Changing website designers or hosting companies can feel like a big undertaking, especially if you are not sure who actually controls your website, domain name, hosting account, or other pieces of your online presence.
The good news is that changing providers does not have to be complicated. A little preparation, along with a clear understanding of what you own and what needs to be transferred, can make the process much easier.
And sometimes making a change is simply the right business decision.
Your website needs may have changed. Your business may have grown. You may need services your current provider does not offer. Or perhaps you would simply prefer working with someone else.
Whatever the reason, here are some things to consider before changing website designers or hosting companies.
First, Find Out What You Own and Control
Before making any changes, determine where the important pieces of your website are located and who has access to them.
These may include:
- Your domain name
- Website hosting
- Your WordPress administrator account
- Website files and database
- Email accounts
- Google Analytics and other Google services
- Images and graphic files
- Premium themes or plugins
- Other services connected to your website
You do not necessarily need to personally manage all of these accounts. Many businesses prefer having their website company take care of the technical details.
You should, however, know what you own and what would happen if you decided to move.
Your Website Should Be Able to Move With You
This is something we feel strongly about at Traverse Web.
Websites designed by Traverse Web belong to our clients.
We build websites using WordPress or HTML, which means your website is portable. If you decide someday that you would rather have another company host or manage your website, you can move it.
We hope you will be happy enough with Traverse Web that you will want to stay with us, of course. But staying should be your choice.
The same principle applies to domain names that are in our care. The domain belongs to the client and can be transferred if the client decides to move to another provider.
There is one detail worth knowing about plugins.
As part of Traverse Web hosting, we provide licenses for certain paid WordPress plugins that we use on our clients’ websites. Those licenses are included while the website is hosted with us. If you move the website to another hosting company, you may need to purchase your own licenses for those plugins or replace them with alternatives.
That does not prevent you from moving the website. It simply means that some software licenses provided as part of our hosting service do not transfer with it.
Not Every Website Is Easy to Move
Unfortunately, website portability is not universal.
Some website companies use proprietary platforms or systems that cannot easily be transferred to another provider. In those situations, changing companies may mean rebuilding some or all of the website.
That is one reason it is important to understand how your website was built before making a change.
If your website is built with WordPress, moving it from one hosting company to another is generally much more straightforward. The website files and database can usually be transferred without rebuilding the entire site.
If you are considering moving an existing website to Traverse Web, we can look at how the site was built and explain what your options are before you make a decision.
Can Traverse Web Host a Website Someone Else Designed?
In many cases, yes.
You do not need to have a website designed by Traverse Web in order to host it with us.
If your existing website is compatible with our hosting environment, we can usually move it to Traverse Web hosting. We can also often take over ongoing WordPress updates, maintenance, content changes, and other website support.
We will want to review the website first. Every website is different, and occasionally a site may use outdated software, unusual custom programming, or another configuration that needs attention before it can be moved.
We would rather review the site and give you a clear answer than promise something before we know what is involved.
Check Your Domain Name
Your domain name is your website address, such as yourbusiness.com.
Before changing website companies, find out where your domain is registered and who controls the account.
Sometimes a website designer registers a client’s domain on the client’s behalf. That is not necessarily a problem, provided there is a clear understanding that the domain belongs to the client and can be transferred.
If you are unsure where your domain is registered or who controls it, figure that out before beginning the transition.
You do not always have to transfer the domain when changing website companies. A domain can remain registered with one company while the website is hosted somewhere else.
Protect Your Search Engine Rankings
If you have had your website for several years, you may have built up valuable visibility in Google and other search engines.
Changing hosting companies by itself does not mean starting over with search engine optimization, commonly called SEO. Problems are more likely to occur when important parts of the website are changed during the move.
For example, suppose your current services page is:
yourbusiness.com/services
If the new website changes that address, existing links to the old page will no longer work unless a redirect is created.
A redirect simply tells browsers and search engines, “This page moved. Here is the new location.”
When moving or redesigning a website, it is important to pay attention to page addresses, page titles, meta descriptions, image information, internal links, and other existing SEO settings.
If there is no reason to change a page address, keeping it the same is often the simplest choice.
Expect Some Technical Work Behind the Scenes
Moving a website involves more than copying a few pages.
Depending on the website, the process may include transferring files and databases, configuring hosting, updating domain settings, checking email settings, installing security certificates, testing forms, reviewing plugins, and making sure everything works properly in its new location.
There can also be a period while updated domain settings make their way across the internet.
A well-planned migration is designed to make this transition as uneventful as possible for your customers. Ideally, most visitors will never know anything changed.
Review Access After the Move
Once the transition is complete, it is a good idea to review who still has access to your website and related accounts.
Former employees, previous website companies, freelancers, and other people who no longer need access should be removed.
Passwords can also be updated where appropriate.
This is not about assuming that a previous provider will do anything wrong. It is simply good account management. When someone’s role ends, their access should usually end too.
You May Not Need a New Website
Changing website companies does not automatically mean redesigning your website.
If you like your current site and it is working well for your business, you may simply need new hosting or someone different to maintain it.
Traverse Web can often take over an existing WordPress website and continue working with what you already have.
On the other hand, if the website is outdated, difficult to use, or built on a platform that cannot be moved, a redesign may make more sense.
The important thing is to determine what you actually need before spending money on work you may not need.
Make Sure Your Website Works for Your Business
There is nothing wrong with reevaluating your website provider from time to time.
Your business changes. Technology changes. Your website needs change too.
You should feel comfortable asking questions, requesting changes, understanding what you are paying for, and knowing who controls your website and domain.
At Traverse Web, we believe your website should remain your website.
If Traverse Web built it, you own it, if your domain is in our care, it is still your domain. If you decide to move someday, you can.
And if someone else built your current website and you are wondering whether Traverse Web can host, maintain, or update it, we are happy to take a look.
Sometimes changing website companies requires a little work. It should not require giving up control of something your business has spent years building.
Our Goal is Simple
We want your website to support your business long term, not create more technical or marketing stress for you.
If you would like help building, improving, or maintaining your website, we are here to help.
Email us at updates@traverseweb.com or call us at 231-409-5999.