How to Transfer Your Site to GoDaddy WP Rocket Hosting
If you’re looking for a new web host, you’ve probably wondered how to switch your site to a different host. Maybe you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, or maybe you want to try out a new feature (custom domains, free backups, etc.). In any case, setting up a new web host and transferring your website is not as easy as clicking a button. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the things you need to consider so when the time comes to make the switch, everything will go smoothly.
Important Points To Keep In Mind
Before you begin moving your site to GoDaddy, you need to prepare yourself for the downtime it will cause. For the sake of this article, we will assume that your site is already hosted on Shopify, Squarespace, or other platforms. However, if you’re looking for a free platform, you can use WordPress.com (through a free affiliate account). In that case, you will need to perform the following steps to move your site to GoDaddy.
Step One: Take Care Of Your Previous Host
Whether you choose to move your site to GoDaddy or another company, you must take care of your previous host. This means taking care of their customers, dealing with billing issues, and so on. Most importantly, you need to make sure their website is working correctly. In the event that it isn’t, it could cause major issues when you move it to GoDaddy. Keep all of this in mind and make sure that you contact your previous host for support before you make the move.
Step Two: Export Your Website’s Content
If you’re moving to another web host, you must export your website’s content. This can be a tricky process, depending on how much content you have. If you’re using a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress, making the transition should be fairly straightforward. However, if you’re using other types of platforms, such as Shopify, you’ll need to consider downloading all of your content and importing it into your new host. This is a time-consuming process and it’s not as easy as just copying and pasting the content into your new website. In the end, even if everything seems to be going smoothly, you’ll probably end up losing some content along with the setup process.
Step Three: Back Up Your Site
Even if you’re using a CMS, such as WordPress, you still need to make sure you back up your site on a regular basis. This is critical if you want to move your site without losing any content. The best way to do this is by creating a backup and storing it in a safe place. You also need to make sure that this backup is accessible in the event that something happens to your site. In most cases, you should be able to retrieve your site’s content from your previous host. However, if you’re using a different platform and that host doesn’t offer native database backup or restore (for example, Shopify), then you’ll need to get a dump of the data from your previous host or search for a third-party tool that can be used to retrieve your data. In either case, make sure you have a plan in place before you start the backup process.
Step Four: Test Your Site On The New Host
Once you have your site backed up and ready to go, it’s time to test it on the new host. For that, you will need to create a new email account and login to your website using that email account. Once you’re logged in, you can begin testing different aspects of the site. You can change the email address that your site is redirected to (if you’re using a custom domain), or you can test out the different templates and see how your site looks in different environments. In most cases, this is the best time to make minor adjustments to your site’s design or to add new features. You can use this testing period to discover any glitches with your site’s new environment. For example, if you’re using a different web host than you normally do, you may need to configure something to make sure your site works correctly. Once you’ve confirmed that everything is in place, go ahead and set a launch date for your new website.
Step Five: Promote Your New Site
Now that you’ve launched your new site, it’s time to promote it. For that, you will need to create a new mailing list and send out periodic emails to your list. Keep in mind that most web hosts will not allow you to send out emails with the @ sign in the FROM field. In that case, you’ll need to get a free trial account from an email service provider (ESP) and use that to create the mailing list. The best ESPs for use with WordPress give you features that make promoting your site a cinch. For example, one of the best WordPress ESPs, MailChimp, makes sending out emails with the @ symbol in the FROM field easy. Just remember to unsubscribe from the list whenever you’re no longer interested in receiving emails from it. Otherwise, you’ll end up clogging up your email inbox with spam.
As you can see, setting up a new web host and transferring your site can be a complicated process. If you go through this process carefully and use the right tools, however, you should be able to minimize the downtime as much as possible. By taking these five steps, you’ll be well on your way to a smooth transition. Just keep in mind the potential problems that could arise from moving to a different web host.