Challenge: Changing a hosting service

Clients might be unsatisfied with their hosting service, but they are too afraid to push another offer. What stops them? Mostly data migration and fear of long downtime. What can you offer to attract customers changing a hosting service? We have prepared some tips, to make your competition shutter and clients fall in love with your offer.

1.Easy DNS changes

Changing a hosting service is basically unpacking a website on a new hosting service and changing the DNS settings. As a web host, you should provide a clear info on what the DNS record is, how to change the settings at domain’s name provider end (sometimes also a search app on who is the domain’s name provider, as people get that info mixed with hosting services), and how to change DNS if the old host is also the domain name registry point.

2. Help with FTP transfer

Transferring FTP files sound’s like a hassle, but you can offer to upload & set them for the client (and there are hosting services that do that). As great as it sounds, you should also provide info on how to download FTP from the old service, and, if it’s a page that uses forums or a site with a lot of users generated content, you should be able to provide some info on how to transfer without loosing any data. Your clients might be concerned about missing or displaced assets of their websites — make sure you provide info on that matter.

3. Offer help in service transfer

We have already touched Domain Names and user’s data. Now, it’s time to consider crucial services like additional business apps or emails. If emails were hosted by the old provider, they need to be transferred and recreated in the new service, and that’s the worst scenario. However, your client’s might be convinced that they are using old hoster’s email service, where in fact they are submitted to a third party or their e-mails are hosted by domain registrar. Reach out to your clients with info on how to check, who’s hosting emails, cloud apps and other services & offer transfer tutorials.

4. Blog & make tutorials

Make the effort to have your clients covered with all the important info, when it comes to such changing a host. Post or make an explainer video on how to backup databases, avoid downtime or upload files on the new service. Provide not only hosting, but all the support that might come with it. Make your clients feel safe and taken care of, when making crucial decisions.