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Switching your website to a new web host can be a complicated process, if not initiated with due thought and caution. Apart from complexity, your website may also encounter severe downtime entailing into loss of revenue, customers, and credibility. To the users looking forward to migrate to a new web host, this blog can act as a beacon:
Connect with the New Web Server Hosting Provider: The foremost step is to connect to the new web host. Find a reliable hosting provider only after performing thorough research and fortitude. You can also connect to your friends and colleagues to take references. Remember, an adroit web host will ensure the hassle-free functionality of business operations.
Web Hosts: Who to Consider
- One who provides customizable hosting options
- Email capabilities and premium bandwidth
- User-friendly control panels
- High security for network and applications
- Ardent technical support
Do not inform your old hosting vendor for the same and cancel the services beforehand. The service provider may terminate your services and cause downtime to your mission-critical websites.
Take a Back-up: Back-up all your databases and upload the backup files to the new web host using an FTP program. FTP will allow you to download all your data. Thereafter, restore all the backup files using SSH access. Now, you have two identical copies of your data running at two different locations.
Change the DNS Server Setting: This is one of the crucial steps in setting up the new web host. DNS is hierarchal and the entire DNS caches flow by ISPs. Time to Live (TTL) is one the major attribute of a DNS site. When someone visits your website, they will see both old and new results (after you have changed the DNS settings). Remember; try to make your TTL short as it will help your visitors to reach your website with new IP address in a short span of time. Your new web hosting vendor will provide you a pair of correct name servers to use them as primary name servers. You need to check with your new provider what settings you are going to use for your domain name.
Wait for the changed DNS settings to get viral. This function is performed by TTL. If you are using some popular name servers, the transition at the grass root level of DNS will be faster. Validate whether the root servers have new name servers and wait for your TTL to get expired for your new name servers.
Fully Functional DNS: After the stipulated time frame, your DNS will get fully functional. Ensure all your webpages and databases are working efficiently. Also, check if all the webpages exist and the links point to the right places. Once getting confirmed that Googlebot is fetching from the new web host and no logs at your old location, call your old web hosting provider to turn off the services.
These steps will help you to smoothly switch your new IP address and web host.
