Often we have new clients contact us wanting to get away from their current web hosting company as quickly as possible.  They’re usually coming from the super cheap hosting companies and failed to read the fine print and are ready for some real hosting service.  When they come, they want to bring their domain name with them for that added sense of security and to make sure the old hosting company doesn’t hold it hostage.  When a domain transfer is ordered, what are the proper steps to ensure your site stays online and in your haste you don’t end up with days of a down website because of transfer delays?  We’re here to help.

Here are the proper steps to ensure your website stays online during a domain name transfer…

1. Contact new host and order package (order domain transfer, but DO NOT INITIATE IT)
   1. Not initiating the transfer means not providing the EPP/Auth Key from the current Registrar
   2. If you don’t know what a registrar is, it’s the company you ordered your domain name from initially
2. After your new hosting package is set up, FTP your site files or use whatever transfer method you prefer and move any databases etc
3. Once the site files/databases are all copied to the new site, change the domains DNS servers to your new hosts
4. Don’t forget to set up your new e-mails with the new host
5. Make sure the new host has set up their DNS to handle your website domain
6. You can have your old host change the DNS servers on your domain or if you have access, change them yourself
7. Wait 2-3 days for the changed DNS servers to filter across the world (called propagation)
8. Once your new site and e-mail are working properly, you can then ask your new host to start the domain transfer process.

Provide your new hosting company with the EPP/Auth Key and make sure the domain name is unlocked and that a valid and usable e-mail address is set for the Admin on the domain name registration.  If not, then you could experience delays because of updates just to make sure you can manage your own domain.  DNS can confuse even the most web savvy so when in doubt, ask your host for assistance.  Any good hosting company will help you step by step or even do most of this for you.