Migrations
So many options out there for WordPress hosting...
If you have a WordPress website, there are a ton of choices out there for hosting, and finding the right one can be a daunting task. Predictably, a lot of these options offer subpar services, and are often large companies that cut corners and trim features on their lowest level packages. These introductory hosting plans are typically designed to get you in the door, so the company can upsell you on their more expensive services. Hosting is just another example of a service where you get what you paid for! Each of these companies has a different interface when it comes to managing your website hosting, and there are a multitude of settings involved that can take hours to wade through to get your site optimized. And if you don't get the settings right, your website could end up being a frustrating experience, both for the user and for YOU when it comes to the time you spend updating it! Again, your customers will only give you an average of 15 seconds on your site before they move on... if a site is slow-loading and difficult to use, you've lost them.
Help, I made the wrong hosting choice!
Often people will choose a hosting company that ends up not being the right fit, and they need to move on to a new hosting provider. As could be expected, moving website hosts is extremely complicated! There are lots of moving parts when it comes to hosting migrations, and of course two different parties with much different ways of doing business (the old host and the new one). More often than not, problems will arise during the process that involve highly-technical troubleshooting, and require getting support from the old company from technicians who offer very poor support and/or difficult communication experiences. Often, these support workers live in countries where English is not the primary language, which makes conversations a challenge if it is what you speak.
And there are even more wrinkles in the process...
First, your domain may or may not be registered with the same company, which may necessitate adjustments in your DNS settings when you switch. Transferring domain registrars is a difficult process in itself, but it is usually ideal to have both services with the same company for the sake of simplicity.
Secondly, do you currently use an email address on your domain (such as yourname@yourdomain.com)? This is a whole new can of worms for your migration, especially if you access your email on a 3rd-party email client like Outlook or use a service like Office365. Do you need to have your old emails saved on the new email server? If so, you will need a solution for transferring them from the old remote server to the new one.
Finally, most companies require you to pay for at least a year of hosting in advance, making it difficult to move to a new one while still getting your money's worth on your original purchase.
Luckily, there is help!
Grow Your World's highly recommended WordPress hosting service is Siteground, which I have used for years and on which I have dozens of happy clients. They rank near the top of all web hosting companies for both uptime (99.99%) and speed (673ms), their customer support is great, and all plans come with a CDN (which speeds up your website), SSL certificate (which is required for eCommerce), and unlimited email accounts.
Over the years, I have refined my migration process to make it as seamless as possible and avoid roadblocks along the way. I have a great deal of experience with many of the problems that commonly arise in the migration process. Anticipating these issues will help you minimize downtime on your website that could prove costly to your business.
I will also work with you to coordinate your transition at the best time with regards to your current hosting plan, so you lose as little money as possible. Additionally, I will help you cancel your accounts with your previous service providers when those accounts are no longer needed.
Interested in moving your WordPress website to a better hosting solution?
While we're at it, how about a full website redesign?
Want to make the best of your new hosting package, and take the opportunity to get a high-quality GYW website package as well?