It’s pretty old hat to me by now, but moving your website to a new host or platform is actually a pretty huge deal. Whether it be just upgrading to a new version of WordPress, changing to a different host provider like Dreamhost to Godaddy, or changing platforms entirely like migrating your WordPress site to Shopify, these are all things I am very familiar with here at PICKWICK. But! It can be easy to be anxious or even panic if you don’t know about the process, so here is more information to help soothe your spirit!
Moving your website is very much like moving your house. If you’re smart, and able to do so, you plan months in advance and begin getting things ready weeks and weeks before the actual move…and then there’s what ACTUALLY happens.
You make plans to make all those plans and the next thing you know it’s time to renew or move and things get hectic – if that happens you’ll be glad you hired an experienced web developer.
But, no matter how much you plan or prepare when moving day finally comes there’s going to be a few things that get jumbled around, maybe put in the wrong box, temporarily misplaced, or even broken. It is unfortunately, very much the same when you move your website. Sometimes, things happen. And, always, especially when you’re anxious to go live: things take TIME.
After you’ve backed up your old site (even if you’re completely changing the new one!) and moved or created your files and associated items, and finally pointed the domain registrar to your new website home — YOU WAIT. Propagation time has come a long way since I first got online but it can still take several hours – to a FULL 24 hours for your website to really start showing up to the rest of the world.
Even in that first week there’s going to be some burps and hiccups as your new baby learns to walk! Be sure to communicate with your webmaster, let them know about anything you see that might need attention – chances are they’re already juggling a thousand things so having a little extra help on catching bugs will be appreciated.
Did I mention stuff can (and will) get jumbled?
Having eCommerce or a shop of any kind involved makes that even more likely, no matter how much you plan or how experienced your web developer is. Like a new pair of shoes, the fresh smell is great but it takes a little breaking in before you’re completely comfortable.
Don’t get mad. Breathe, make a post on social media letting people know you’re moving in advance, and do what you can to help any customers that come through.
The Wrath of Google!! Dun dun duuuuuuuun. Nature of the beast, and very little you can do about it. When your site moves Google gets upset.
It can take 7-14 days for your campaigns to stop freaking out and start tracking metrics properly. If you have ads running make sure your urls forward and/or match your old ones. Even if you’re not running ads Google will be a little upset about your rankings and other metrics as well – use this as time to invest in your content strategies on other platforms like social media and email marketing.
With a creative mind for design you can turn almost any adversity into opportunity.
Breathe. Trust the process and know that the new home you’ve moved your website to will be better than the old one, a true improvement, that will help guide your efforts toward success in the future….that’s a lot easier to do when you’re working with a web developer that cares about more than the bottom line. A digital denizen that is here to serve your higher purpose along with their higher calling. Someone like PICKWICK!
If you need help with your digital presence, from web design to social media marketing, search engine optimization and more – get in touch!