If you are sick and tired of your website constantly being offline because the server it’s on keeps crashing, it is time to think about moving to a new one. Despite what some people think, moving a website to a new server really isn’t all that difficult or complicated. It is important that you get the necessary information before starting this process though, as you want everything to go as smoothly as possible.
When it’s Time to Switch Servers
There are a lot of different signs that you should move your website to a new server, and it’s important that you know what they are. If you find that your website is offline a lot, it could be because it’s on an unreliable server. Those who have noticed that their website has gotten a lot slower should also look into making this sort of change. The more your website is offline, the more likely it is that you will lose visitors.
Selecting a Reputable Host
Anyone who wants to move to a new server will first need to make a point of looking for the right web host. It’s always a good idea to look for a WordPress host so you can count on it to keep your website up and running at least 99% of the time. The more time you spend looking for a good web host, the happier you will be with the serve you receive. Get all of the information you need on each host before deciding which one you want to go with. By selecting a host with an impeccable reputation, you will prevent your website from going offline all the time.
Back Up Your Website
The next step in moving your website to a new host is backing everything up. If you don’t want to lose your entire website during the moving process, you will need to create a complete backup on the new host that you have selected. This will ensure that your site stays completely intact.
Setup with the New Server
If the new host that you have selected did not set up your email accounts and web space on your behalf, you will need to do so yourself. You will be able to use the control panel to do this fairly quickly and easily. A vast majority of web hosts offer some type of control panel that you can use to perform a variety of actions, including setting up your web space and email accounts.
Uploading Your Site
After you have taken care of your web space and email account setup, you will need to upload your website to the new server. This is a fairly quick and usually simple process, so you shouldn’t encounter any major problems. If it is a static website, all you have to do is upload the relevant files and folders to the document root folder of the new server. If you are using scripts, you will have to upload everything to a separate folder.
Test Your Site
Before you officially launch your website, you will have to test it. The last thing you want to do is let your website go live before making sure that everything is optimized. You will need to tell your computer to look at the new server instead of the previous one when you visit your site in your web browser. Take the time to make sure that everything works properly before launching your site.
Disable Interactive Aspects of Your Website
It is important that you completely disable all of the interactive parts of your website, as it will take people at least two or three days to begin using the new server. If you have any forums, shopping carts or other interactive aspects to your site, there is always a chance that content could get posted on the old site by mistake.
Turn to Your Host for Help
These days you will find that a lot of web hosts are offering comprehensive migration services for those who don’t want to go to all of the trouble of doing it themselves. Not all hosts offer this service, but it’s definitely something that you should at least look into.
There are a lot of considerations that need to be made when you are moving your website to a new server. If you want to put a stop to all of the annoying downtime that your website is experiencing with your current host, it is time to begin looking for a new one.
