If you do not wish to move your website manually (maybe you don’t have the skills or the time, or you simply don’t want to do it), then you can follow these instructions:
1. Make a back-up of your website (assuming you have the skills)
2. Open your new hosting account.
3. Ask the new web host to move your site. Most have software that will take care of the task, including all folders, files, and your database. You can ask ahead of time to be sure they offer this service, but most do. You will need your FTP username and password. If you don’t have this, your current host can provide it to you.
4. Once your site has been moved, go through it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that everything is there (including all images and all pages); that all links work (internal and external); that all downloads are present and working properly; that all functions are working properly (any and every form - even ones that are duplicates of the same thing; the entire checkout process including payments if it’s a store; every link on the navigation menu; etc.) - every function that you have should be tested
5. Once you are certain that everything is functioning as it should, point your domain name to the new site.
6. Keep the old hosting for the remainder of the month just in case you later discover a problem and need to access the original files, database or set-up (you will have one month where you are paying two web hosts).
7. Keep your back up files that you made for as long as you deem necessary. They are there as an “extra” set of original files that you hope you never have to use.
This process is assuming it is a simple transfer that does not involve changing the domain name or making any changes to the current URLs. If that is not the case and you ARE changing the URLs, then you will also want to do a 301 Redirect for each current web page to the new URL for that page with the new host.
Do not redirect all the web pages on your current site to go directly to the new home page or you will lose your indexing in the search engines for all those pages. A new URL with no 301 Redirect means that each web page is starting from scratch with the search engines for determination on how to rank those pages.
This all process I have done with the help of host.co.in support team while transferring my websites to Host. learn more
www.host.co.in
