Domain Transfer - Proper Process So I Don't Nuke Everything

7 replies
Hello,

I have asked my website host to begin the process to release my domains so I can transfer them to Namecheap. They sent me a form to fill out that is asking several questions I am unclear on (see attached).

I have four domains I am going to transfer. Two domains just sit there and do nothing. I purchased them to protect our business name. They are a .net and .org. One domain name is a .com that we use for our emails. We also have a new WordPress site that we are going to start using for our main business site. The domain we currently use for our site is a .co.uk domain. We don't have any kind of emails systems set up for that....just the website.

All of these domain currently re-direct to the .co.uk domain.

There are two things I am nervous about....the first is how do we transfer these and not have the website drop off the face of the earth? I am worried that 'the button is pushed' and then when somebody types our domain in their browser, searches for us etc....they get an error.

The other thing is our emails. We will be using Liquid Web for our email hosts. How do I make sure that my emails don't get lost in space?

There has to be some logical and natural progress for all of this and I have yet to crack the code!

Any help to bring me back down to earth would be appreciated. I havent' started the process with Namecheap as of yet because I don't know where to begin.

Many thanks!

-Dave
#domain #nuke #process #proper #transfer
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by wisedave View Post

    I have asked my website host to begin the process to release my domains so I can transfer them to Namecheap.
    What is it you want to transfer to Namecheap: just the registration, or just the hosting, or both the registration and the hosting?

    Excuse a question instead of an answer, but descriptions of "how to do this" very easily get confused and complicated without it first being very clear exactly what you're trying to do.
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    • Profile picture of the author wisedave
      Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

      What is it you want to transfer to Namecheap: just the registration, or just the hosting, or both the registration and the hosting?
      Hello,

      Thanks for the help.....

      I am going to transfer just the registration. I have hosting all set with Liquid Web that I want to use.

      At the moment, we have our hosting with 2020Media.

      Cheers,

      Dave
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      • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
        Banned
        Originally Posted by wisedave View Post

        Hello,

        Thanks for the help.....

        I am going to transfer just the registration. I have hosting all set with Liquid Web that I want to use.

        At the moment, we have our hosting with 2020Media.

        Cheers,

        Dave
        So if you are changing hosts, there will be some interruption. It can take up to 48 hrs for new nameservers to resolve. It often takes less time than that, but it can take 48 hrs.
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  • Profile picture of the author cashcow
    ^^^^ right. exactly. There's a big difference between just transferring the domain to a different registrar and transferring the hosting to a different hosting platform - BIG difference.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Just fill out whatever your host told you to and start the transfer in Namecheap. It's always a good idea NOT to register domains where you host. You should use a registrar for domain names and a host for hosting. Makes like simpler. As long as your hosting account remains the same (the nameservers), your site should not drop off the face of the earth just by transferring the domains. The email question .... Have no clue about that service so maybe someone else can answer.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by sbucciarel View Post

      It's always a good idea NOT to register domains where you host. You should use a registrar for domain names and a host for hosting. Makes like simpler.
      This ^^^ exactly.

      I'm hoping you're about to tell us that you're transferring the registration to Namecheap because they're a good registrar (which they are), and keeping the hosting where it is?

      I've transferred-in plenty of domain-names to Namecheap myself, and they do explain pretty clearly how to do it, and their online tech support people are really friendly and helpful, too. The only times I've seen people have a serious problem over this and get stuck have been when they haven't quite appreciated that transferring the domain-registration and moving the hosting are two totally different things.

      At Namecheap, after the registrations are transferred in, it's very easy to re-direct the email, and to re-direct the domain-name servers so that those other domains point at the one with your site on.

      http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ml#post6001660
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Thompson
    Ok so you're moving from one web host "2020Media" to Liquid Web.

    The only thing that matters here is your wordpress site. The rest are redirected, as you said. You can setup email hosting on your new host quickly. That part is easy.

    To transfer your Wordpress site you should migrate it first to a test domain. Make sure it's working and THEN point the DNS server to the new name servers so you don't have much downtime at all.

    To do this there are a few things you need to know, and you can (and maybe should) hire someone for this to save you the learning curve.

    1) Export your database as an SQL file
    2) Create a new database on liquid web and import your SQL file
    3) Grab the wp-config file form your current site and edit it with the new database name, username / password. Upload it to the liquid web account
    4) Install the actual core wordpress files, and all of your content from your old site onto the new location at LiquidWeb (Your WP-content folder, theme, plugins, etc).

    When you do this you now have a working temp location for your new site. You haven't pointed your name servers to the new location yet. You could actually run this site on a test domain that you purchase, if needed.

    To run it on the test domain you need to modify TWO things in your database, which is easy to do with PHYMyAdmin. Both are in the WP_Options table.

    HOME and SITE are the entries to modify. Basically just enter the new web address for your test location of your site.

    Then login, re-save your permalinks (WP dashboard --> Settings --> Permalinks). Your site will now work.

    Make sure you're happy. Then initiate the DNS changes, and of course change back the WP database settings that were modified in the test move.

    Also, you can call your new host to see what they recommend in terms of minimizing downtime.
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