Taking Your Website To A New Web Host

If you feel that it would be in your best interest to move your website to another host, that is not impossible to do. You need for your site to be up and going and it helps if your web host is willing to release you. There are a few different steps that you can take to make this go smoothly.

You web host will offer assistance about downloading your files to move them. They will give you an idea of which method will be the easiest. You can use FTP or SFTP to take care of this. If you have forgotten what your user-name and your password is for your account ask your web host to give you this info again because you do need it. Some people use web designers. You want to check and make sure that it is you that is the site owner, not the designer.

If your site is database driven, then you will need to download a copy. This will allow you to transfer your site to the new web host. Doing this can be a little tricky and if you are not familiar with the process, then it is wise that you seek out help. On some sites you can use a special utility called mysqldump, but you may also be able to create a backup file using only PHP. It is important that this task is performed correctly; if you don't know what you are doing it is best to have someone else take care of this step for you.

All of the data and stuff has to be finished and fully backed up before you tell your new web host that you are ready to move. If it isn't done then things could be lost. When you tell them you are ready they will access the current site and then they will transfer the domain name.

When the company has finished transferring your domain name you will then be allowed to upload your files. You can get all set up with your new web host. You will want to let the old service that you were with know that you are done with them.