How to Avoid Unnecessary Downtime, Costs, and Headaches When Changing Hosting Providers

Tip 1. Make Sure Themes and Software Are Supported

The last thing you want to do is switch your entire site over, get ready to go live, and discover that themes and software aren't supported by your new web host. Always check for compatibility before making a choice when choosing a new hosting provider.

Tip 2. Check TTL

TTL stands for time to live. That is the time that it takes for you to make a change to your site and the change to become live across the Web. This means that if you point your DNS to your new web host and your DNS time to live is 24 hours, your customers aren't going to be directed to your new web host until that 24-hour period has passed. Why is this important? Here's where Tip 3 comes in.

Tip 3. Don't Erase Your Files from Your Existing Web Host Just Yet

You're gung ho and ready to commit to your new hosting provider. You've uploaded all of your files to the servers and everything is ready to go. You change your DNS settings and clear your files from your current host and, to your dismay, your site is completely unavailable. This is because the TTL hasn't gone into effect yet. To be safe, keep your site up on both hosts' servers until you are sure the TTL has passed.

Creating a Problem by Solving a Problem

The last thing you want to do is cause website downtime when you are changing your hosting providers in order to avoid downtime in the first place. Make sure you keep the above tips in mind whenever changing hosting providers to ensure a seamless web host transition.