Transferring Your Website from Another Web Host
Welcome to the ZDiQ Team
In most website transfer (migration) processes, you can accomplish your web site transfer simply.
Supporting Your Web Site Transfer
If you need support in your web site's transfer, our Migration Team, in most cases, can transfer your web site for you.
Choosing a New Web Hosting Service
Your first step in your web site transfer process is choosing a new web hosting service. You should consider your website's intended use, your budget, the ability to upgrade as your website grows, the new web hosting provider's support services and other important aspects that may affect your decision.
Click here for the important factors you should consider when choosing a hosting plan.
Before attempting any web site transfer, you must first have a working web hosting account established with your new web hosting service provider.
Click here to choose and purchase a web hosting package from ZDiQ.
Once you have chosen an appropriate hosting plan, you should purchase the web host package that you have selected and establish an account with the new hosting service.
Do not cancel your current web host service until your web site transfer has been successfully completed.
The Transfer Process
Web site transfers can be made from one web hosting service to a new web hosting service at any time. Using the correct web site transfer sequence and completing a successful web site migration will not result in any downtime.
For most web site migrations, this guide will provide you with all the instructions you will need for transferring your web site to your new web host.
Manual and cPanel Transfer Methods
- Manual Transfer Migration
- cPanel to cPanel Transfer Migration
Manual Web Site Transfers
Manual web site transfers are generally reserved for complicated migration processes that are not cPanel to cPanel transfers.
Manual transfers are required for those web site migrations involving unique processes such as transfers that can not be restored from a backup, those transfers for some special addon domains and sub domains, transfers from incompatible or modified cPanel versions and for those transfers that have other unusual web hosting service differences.
A manual web site transfer involves physically downloading your website's files (using a File Transfer Protocol or FTP client) and exporting database data (downloading a .CSV or .SQL backup file of your database(s)) from your current web host.
Click here for information on using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client.
Manual migration requires all of your current web site files and all database information and database data from your current web host. You must recreate any needed database(s) (using your new web hosting cPanel), upload your web site files and restore your database data to complete a manual transfer.
cPanel to cPanel Web Site Transfers
Transfers from one cPanel host to a new cPanel hosting account usually requires only the following:
- Generate a full backup of your website's current cPanel
- Open the email containing your backup information to confirm your backup and to obtain the name of the backup file
- Submit a Migration Ticket (available at your ZDiQ Client Management Account) with your old hosting cPanel username and password information, the name of your backup file and the exact path where the backup file is saved*
- Anticipate our Migration Team transfer confirmation
*There is a one-time charge for using our Migration Team for simple cPanel to cPanel transfers.
Once the transfer is complete, you will be notified by our Migration Team.
Testing a Manual or cPanel to cPanel Transfer
After completing your web site migration, you are now able to test the transfer by using your temporary URL (your temporary URL is contained in your ZDiQ New Account Welcome email and has an http://nameserverIP/~yourusername format).
When testing your web site transfer with your temporary URL, your website may not appear to have complete functionality.
Transfer Planning
Planning for all contingencies and having a very organized transfer plan will make your transfer from one web host to your new web host almost effortless.
Make a transfer action plan for your migration. Schedule the transfer on a day and at a time when you are likely to experience the least amount of website traffic. Your transfer schedule should be planned to disrupt the fewest number of your website visitors and users.
Do your homework on the required transfer details. Know your current web site's file structure, database construct and confirm that your files and your data backups are copied correctly.
To avoid any transfer complications, do not notify your current hosting service of your intended move to your new hosting provider until your migration has been completed and tested.
Pre-Migration Notifications
Inform your website visitors and users and any likely affected others of your web site transfer, your intended web site transfer schedule and the anticipated transfer time period required.
Let those involved know, when you will begin your web site transfer and when the transfer is completed. Notified, your users, visitors and others will understand if you experience any transfer problems.
After Completing the Transfer
After your migration is completed, test your website using the temporary URL. Test each website page to make sure your website is working properly.
You should not change your current Domain Name System (DNS) nameservers to your new web host nameservers until your website testing is complete and only after you are absolutely satisfied with the migration results.
Domain Name System (DNS) Nameserver Changes
Once you have completed your temporary URL website testing and are fully convinced that your web site migration has been executed successfully, login to your domain registrar account and change the nameservers' settings to your new host nameservers (your nameservers' information is contained in your ZDiQ New Account Welcome email).
Click here for information on Domain Management.
Click here for information on Changing Your DNS.
Shortly after changing your DNS and after your domain has propagated (propagation can take up to 48 hours, but generally occurs more quickly), check for any problems and continue checking until your confident that your web site transfer is confirmed.
Prepare for Unexpected Problems
Sometimes the unexpected may happen and if you experience any problems, you can always revert your DNS nameservers' settings to your old host. You can then correct any transfer issues.
Terminating Old Host Services
If, and only if your migration process is complete, the transfer has been successful and you have thoroughly tested the transfer results, can you safely terminate your old web hosting service.
Special Considerations
Even if you are unable to access your existing web site files or database(s) on your current hosting service, our Migration Team can still help with your web site transfer. If possible, we can also provide web site migration services.
Having ZDiQ as your new web hosting service can mean that your first Support Ticket is directed to our Migration Team. You may also need to submit a support ticket with your old host.
We can help with any complicated migration process involving your web site files, database(s) and data migration. Even for those problematic, special or most difficult transfer cases, we can provide you with a transfer plan and price quote.
Our Migration Team will make every attempt to give you any needed assistance.
ZDiQ and our Migrations Team is committed to making your web site transfer process easy and successful.
