Knowing When It’s Time To Change Your Web Host
Making the switch to a new web host can be a stressful time which is why many site owners prefer not to switch web host unless it’s necessary. After all why waste time and energy when everything is working alright?
So when is the right time to start looking for a new host? How do you know that your web host is the root cause of your website problem?
Here are a few hints:
Unlock Your Domain Name
Most domain name registrars lock your domain by default when you purchase it.
This protects the domain from unauthorised changes to your contact details, DNS settings, and ownership. Locking also protects your domain from unauthorised transfer attempts.
Youll need to manually unlock your domain name. Its usually straightforward. Sign in to your registrar, and locate the button to disable your domain lock. Usually, the unlock button can be found under a tab labelled Transferring or Sharing in the domain management section.
Once you request unlocking, it happens immediately.
Connect Your Domain To Shopify
To avoid any interruption in service, you need to connect your domain to Shopify. If you don’t connect your domain before you transfer it, then visitors to your domain might experience connection errors during the transfer process.
Note
Changes to a domain can take up to 48 hours to complete. Make sure that the connection process is complete before you begin the transfer.
Recommended Reading: Why Are Some Domains So Expensive
Request An Authorization Code
To transfer your domain, you’ll need an authorization code . This code is there to protect your domain from being transferred by an unauthorized party.
Additionally, this code serves as the bridge between your old registrar and your new provider and must be supplied within five days of your request, typically by email. Some registrars permit auto-generation of codes directly from their control panels.
Why Change Your Website Hosting Service Provider
There are many reasons you may want to complete a domain name transfer.
Moving to a faster, more secure and better supported hosting service is easy. The transfer domain process is not complicated. You could also use this process to transfer domain ownership. This article will help you complete your domain name transfer, in five simple steps.
Let’s get started!
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How To Transfer A Domain Name To Us
Maintaining your domain registration and hosting services within the same account allows you to manage both services with only one login password, making it easier for you to stay on top of everything related to your website. This article explains the process of transferring your domain to Bluehost, so there are no surprises along the way.
This process includes transfers to/from our MX partners.
Important:
- You can transfer the following domain extensions to us: com, net, org, us, co, info, and biz.
- To avoid any delays, please complete all five steps before initiating the transfer.
- Avoid transferring your domain within 45 days of a domain that has been recently renewed, or you could lose that renewal year.
Want to host your website here and keep the domain registered elsewhere? Try assigning a domain to your account instead.
Pro Tip: Buy a new domain – Help grows and protects your brands reputation. Keep others from buying domains similar to yours and avoid losing visitors or customers to competitors.
But First Does Your New Web Host Offer Free Migrations
Before you start down the manual road of how to move a website to a new host, wed encourage you to check whether your new host offers a free migration service .
Many hosts will migrate at least one website for free when you sign up. If youre moving from one cPanel host to another cPanel host, its also usually pretty easy for your hosts support staff to migrate your entire cPanel account, which means youll be able to bring everything over in one step.
If youre still undecided on which host to switch to, some quality and affordable hosts that offer free migration services include:
Youll also find other hosts that offer professional migration services for an affordable price. Some good options here are:
- SiteGround as low as $30/site for professional migrations .
- Bluehost $149.99 to professionally migrate up to five websites.
- DreamHost $99 to migrate any type of website .
If you can swing it, paying for someone else to do the work for you can save you a lot of aggravation, especially if youre not a technical user.
And if youre using WordPress and still reading this article, most premium managed WordPress hosts also offer free WordPress migrations. Good options here are:
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How To Transfer Domain From Bluehost To Another Registrar/host
Want to transfer domain from Bluehost to another registrar or your new web host?
When you purchase a hosting plan from Bluehost, you get a free domain name for 1 year. Before the expiry of this initial free period, you will receive a domain renewal email from Bluehost. You will then have to pay the domain renewal fee in order to keep using the domain.
If for some reason, youd like to transfer your domainto another hosting, the same can be done for free in 5 easy steps. Let us gothrough each of these 5 steps to help you transfer your domain away fromBluehost to another hosting provider.
But before we get to the steps, here are someimportant things that you should know-
- Ensure that you at least have 15days left for the expiry of your domain name before you initiate the transfer
- It should have been at least 60days from the first time you registered the domain name
- WebHostFace should be able toregister the extension of your domain name for successful transfer
Make sure that you only initiate the transfer if you meet all the three conditions listed above.
The Simple Guide To Transferring A Domain To Another Registrar
One of the most important steps in creating a great website is choosing the right domain name. Popular domain names go quickly so, once you’ve found a great fit for your site, use a domain name search to make sure it’s not taken, or pay the asking price if the owner is looking to sell.
Finding an available name isn’t enough, however, since you also need to register your domain name with a domain name system registrar. In some cases, your registrar can also be your web hosting service, but this isn’t required you can choose to host and register your site with different providers.
But what happens if you want to change your domain registrar? That’s where a domain transfer comes into play.
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Final Check & Trouble Shooting
Once you have loaded your files onto the new hosting configuration, double check that everything is working properly on your website
Some hosting companies provide a development staging platform so that you can easily and fluidly preview your site before taking it live in the new environment, allowing you to remedy any problems behind the scenes.
What Does It Mean To Transfer A Domain
When you say you want to transfer a domain we are referring to changing the company that you pay yearly for the domains registration- the domain registrar. Domain transfers do not affect your website code or structure, but they affect who your domain is registered through. If you want to have all your domains and hosting in one place so you can pay for them and manage them all in one place, you will want to transfer a domain to InMotion Hosting. More information about this can be found in our article, the difference between transferring a domain name and changing the nameservers.
If youre looking for information on how to transfer your website to InMotion Hosting, please see our New Customer Website Getting Started Guide.
Also Check: How To Transfer Godaddy Domain To Shopify
Requirements And Considerations For Transferring A Domain To Shopify
Before you start, review the following requirements and considerations:
- You need to own the domain that you want to transfer. If you don’t own it and it’s available for registration, then you can buy it.
- Before you can transfer your domain, you need to wait 60 days after registering your domain, transferring your domain to a different domain provider, or making changes to your registrar information. For more information, refer to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers .
- You need to pay the registration fee to renew your domain for an additional 12 months. The 12 months are added to your domain’s current expiry date.
- There might be additional costs associated with transferring your domain. Contact your domain provider for information about transfer costs.
- You need to have access to your original domain provider account and the email account that you use to log in to it.
- You need to monitor and respond to confirmation emails to complete the transfer process.
- You need to use a third-party email hosting service with email forwarding from Shopify. Shopify doesn’t provide email hosting services, but does provide unlimited email forwarding accounts.
- It can take up to 20 days to transfer your domain. Your domain continues working during the transfer process.
How To Transfer Web Hosting: Summary
Transferring your website to a new host isnt a complicated task. In this article, we showed you some of the different ways to migrate hosting.
The options include doing it manually, requesting a migration service from your new host, or using a plugin if you run a WordPress site.
The easiest way to transfer web hosting is to outsource the task to your new hosting provider. So, when shopping for a new host, make sure to choose one that offers site migration services.
Keep in mind that although some hosting companies like Hostinger provide these services for free, others require you to pay an additional fee.
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My Domain Name Registrar Denied My Request Why What Do I Do
There are a few reasons why your request may have been denied.
There could be a discrepancy between your information and that of the domain owner. Alternatively, they cant verify that youre the owner. Make sure your contact information is up to date, and be sure to send what they need from you .
The domain name owner may have sent an objection to the transfer. If youre not the domain name owner, be sure to get in contact with them to resolve the issue.
If you owe your DNS registrar any fees from previous domain purchases, they may have put your domain name on hold. Be sure to pay any outstanding amount owed.
Your domain name may still be under Lock in your portal. Make sure this setting is set on Unlocked.
Alternatively, you may be under the 60-day Change of Registrant lock, in which case youll have to wait 60 days to make the transfer.
Why You Might Want To Transfer Your Domain Name
If you already have a website, chances are you handled the domain registration process yourself. What you may not know is that domains are tied to the registrar or web host where you first got them. Thats not necessarily a bad thing it just means that other people cant poach your domain, and you cant pay for renewals through a different platform.
With that said, there are some circumstances in which you might want to transfer your domain to an alternative service. These include situations when:
- You think your registrar is charging you too much for renewals. Domain renewal prices vary from platform to platform. You may be able to save money by changing services.
- Your new registrar offers a better experience. Some platforms are just easier to use than others. If your web host or registrar uses an old interface, managing your domains can be a pain.
- Your current option lacks quality support options. Changing your domain settings can be tricky if you dont know your way around DNSs, name records, and so on. That means youll want to have a solid support team that can help you out with any issues you run into.
- You want to move all your domains to a single platform. If you run multiple sites, you may have a few domains spread out across multiple registrars. Thats a decent move from a security standpoint, but it also makes managing them more complicated.
Recommended Reading: Finding Out Who Owns A Domain
Overview: How Can I Transfer My Domain To Another Host
Before moving your domain to another host, first, prepare it for transfer. Most hosting providers follow a standard procedure for disconnection with a few minor variances. In a nutshell, this is what you do:
Note: Most service providers restrict ineligible domain transfers. You have to have been using your domain on a paid plan for at least 60 days since it was created/transferred over. Furthermore, make sure your domain has not achieved the maximum possible term, i.e. ten years for most TLDs. The transfer will not be possible until the domain becomes eligible for renewal again.
Opt Out Of 60 Day Lock
It is standard practice for a domain to be locked for 60 days after it is registered or transferred. During this period, you will be barred from updating the name or company name associated with the domain, changing the registrant email address, or enabling/disabling privacy settings. However, there is an option to opt out of this. By default, this option will not be checked, so if you are planning to transfer the domain, you will need to log in and manually opt out of this 60-day lock.
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Leaving Wix: Is It Worth It
At some point, every Wix user asks themselves the same question: is it time to leave?
After all, Wix has its drawbacks. The templates are limiting, the design tools are basic, and the website builder can be frustratingly slow. So why do people stay?
For many, the answer comes down to one word: convenience. Wix is easy to use, which means that anyone can create a website without any prior experience.
Plus, Wix takes care of hosting and security, so users dont have to worry about those technical details.
In other words, Wix is the perfect platform for those who want to build a website without any hassle.
But for those who are looking for more control and flexibility, Wix may not be the right choice.
If youre ready to move on to a more powerful website builder, then its time to leave Wix behind.