How to Transfer Web Hosts
Changing web hosts can be a pain in the backside, but there are a variety of reasons it sometimes becomes necessary. A security breach on your website, disappointment with a host's customer service and tech support, or simply finding a better deal with another host are just a few of the reasons you might decide to move. It can seem like an overwhelming prospect, but in reality there are only a few steps involved. Do them in order for a smooth transition to your new host that doesn't interrupt your website's availability.
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Instructions
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Secure an account with a new web host. Once the sign-up process is complete you should receive login information for your FTP account, as well as Nameserver info that you'll need to re-point your domain in the right direction.
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Use the FTP program to log in to your website on your old host. Download all of your website's files and folders to your hard drive, keeping the folder and sub-folder structure intact. Do not delete the files off of the web server.
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Use the FTP program to log in to your new web host. Locate the "public_html" folder and double-click on it to open it. Upload all of your website's files and folders to this location.
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Open your web browser and go to the URL provided by the new web host to make sure that your website uploaded okay and is displaying correctly. If not, contact the new host's tech support to help you troubleshoot the problem. Once everything displays correctly, test all of the links to see if they still work. If not, open the HTML file for the page in question and update the link to its new location, save the file and re-upload it to the new host.
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Log in to your domain host and update the nameserver settings with the new nameserver info provided by your new host. This will re-point your website's domain to the new location on the new host. This change sometimes takes up to 48 hours to take effect. If after 48 hours your domain still takes you to your old site, contact the new host's tech support to troubleshoot the problem. Sometimes something has to be toggled on the host's end to get the domain to point correctly.
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Log in to your old host via FTP. Delete your website files and then cancel your account. Do this only once everything is working correctly at the new host.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are using an e-mail address with your domain, login to your new host's cPanel and go to the e-mail settings to set up your e-mail account with that host. Once the domain redirects to the new host, your e-mail service at that address should remain uninterrupted.
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