How to Transfer Your Website to a New Host in Pakistan Without Downtime

Transferring your website to a new host in Pakistan without downtime can seem like a daunting task, but with careful planning and execution, it is entirely achievable. In 2024, the web hosting market in Pakistan is expected to generate US $247.80 million in revenue. Whether you are looking for better performance, enhanced features or cost-effective hosting options, switching hosts is a common step for website owners. Plus, ensuring uninterrupted accessibility to your website during the migration process is very important to maintain user trust and avoid losing traffic or business opportunities. This thorough blog written by the WebsCare team walks you through a step-by-step approach to smoothly transfer your website to a new host, covering everything from backing up your files to updating DNS settings and monitoring for potential issues. By following these steps, you can ensure a seamless transition without compromising your website’s availability.

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Can You Transfer Your Website to a New Hosting Provider?

If you are wondering whether it’s possible to transfer your website to a new web host, the answer is yes. Many website owners often decide to switch hosts for various reasons. Select a new hosting provider that meets your website’s needs in terms of performance, security, and budget. Before making any changes, back up all your website files, databases, emails, and other critical data. This is important to avoid data loss during the transfer. However, there are a few more considerations to keep in mind before you begin the process.

Essential Steps for Transferring Your Website to a New Host in Pakistan

Here’s a detailed step by step guide on how to transfer your website to a new host in Pakistan without downtime

Choose the Right Hosting Provider

Research reliable hosting providers in Pakistan or international providers with good service in the region. Companies like HostBreak and WebsCare offer localized support and billing in PKR. Ensure the new host offers features your website requires (e.g., bandwidth, storage, security). Then next step is to decide which hosting plan is right for you. Determine the average and peak traffic to your website. High-traffic websites may need VPS or dedicated servers. Identify features your site depends on such as email hosting, databases or specific software compatibility.

Back Up Your Website

Then next step is to back up your website’s files. Use your current host’s control panel (e.g., cPanel) to create a full backup of your website files and databases.  This includes HTML files, CSS, JavaScript, images, and any other media. For dynamic websites (e.g., WordPress), databases store your content, user information, and settings. Alternatively, use plugins like UpdraftPlus for WordPress or manual FTP methods. If you don’t have access to cPanel or would prefer not to use the File Manager tool, you can use an FTP client like FileZilla to connect to your hosting account and download the files that way.

Set Up Your New Hosting Account

Purchase a hosting plan with the new provider. Set up your hosting environment to match the current configuration (e.g., PHP version, databases). Select a hosting plan from the new provider that matches your website’s needs (e.g., storage, bandwidth and additional features like SSL or email hosting). Complete the purchase and verify your account through the hosting provider’s registration process. Once your account is activated, log in to the control panel provided by the host (e.g., cPanel, Plesk, or a custom panel). Familiarize yourself with the tools and features available in the control panel such as file management, databases and email settings.

Export your Website Files and Databases

Not all websites have a database. For example, if your website is just a static page, you may not have one. If your website does have a database, you will need to export a copy to move your website to a new web host. This includes websites using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. This can usually be done through your hosting account’s cPanel as well.

Use FTP clients like FileZilla to upload your website files to the new host’s server. Ensure the file structure matches the original. MySQL is the most common type of database. Export your database from the old host using phpMyAdmin or similar tools. Import the database into the new host’s phpMyAdmin. If you don’t have cPanel or if you have a different type of database, ask your host for instructions.

Test Your Website on the New Server

You are almost there! With your website files uploaded and the database successfully imported, it is the right time to test your site to ensure everything is functioning perfectly. Use a temporary URL or the new host’s staging environment to test your website. This proactive approach will help you prevent potential downtime and ensure a seamless transition. Ensure all functionalities (e.g., forms, navigation) are working. Use tools like GTmetrix or Pingdom to measure your site’s load time and performance on the new server. Compare results with your previous hosting to ensure performance is the same or improved.

Update DNS Settings

DNS helps to translate domain names to IP addresses so that browsers can load your website. Every website has a DNS record that maps a URL to an IP address. Update the DNS (Domain Name System) records of your domain to point to the new host’s servers. Log in to your domain registrar account. Replace old DNS settings with the new host’s DNS details. DNS propagation can take up to 24-48 hours but during this time, your website will still function on the old host. During this period, visitors may intermittently access the old or new server depending on their local DNS cache. Locate the DNS settings or Name Server Management section in your account dashboard. Use tools like WhatsMyDNS or MXToolbox to check if your domain is pointing to the new server.

Monitor for Downtime

After migrating your website to the new host and updating the DNS settings, monitoring for downtime is essential to ensure a smooth transition. This step helps you identify any potential issues early and address them before they impact user experience. Use monitoring tools like UptimeRobot to track website uptime during the transition. Keep the old hosting account active until you confirm the new hosting is fully operational.

Clean Up

After successfully migrating your website and ensuring it’s running smoothly on the new hosting server, the final step is to clean up. This process involves removing unnecessary data, files and settings to prevent potential issues and ensure everything is optimized. Cancel your old hosting account to avoid extra charges. If you used plugins, scripts, or tools during the migration (e.g., backup or migration plugins), uninstall or deactivate them if they are no longer needed.

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