will look for other sites. So, plan ahead as much as possible.

Start by shopping around for a better host. Consider pricing, but also think about speed, location, and user-friendliness. Asking around for recommendations might also be a good idea. It will also pay not to make the same mistake twice.

Was the sudden spike in website traffic a fluke? Do you anticipate having a lot more traffic in the future? Make sure that you have enough space with your new hosting company, so that you don't have to move again. Otherwise, this mistake will simply repeat itself, and that's not a good thing!

Once you've found a better host, back up all of your files. You never know when things might take a turn for the worse. Baking up your files means avoiding any losses, and that's really vital.

Is It Your Domain Name?

Hopefully, the domain name you currently use is yours. Sadly, inexpensive web hosting companies offer free domain names, but those names actually belong to the company you are about to leave. If you're lucky, you might be able to purchase the domain name. If not, you will have to find a different name…and then break the news to your clients. This, my friends, is not an easy thing to do.

If you are stuck chaining your website name, make sure to choose something that's as close to your current name as possible. Or, something that your clients can relate to. Selecting a name that's completely odd will only isolate your clients.

Make the Announcement

It's important not to let anyone know about your impending move until all your ducks are in a row. Telling your clients too early could incite panic. And, letting your current hosting company know that you plan to leave could create trouble. Wait until you have everything worked out, and then make the announcement.

If you've planned the move carefully, your clients should experience any downtime or other troubles. If trouble does occur, you can rest assured that you have backed up all of those important details, right? In the end, you should be able to set up shop in a new location without any real problems at all.