People are currently reading this guide.
It’s a good thing you came across this article. You see, one of the most important things about having a website is making sure it has the right setup. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to do that and can find themselves in hot water pretty fast if they don’t know what they are doing. In this article, we will be going over the step necessary for setting up your site so that it looks perfect and functions flawlessly - without costing you an arm or leg in the process. So read on and learn everything you need to know about getting your site set up just right.
 |
| Image credits: unsplash.com |
Know what website migration is
Website migration or website setup is the process of moving all existing website data, files, and database information from one place to another. A lot of people do this for a number of reasons, but the main reason is they want to move their website to another server. For example, you might have your site on an old host that is not compatible with your new host, meaning you would have to migrate your website.
Before starting the migration process, there are a few things you will need to have in place to be sure your migration goes smoothly. It is important that you know how to do a website migration or at least one of your team members should know how. To begin, you will need to have your new hosting services set up on the new server.
Next, you will need to buy a domain transfer if you are transferring to another provider since some providers do not allow users to transfer their own domains into accounts that were initially purchased under them. This means you will need to buy a new domain from your new provider. You will of course need the login information for both of your old hosting services and accounts, as well as the login information for your new hosting service account.
Plan and Select a Migrating Method
The first thing to do is make plans to migrate and this stage needs to include everything from the distribution to objective checklists, team briefing, and risk analysis. Once you have everything planned out, it is time to move on to the next step.
There are three common migrating methods that can be used: manual migration, automatic migration, and synchronization. If your site is small enough and updating all of its content manually still won’t take too long, then you can use the manual migration process. If your website is medium to large and has a lot of content, then you should use the automatic migration process because it will take care of most of the migration for you. However, if you have a lot of different platforms that need to be synchronized such as with an eCommerce site, then you will need to use the synchronization process.
How To Migrate Your Website
Now that you have everything in place, it is time to actually migrate your website. First, you will need to download all of the files from your old hosting account and upload them to your new hosting account. Next, you need to make sure any sub-domain sites you have (such as www.domain.com/blog/, for example) point to the correct place, and then update the DNS server on your new hosting services with all of your new account information and wait for them to propagate. After that, test out both of your websites from different browsers - making sure everything looks good and functions properly before proceeding to the next step.
Update Site Information & Configurations
In this stage, you will need to update your new website’s information on both the servers and any DNS domains - making sure everything is up-to-date before proceeding to the final step in this process. You may also want to look into adding SSL (secure socket layer) certificates to your site, which make the communication between your server and any visitors more secure.
Test Site Once everything is transferred, you should then test your website again from a variety of browsers and devices, making sure nothing needs to be fixed or re-uploaded. You also want to check out all the different administrative options for your site - such as the backend, which includes your content management system (CMS) and other settings. Then, delete all of the files from your old hosting account and update your domain’s name servers with your new hosting services - which will make sure any visitors looking at your site are automatically routed to its new location.
Launch Your Website
Assuming everything looks good and is functioning properly, it is now time to officially launch your website. This can be done by updating your blog posts, social media accounts, and any other channels you are using to promote your website with the new URL and contact information.
Once your website is set up on a new server, there are a few things you should do to make sure it runs as smoothly as possible. First, update your site’s name server records so visitors are routed directly to the new location. Next, test out your website on different browsers and devices - making sure everything is working properly before proceeding with the final step in this process.
Review
This is an opportunity to make sure that the website relaunch is working properly and achieving your desired results. If not, then you can troubleshoot the issues and make the necessary changes to ensure your website is running as smoothly as possible. Figure out what pages are really doing well and what pages need a little bit of work. Are redirect pages fully functional? Are all images loading correctly?
Is the website’s speed up to par? Check your site’s security and make sure that everything is locked down tight. Are you using the latest security protocols? Have you updated your CMS and plugins to their latest versions? These are all important steps in ensuring that your website remains safe for visitors.
If everything looks good and you’re happy with the results, then congratulations! Your website has successfully been relaunched. If not, then you can go back to step one and figure out where things went wrong in order to troubleshoot any issues your website may be having post-relaunch.