Switching web hosting services isn’t a decision most businesses make lightly. Maybe the final straw came after months of downtime or the frustration of having to pay different costs for the same services every month. Or you may have simply realised that you require a hosting service that can scale with your company and does not limit your team.

If you’re a business owner or an IT head wanting to move your hosting services ASAP, certain items should be a part of your checklist when you’re looking for a new hosting provider. These include the new provider’s uptime, whether they’re using sustainable means to power and cool their servers, and whether they can offer you instant scalability when your business grows. BlackBox Carbon Neutral Hosting will tick all your boxes, yet the decision-making doesn’t end once you’ve chosen a hosting provider.

The actual process of migrating your data can be difficult, with the risk of losing your data or having your website go down for days on end. To avoid them when you’re scheduling your next migration, here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid.

1. Not Allocating Enough Time for Migration

Many business owners believe that switching hosting partners is as easy as transferring data from one hard drive to another. That’s why they wait until their payment cycle is ending to start migrating their data. 

On paper, this makes sense—you don’t want to waste resources you’ve already paid for, after all—but this is when panic migration can begin. In reality, domain transfer alone can take several days. Along with that, you also need to dedicate time to moving files and databases and testing. 

The minimum amount of time you need to migrate to your hosting partner is at least two weeks. That’s why it’s best to lock in your new partner at least a month before your renewal and start working on your migration.

2. Skipping the Prep Work

Hosting migration isn’t as simple as copying over the files and starting from where you left off. Your migration affects everyone from your internal teams to your customers and even sometimes your external partners. 

While the migration is in process, some employees might experience issues that affect their daily workflows, like their work emails being disconnected, and customers might experience broken links or temporary downtime without any explanation. 

To minimise disruption as much as possible, treat migration like a company-wide project and make sure all your staff know about the timelines. You could also schedule downtime during off-peak hours and maintain an alternate channel of communication during the migration if your email or websites go offline.

3. Not Checking Compatibility With the New Host

Every hosting provider runs things slightly differently, with different control panels, server software, security protocols, and even PHP versions. 

If you don’t check compatibility, you might not realise that some plugins or software have failed during the migration. With that in mind, before you commit to a new hosting provider, share the details of your website setup with them and ask them to confirm compatibility. A good hosting provider will help audit your site and flag potential issues ahead of time.

4. Focusing on Cost While Ignoring Features

It’s tempting to just go with the cheapest hosting provider out of a shortlist, especially if high hosting costs are one of your concerns. But if you don’t pay attention to the features that the provider offers, your new hosting plan might not even be enough to handle your current website load. 

While price is important to consider, you’ll also want to look at the features you’re getting and compare them with your current plan so you can clearly understand whether or not it’s a better system for you. In most cases, when you’re paying a little more, you do end up saving money in the long run.

5. Neglecting Pre-Migration Audits

Running a quick audit on your current website and other software before you migrate is also really important. 

Many websites have plugins and updates they probably don’t use anymore, but haven’t uninstalled yet. Conducting an audit will make you aware of these, along with any unused data files, so you don’t migrate them unnecessarily to the new system. 

Auditing your site should also include updating your CMS and analysing your site’s current performance. Completing these checks before you migrate the data lets you know how your systems should work ideally, and if something goes wrong after the migration, you’ll know whether it is a website problem or a hosting problem. 

6. Overlooking the Fine Print

We’re all guilty of blindly scrolling through the terms and conditions and clicking ‘Agree’. But not reading the fine print can become problematic later. 

Every hosting provider has different policies when it comes to things like backups, resources, and account termination. For example, some hosts automatically delete backups after a set period or charge you extra for recovering data. If you’re not aware of these terms and conditions, you may end up facing an expensive situation if something goes wrong. 

Not a fan of reading? There are several AI tools available that you can use to skim through the terms and conditions and summarise them for you, so you know exactly what you’re signing up for.

Summing It Up

The thought of migrating to a new host can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. Start by making sure to avoid these mistakes, and you’ll already be setting yourself up for a successful migration.

Chances are, there are a few key reasons you’ve chosen to change your hosting partner. Keep these in mind when you’re choosing a new provider, so you can steer clear of some of the common mistakes that come with making this change.