How To Change Your Website Hosting Provider: A Step-by-step Guide  

Have you ever felt your current hosting provider is holding your website back? Maybe your site’s running slow, or you’re just not getting the support you need. Whatever the reason, switching to a new hosting provider might be the best move for your site. 

Moving everything to a new host can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be as complicated as it sounds. Think of it like moving to a new home. There’s some planning involved, but once you’re settled, the rewards are well worth it.  

This guide will walk you through each step of the process and provide expert tips to make your transition seamless and stress-free. 

Reasons To Change Your Hosting Provider 

If you’re thinking about switching hosting providers, you probably have a good reason. A reliable host is essential for keeping your website fast, secure, and accessible. Here are some of the most common signs it’s time to make a change: 

Slow Website Performance 

If your site takes too long to load, it could negatively impact your business. In fact, research from the Search Engine Journal shows that 70% of consumers said a slow-loading website influences their decision to make a purchase. Beyond losing potential customers, slow performance results in less traffic and lower search engine rankings. 

Frequent Downtime 

We all know how frustrating it is when a website isn’t working. When your site is down, you’re losing visitors and, in many cases, sales. But it’s not just about the lost traffic; it can also damage your brand’s reputation. If your site goes down a lot, customers may lose trust in your business and look for other options. 

Poor Customer Support 

Imagine your site is down during peak sales, like Black Friday or a product launch, and your hosting provider’s support is unresponsive. Every minute spent waiting for help could mean lost revenue. If this becomes a frequent issue, it’s a clear sign that your hosting provider’s customer support fails to meet your needs. 

Security Concerns 

Hackers will likely target your site if your hosting provider doesn’t have strong security measures in place. With so much happening online today, it’s important to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats and improve data privacy. If your web hosting provider isn’t keeping up with necessary security services, it’s a good idea to find a new one that takes online safety seriously. 

How To Change Your Web Hosting Provider 

1. Choose a New Web Hosting Provider 

When choosing a new web hosting provider, there are a few important factors to keep in mind to make sure your website runs smoothly: 

• Server performance and uptime guarantees: Look for a provider that offers at least a 99.9% uptime guarantee to ensure your website remains accessible and performs well even during peak traffic periods. Check if their server performance can handle your site’s traffic and performance needs.  
• Customer support: A reliable web hosting provider should have 24/7 chat, phone, or email support to resolve any issues immediately.   
• Scalability: Choose a web hosting company that offers flexible plans, such as shared hosting, VPS, or dedicated hosting. This allows you to scale your website as it grows without having to switch providers down the line. 
• Pricing and features: Compare pricing across providers, but don’t just go for the cheapest option. Focus on getting the best value for the features that matter most, like disk space, data transfer, and database management. Make sure the features align with your site’s needs and future growth. 
• Security features: Website security is a must for any business. Look for a hosting provider that offers strong security tools to protect your site from hackers and other threats. Make sure they provide features like SSL certificates, firewalls, daily backups, and malware scanning.  

2. Back up Your Website Files 

Once you’ve selected your new hosting provider, it’s time to prepare for the move. Start with backing up your website files and databases. Creating a complete website backup before moving into your new web hosting provider is critical in securing your data in case of errors during migration.  

Here’s how you can safely backup your data: 

• Download your website files 

If you have access to your current hosting provider’s cPanel, you can use it to export your backups. The process depends on your host’s website layout, but cPanel is usually accessible from your dashboard’s “Files” areas.  

If you can’t access the cPanel, use an FTP client like FileZilla to download your site files to your local computer.   

• Use migration plugins 

For WordPress sites, you can use plugins like All-in-One WP migration or duplicator to simplify the backup and transfer process. 

3. Export and Import Your Website’s Files and Database 

After backing up your website’s data, you can transfer your files to your new web hosting service provider. Here’s how you can export and import your files: 

1. Log in to phpMyAdmin on your old hosting account and export your MySQL database as an SQL file. 
2. Use FTP or the file manager on your hosting control panel to copy all website files and folders from your old host to your new host. Maintain the same directory structure if possible. 
3. On your new hosting account, create a new MySQL database. Write down the database name, username, and password. 
4. In phpMyAdmin on your new host, select the newly created database. Then, import the SQL file you downloaded. 
5. Find your website’s configuration file (e.g., wp-config.php for WordPress) and update it with the new database name, username, and password. 

4. Update Your DNS and Email Settings 

Updating your DNS records and email settings is a key step when migrating to a new hosting provider. This step ensures that your website and email services will be directed to the new server.  

Here’s what  you need to do: 

1. Log in to the account where you registered your domain. 
2. Find the DNS management section, often labeled as DNS Settings,” Manage DNS, or Advanced Settings. 
3. Replace the current nameservers with the ones provided by your new hosting provider. This change directs your domain to the new server. 
4. Check if your domain name points to the correct IP address of your new hosting server. 
5. Set up the same email accounts on your new hosting provider as on the old one. If you’re moving email data too, you can use migration tools provided by your new host or manually transfer the emails. 
6. Update the MX records in your DNS settings to point to the new host’s mail servers. This ensures that incoming emails are delivered to the correct accounts on your new server. 

5. Test Your Website Post-migration 

After completing the transfer, the next step is testing your website. Most web hosting providers offer a staging site to conduct these tests without affecting your live website. 

Here’s how to do a post-migration test: 

1. Verify front-end and back-end functionality: Use tools to crawl your site and look for any broken links, missing images, or errors. Test all forms, buttons, and interactive features to make sure they work like they should. For instance, test contact forms to confirm submissions are received correctly.  
2. Assess website performance: Run speed tests using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix to evaluate your site’s loading times and identify areas for improvement. Remember also to check the server response time response to see if it meets your standards. 
3. Check security features: Confirm if your site’s SSL certificates and security configurations are working. Also review the security configurations and check if the firewall settings, access controls, and other security measures are working properly. 

6. Cancel Your old Hosting Account 

After confirming that your website is working properly on the new web hosting account, it’s time to cancel your old hosting plan to avoid unwanted charges. Before you do, double-check that all your files, databases, and emails have been successfully migrated to the new host.   

If applicable, you might be eligible for a refund for unused time on your old hosting contract, so be sure to check that as well. 

How To Protect Your Site’s SEO When Changing Web Hosting Provider 

Changing your web hosting provider can affect your website’s SEO performance, but with the right steps, you can any issues. Here’s what you should do: 

1. Set up proper 301 redirects: Check if all old URLs are correctly redirected to their new counterparts using 301 redirects. This preserves link equity and prevents 404 errors. 
2. Update internal links: After the migration, go through your site and update all internal links so they match the new URL structure. This makes it easier for both users and search engines to navigate your site.   
3. Monitor SEO performance: Monitor your website’s SEO performance before, during, and after migration. Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track traffic, rankings, and indexing status. 

Switch To a Hosting Provider That Works for You 

Switching your web hosting provider doesn’t have to be a stressful process. By following these steps, you can make sure the transition goes smoothly and that your website stays fast, secure, and optimized for search engines. Remember, the right hosting provider can make a big difference in how your site performs, not just for your visitors, but for your business too.  

When choosing a new host, consider a provider that offers valuable migration services and expert support that can benefit your website in the long run.  

If you’re ready to make the switch, Web.com offers reliable web hosting with 99.9% uptime, SSL security to protect your site, and a free custom domain for the first year. Plus, you get a drag-and-drop website builder and professional email—all with expert support to help you along the way. 

Make the move today and give your website the strong foundation it needs to thrive. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)