Many website owners think it is a big hassle to change their web hosting because their site will be down, but that is only the case if you are unfamiliar with how to keep it live. You just need to know what to do when the time comes to switch hosting providers. This article contains some important information that will show you how to keep your site functioning while switching web hosts.
All good web hosts offer a variety of add-ons to their plans, but the types of features will differ between companies. When comparing hosts, compare the levels of services and features offered. The price advantage of one host may not be worth the savings if they lack certain features that you require.
When transferring your site between hosts, have a copy of your website at both your old and new hosts for a few days. It’s important to do this because it takes 6-48 hours for the DNS to propagate. During this time, some visitors will be sent to your old website, while others whose ISPs have updated their DNS info will be sent to your new site.
You must be familiar with band-width, or the amount of data that is able to transfer in and out of your web hosting account. Different web hosting companies offer different prices on different band-widths, so you need to make sure you use this to help you make a decision as to who you should select for web hosting.
The web hosting service that you decide to utilize should have easily accessible customer support with fast response times. This is important because once you begin running your website, you might realize that you require more than is offered in your package. For example, if your website has a huge boost in traffic that is beyond your bandwidth limits, you should be able to contact your web host and immediately obtain more bandwidth. If it takes over a week for the web host to respond to your request, and if your website goes offline in the meantime, this could have lasting negative consequences.
Partner with a web hosting service that is capable of supporting your website as it expands and grows. If you should decide to add videos, pictures, or sound to your site, then your space needs might just quickly add up. Make sure that you have access to at least 100 MB of storage, which should allow you plenty of room to grow and develop your website.
When selecting a web host, consider how much the host costs. Some hosts charge on a per-year basis while some may be month-to-month. Look for a host that costs an average of about $5 per month as this will most likely give you a great value for your money as opposed to a free hosting site that may not offer as many options.
Choose a web host that charges a low monthly fee. You can usually find a quality web host for between $5 and $10 per month. You may also be able to save money by paying for 12, 18 or 24 months of service at one time, instead of paying for web hosting services on a monthly basis.
As you can see from the above article, it is possible to keep your website active while you switch to a different hosting company. If you understand the transfer process and what you have to do beforehand, then there is no reason why you should lose a second of downtime. Apply the advice from this article to help you switch hosting companies without having to worry about your website going offline.