Website migration

Move your website or email without losing pages, enquiries or messages

Whether you are leaving a host, changing platform or taking control of a website someone else set up, a move needs planning. We work out what has to move, how to keep things running during the switch, and how to put things back if something goes wrong.

  • A written plan agreed before anything moves
  • Old addresses redirected to the right new pages
  • Email kept in mind, not forgotten until it stops
Discuss a Migration How it works

Why are you moving?

Migrations usually start with one of these situations.

  • Your host is closing or raising pricesYou have been told to move, or the renewal has become hard to justify.
  • The website is slow or unreliableThe hosting no longer copes and you want somewhere better looked after.
  • You are changing platformMoving from a website builder or an old system to something you can grow with.
  • Your developer has moved onNobody is looking after the website and you want it somewhere you control.
  • Email is moving tooYour email is tied to the old hosting and needs a new home at the same time.
  • A previous move went wrongPages are missing, email stopped, or search traffic dropped after an earlier migration.

What a planned migration covers

The details depend on your website, but these are the parts we plan for.

Inventory and plan

List the pages, files, forms, email accounts, domains and DNS records involved, and agree the order of work with you.

Keep your addresses working

Where page addresses change, set up redirects from the old ones so bookmarks, links and search results still lead somewhere useful.

DNS cutover

Change the domain’s records at a planned time, with settings chosen to keep the switch-over as short as possible.

Email continuity

Make sure mail keeps arriving during and after the move, and that existing messages move across where needed.

SSL on the new host

Set up the security certificate so the moved website loads over HTTPS without warnings.

Testing and a way back

Test the moved website before and after the switch, and keep the old setup available until you are happy, so there is a route back if needed.

Always a way back

A migration should never leave you stuck. Before the switch we check the new setup works. After it, the old one is kept available until you are satisfied, so if something unexpected turns up it can be put right, or the domain pointed back, without panic.

What information we need

You do not need all of this to get started, but it helps us plan.

  • Your website address, and where it is hosted now
  • Where you want it to move to, if you have decided
  • Who manages the domain name, and who handles your email
  • What the website is built with, if you know
  • Any deadline, such as a hosting account closing date

Please never send passwords or login details through our forms or by email. If we need access to anything, we will agree a safe way to arrange it with you.

How assessment and quoting work

You always know what we plan to do, and what it will cost, before any work starts.

  1. Tell us what is happening

    Describe what you see and when it started. Screenshots of error messages help. Please never send passwords by form or email.

  2. We assess it

    We look at the problem and work out the likely cause. If we need access to anything, we agree a safe way to arrange it with you.

  3. You approve the fix

    We explain what we found, what we recommend and what it will cost. Nothing is done until you agree.

  4. We fix and check

    We carry out the agreed work, test it, and tell you what was done and anything to watch for.

Common questions

Will my website be offline during the move?

We plan migrations to keep any interruption as short as possible, usually by preparing the new setup fully before switching the domain over. We will explain what to expect for your website before we start.

Will I lose my Google rankings?

Nobody can guarantee rankings through a move. Keeping page addresses where possible, redirecting the ones that change, and checking for broken links afterwards all reduce the risk of problems.

What happens to my email?

Email is often tied to hosting or DNS, so it is part of the plan from the start. See business email hosting if your email needs a new home.

Can you move any website?

Not every platform can be moved in the same way, and some website builders do not allow a website to be taken elsewhere at all. Tell us what your website runs on and we will confirm whether we can help.

Do you need my hosting passwords?

Never send passwords through a form or by email. If access is needed for agreed work, we will agree a safe way to arrange it with you.

Discuss a Migration

Tell us what you want to move and why. We will reply by email to discuss the options.

Website help request

How urgent is it? (required)

What you see, when it started, and anything that changed around then. Please do not include passwords or login details.

Never send passwords through this form. If we need access to anything, we will agree a safe way to arrange it with you.

We use the details you send only to reply to your enquiry. See our privacy policy.