Changing Web Hosts is something many website owners may need to do at some point. You may even keep the same Web Host, but move to a new server. No matter what is going on, moving your website can be a tedious ordeal that has the potential for many things to go wrong.

The key to moving your website smoothly is proper planning. Start by writing or typing all of the files that are currently on your server. Hopefully, you’ve documented what has been done in the past, such as changes made to software and scripts that are needed to make your website operate properly. If not, make sure that you do this when you move over to a new server. This type of documentation will come in very handy.

Overall, write down how the files are organized. For example, write down the file folder or directory names, and then write down the file names that are in those directories.

Next, make sure that you do a thorough backup of all of the files on the server. This is vital, because things can be ‘lost’ during the move. Also, make sure that your backup files work! Too often people don’t actually test their backup, only to find that the files didn’t actually save. Don’t depend on anyone else, including your Web Host to do your backup for you. Do it yourself, just to be on the safe side, and save those files to a disk!

Many files that are needed to make certain elements of your site perform properly require the IP address of the site. If you are moving the site, the IP address will change. It is important to find all of the files that require this, and make those changes. Certain things that you need to check for this include databases, CGI scripts, and PHP Scripts.

Downtime may occur, and it is easier to take if you have prepared yourself and your visitors for this. In most cases, it takes time to move to a new server and bring everything back up again. There will most likely be minor problems that must be worked out before everything works.

When you move to a new server, you will need to change the name server at the company where you registered your domain. It can take up to 48 hours for the new name server to propagate. During this time, your website can be reached – at its new home – with the IP address, but not with the domain name. Remember, it can take up to 48 hours, but it may not take that long at all. There is no way to tell how long it will take until it’s done.

Take things as they come, and do one thing at a time. One of the biggest problems seems to be that several different things go wrong at once during a move, which causes one to become overwhelmed and frustrated. Again, take it a step at a time.

Use tools that you are comfortable with, such as your favorite FTP program, and make it a point to make the change when support staff will be on hand to help you with any problems. Note that the better Web Hosting companies offer 24 hour support. Let the new host know when you plan to make the move ahead of time, so that they can also be prepared for any problems.