10 Steps To Changing Your Web Hosting Provider

Whether it's because you've found a better value, are unhappy with the customer support or need a more robust platform, no matter the reason, changing your Web host is an inevitable event in the life of your Website. Prior to making this important move, please review our recommendations below to ensure a complete and (hopefully) hassle-free move:

Plan on transferring your site over a weekend to minimize possible downtime (during the transfer process) and/or email glitches.
Be sure you have access (login and password) to the place where you purchased your domain (registrar, such as GoDaddy.com or Register.com) and that YOU (your email address) are listed as the Administrative contact. If not, notify the designated person that you are moving hosts and they will need to approve any transfer requests from the registrar. Without this important step you can not move your site.
Download any files you need from your existing server to your local computer; once you close your account, you will not have access to these files any longer. If you do need access at a later date, they can charge you from $10-$50+ to restore the site from the last backup.
Secure an account with your new host. Do this fairly close to the time you plan to change hosts. You will be sent all the information needed to complete steps 5 and 6 below.
Create new email accounts for you and your staff on the NEW host. Often, it's easier to use the same names and passwords as used on previous host.
Upload (FTP) your existing site and test to ensure all pages are functioning as intended (you may need to use the IP address of the site when testing forms, etc. until the site is fully propagated).
Log-in to your registrar's site and change the DNS to the server names provided to you by your new host.
Allow 24-72 hours for the site to propagate. If you want to see where you site is in the propagation process, go to http://www.dnsstuff.com and do a Tracert (Trace Route) on your URL.
Once the site is fully propagated, you can cancel your old hosting account and request any refunds due.
Email accounts on individual user's computers can be deleted at this time as well.

*Each Web hosting provider will have specific information on how to configure POP email. What SMTP server you use depends on your ISP and your Web host. Most Web hosts will let you use your domain to send mail but your ISP may REQUIRE that you use their servers to send mail (in an attempt to catch spammers). Be sure to know the answer to these questions in advance as well as any unique POP email configurations.

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