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WEB 100 · Web

Website Hosting and Migration Manchester

Moving your website to a new host or a new domain is mostly planning. Our Manchester team handles the move for you: full backups, a staging copy, DNS changes timed carefully, email left working and every old URL redirected. It is for businesses leaving a slow or expensive host, or changing their domain name, who cannot afford broken pages or lost enquiries.

  • Since 2003trading in Manchester
  • 20,000+UK businesses helped
  • Collect M8Unit 3, 116 Bury New Road
  • A personchecks every file
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WEB 100

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What can go wrong in a migration, and how we avoid it

A website move touches several separate systems at once: the files, the database, DNS records, email routing and the SSL certificate. Most failed migrations miss one of these, usually email. If the domain’s MX records are not copied exactly when nameservers change, mail quietly stops arriving and nobody notices for days.

Timing matters too. DNS records carry a TTL value that tells other servers how long to cache them. We lower it ahead of the move so the switch takes effect quickly.

A domain change adds a search side. Every old URL needs a 301 redirect to its exact new equivalent, not just to the home page, and Google Search Console has a Change of Address tool for telling Google about the new domain. Our technical SEO team checks redirects with a crawl after launch.

When a business usually moves

Migrations tend to follow a specific trigger.

  • Sites on shared hosting that has become slow or unreliable.
  • Businesses rebranding to a new domain, often alongside a redesign.
  • Companies taking hosting back after a previous agency held the account.
  • Shops outgrowing their plan as order volume and product count rise.

Our migration plan, step by step

1

Audit the current setup

We record every DNS record, email service, cron job, PHP version and integration, so nothing is forgotten on the new host.

2

Full backup and copy

Files and database are backed up in full, then the site is copied to the new server and tested on a temporary address.

3

Prepare DNS and SSL

We lower TTLs, copy MX, SPF and DKIM records exactly and arrange an SSL certificate on the new host.

4

Cut-over at a quiet time

We freeze content changes, take a final database sync and switch DNS when traffic is low.

5

Post-move checks

We test forms, checkout, logins, email and redirects, and keep the old hosting live until everything is confirmed.

What the migration includes

  • Full backup of files and database before work starts.
  • Email delivery checked and working after cut-over.
  • SSL active on the new host with HTTPS enforced.
  • A 301 redirect map for domain changes, tested by crawl.
  • Search Console updated, including Change of Address where relevant.
  • A checklist of every form, payment and integration tested.

Same domain or new domain: two different jobs

Moving host while keeping your domain is mainly technical. URLs stay the same, so search engines barely notice if the site stays up. The main risks are email, SSL and server settings such as PHP version or memory limits.

Changing domain is a bigger job. Every page gets a new address, so the redirect map is the most important part of the project. We build it page by page, upload it as server rules (our .htaccess redirect generator shows the format), and keep the old domain registered and redirecting for the long term. Email signatures and printed material need updating too.

Frequently asked questions

Will my website go offline during the move?

Normally not. The new copy is built and tested while the old site keeps running, then DNS is switched. During propagation some visitors reach the old server and some the new one, which is why we pause content changes and keep both live.

Will my email stop working when we change host?

It should not, provided the MX and related records are copied exactly. We list every mail record before the move, recreate them on the new DNS and send test messages afterwards to confirm mail flows both ways.

Will changing domain hurt our Google rankings?

Some movement is normal after a domain change, and we cannot say exactly how search engines will respond. Page-level 301 redirects, the Change of Address tool and updated sitemaps give Google clear signals and are the steps Google itself documents for site moves.

Can you move us off a host our old agency controls?

Usually, yes. We need either access to the hosting or a full backup, plus control of the domain at the registrar. If the agency will not help, we explain the options for regaining access.

Do you recommend a particular hosting company?

We suggest hosts based on your site’s needs, such as PHP version, traffic, ecommerce load and support quality. You stay the account holder, so you keep control of billing and access whichever host you choose.

Related services

Planning a move? Share your current host and domain details through our migration quote form, talk it over on 0161 315 1151 or send a WhatsApp to 07737 902425, and we will map out the switch with you.

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