Movin' On Up: How to Hop to a New Host By Sally Curran
June 4, 2007
One of the few constants in life is change. Situations change and things that were once perfectly fine no longer fill the bill. That sporty little two-door hatchback you got when you first got married isn't nearly as serviceable once a couple of kids and a big slobbery dog enter the picture.
The same is true of hosting providers and e-commerce sites. Perhaps your Web shop venture started as a hobby, selling just a few items at first. As business and traffic increased, you now find that your hosting provider isn't addressing all your needs. Or maybe your reasons for considering a switch are just that you're not as pleased with the host's service anymore or you want more flexibility.
But if the thought of actually making the move is overwhelming, don't fret. Though there are certainly issues to be aware of as you make the plunge, fortunately, the process is much easier than buying a new mini-van. Generally, the migration is done in three or four steps: you sign up for a new hosting provider and receive your new account information, upload your site and data to the new hosting servers and configure your new settings for e-mail and so on. Finally, with your domain registrar, you modify your site's domain names so they point to the new server.
Of course it helps to know what to consider when shopping around for a new host, and to be prepared for potential glitches. To assist you, we've talked to three e-tailers who have already changed services and asked them to share their experiences and tips.
Sites that Take Flight Kylee Dickey runs Sites That Take Flight, a Web site design firm, from her home in Lincoln, Neb. She decided to change Web hosts to FutureQuest after her site was plagued by unreliable service issues with her old provider. There were hardware-related outages and no backup equipment in place, as well as a lack of communication about these issues, and e-mail was frequently disrupted.
While researching new hosting companies, Dickey looked for good numbers in uptime reports and a solid communication record with clients when problems arose. She chose FutureQuest because of the aforementioned qualities, as well as recommendations from friends. The company also offers a reseller's program, which made it a good fit for Dickey because she has clients who find it easier to buy hosting directly from her rather than researching and purchasing it themselves.
Making the Switch Dickey ran into a few problems when moving her site over to FutureQuest. The old host didn't provide any place in her administrative control panel to change the domain name servers. She later discovered that she had to go to a completely separate site to change them. Once she changed the domain name servers and the switch was complete, she canceled her hosting plan with the original company, being careful to cancel only the hosting and not the domain registration.
Busted Knuckle Garage Warren Tracey's Busted Knuckle Garage, a site that sells gifts for automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts, is the online counterpart to a brick-and-mortar store in Prescott, Ariz. Tracey said he decided to change Web hosting providers while experiencing a lack of flexibility with the site. "Minor changes required the outsourcing of services to our third-party Web master," Tracey said.
ProStores, the company's new host, sponsored a contest that Tracey entered. It originally piqued his interest because the prize was not only a Web site makeover, but also the chance to learn about successfully running a Web-based business. Because ProStores offered lots of information about its services, Tracey said, "It seemed a lot more legitimate than just paying the money and having to figure it out on your own."
Making the Switch Tracey said that before migrating to ProStores, he had to create a database detailing the products that were to be available on the site. The biggest hurdle to overcome with the switch was getting the new host server up to speed to accommodate incoming and outgoing e-mail. Although that "took some time to iron out," Tracey said ProStores provided excellent tech support.
The Cafe Connection The Cafe Connection provides high-quality coffees, teas, and cocoas to consumers. Betsy Summers, who runs the site, said that her reasons for switching Web hosts were two-fold. One, she needed a way to update pricing and inventory more quickly and effectively. "We have over 3,000 products at this time. Seventy-five percent of them could have a price increase two times a year," Summers said. Two, the new employee charged with overseeing the site didn't have a lot of HTML experience, so something user-friendly was key.
Summers chose Volusion as a new host after discovering through eBay message boards how many retailers were happy with its service. She'd also looked into some Web agencies, but didn't care for the options they offered, their prices or the amount of training their options would require.
Making the Switch Summers said that she took advantage of a free trial period to set up and move her site to Volusion (www.volusion.com), allowing her time to ensure it would work properly. One of her biggest concerns was not losing the integrity of her site or angering customers. Despite a learning curve, Summers said she was able to get it up and running in fairly short order.
The most difficult part of the transition was moving the domain name server host. The process took longer than expected, and customers noticed that there were problems. Summers said, "Some [customers] would have the new site on their browser and others would not."
Getting it Done The actual process of switching your site is going to vary depending on your old and new providers and how their systems are set up. While you clearly need to get the specifics from each company, the important thing to remember is that the critical step is getting your site's domain name to point to the new host's domain name server. So be sure to contact your domain name registrar early in the process.
Another important thing to consider is if you will have to scrap portions of your existing site. If you built your site using storefront software provided by your initial hosting company, you may have to rebuild parts of it if you move to a new provider. Be sure to ask both your current and potential new host about this and what costs may be involved.
In regard to shipping, it's always wise to make sure that the hosting provider can work with your fulfillment service if you don't send out packages yourself. Other features to ask about include whether or not you will be able to access the server to get information on Web site data, if the hosting provider offers tools for tracking site traffic or Web analytics and what type of security measures are in place.
No matter the specifics of your particular transfer, back up your site's files before moving it. You likely won't have access to the site's files on the old host's servers if anything goes wrong. You will also want to write down any e-mail settings, log file data, passwords and so on should you need them.
Final Words of Wisdom Dickey recommends searching for uptime reports for hosts you are considering. Also, she says, "don't fall into the trap of buying as many megabytes per dollar as possible." If your e-business doesn't require a lot of space or bandwidth, other factors such as reliability, she said, are more important.
Summers suggests researching how much HTML a hosting provider requires you to do on your own before finalizing the deal, as this varies widely from company to company. She also says to take advantage of any free trials so you can investigate features and ensure the host is a good fit for your e-business.
Meanwhile, Tracey advises that it's prudent to evaluate the new host provider's services to see how they compare to your current host to determine whether there's a real advantage to moving the site. Also, make sure that the host can accommodate growth. Additionally, Tracey said to take advantage of message boards and forums where the topic is being discussed. "Peer stories are remarkably valuable for small businesses."
So, if you're not happy with your current provider, bring the party somewhere else. Make a checklist of things to consider for your particular e-business, contact your domain registrar, evaluate your options, back up your data and make the move — a happier host for your site is waiting to welcome you.
Sally Marek Curran is a former technology magazine editor and new contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com.
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