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Editor's Note
02.20.01

Last week I published an article called "Changing Webhosts" and
received quite a bit of feeback." Some of them sounded like, "Dag
gonne it Pete! I sure wish you had published this earlier as you
would have saved me a ton of headache's." Well, to those of you
who needed the info earlier, I apologize. One interesting email
that I received was from Mr. Robert E. Spivack, a web-hosting
company vice-president and author of this article. His email,
which I have called, The "Real" Secrets to Changing Webhosts, is
informative and I would like to share this with all of you.

Also, I would like to point out a new WebProNews sponsor that could
be of invaluable assistance to many of you. There service can help
you generate valuable customer and prospect lists through your Web
site. Please check them out and let me know how it works for you...
/rd/makenews-t.html

Thanks,

Peter

bgcolor="#003366" face="Arial, verdana" size="4">The "Real" Secrets to Changing Webhosts

I enjoy reading your newsletter, but feel I should write about your
most recent issue's article "Changing Webhosts". It was a good
starting point, but in a few key areas it was oversimplified or
perhaps not completely accurate.

As the owner/operator of a small, but growing webhosting company,
we are faced daily with the challenges of working with customers
that are changing from their old webhosting company to our servers
and therefore have a lot of first-hand experience including the
"under the hood" issues that are not always apparent.

Since we are biased, of course, I won't comment on the reasons for
choosing/switching a webhost, as that would be self-serving.
Instead, I would like to clarify some of the procedural issues.

When a domain name such as www.yoursite.com is registered, it must
have a host associated with it. Either the actual web hosting
company or a placeholder company. You cannot register a domain
name without specifying a host, so it is fairly common for hosts
to offer "domain name parking" allowing you to specify themselves
as your host without necessarily activating an account with
them. (The idea is that if you "park" with a host, you are more
likely to later ask them to activate an account for you. If you do,
then no transfer will be needed since you are already "parked" on
their servers.)

The technical term for the host information is "Primary Name Server"
and "Secondary Name Server". When you transfer your website to
another web hosting company, you must change your domain record to
have the primary and secondary server information of your new host.

In the "old days", domain registration was a monopoly and this would
always be done through Network Solutions, aka InterNIC. With
"deregulation" of domain registration, there are now dozens of
companies that can register domain names.

Unfortunately, this makes changing your hosts more confusing. In
order to change your domain record, you need to contact the domain
registrar that "controls" your domain record. Each one has a slightly
different procedure, but most provide a password-protected webpage
where you can login and make changes.

If you don't have the password or cannot make the change yourself,
then you may find yourself in "voicemail hell" trying to contact the
domain registrar to arrange the transfer manually. (In the case
of Network Solutions, which still controls most domains, you will
have to issue an electronic change request and then follow-up with
a manual request faxed to them on your company letterhead.)

In any case, the logistics can be confusing, so give yourself
plenty of time to make the change. (As a webhosting company, we get
a lot of people that want to switch instantly and don't initially
understand why it takes so long to make the change and why we can't
do it for them.)

Second - Coordinating The Change

Make sure you are ready to switch before you initiate the process.
Arrange with your new web hosting company to be able to upload your
site using only an IP address so you can manipulate both your old
site and your new site at the same time. When everything is ready,
submit your domain registration changes and wait 24-48 hours for it
to propagate through the Internet.

DO NOT put a redirect on your old site. That will only cause
problems. When the domain change is made, the net will automatically
direct visitors to your new site. If you put a redirect on your old
site, you may prematurely send visitors to your new site and confuse
them as they continue to bookmark your old site (or your new site
under the temporary name rather than your domain name.)

Finally - Show A Little Courtesy

Tell your existing web host that you are changing instead of
simply "disappearing in the middle of the night". They find out
anyway, because as soon as you initiate the process to change your
domain registration, your existing host will usually receive an
automatic email notification.

Better yet, tell them you are thinking of leaving and why. Often,
they may have new services you were unaware of, or perhaps they will
be willing to "match the competition" rather than loose a good
customer. It doesn't hurt to ask, and it might just save you the
hassle of making all the changes!

Expert in your field? We're looking for ARTICLES on web site design and development, promotion, positioning, and e-commerce. Articles should be in the 700 to 800 word range and include a 2 line promotion of the author's site. Send submissions to: Pete@WebProNews