10 easy steps to switch your web hosting provider without your site going down?

Ah, what to do, to switch your web hosting provider; below are 10 easy and straightforward steps to reduce the chance of your site going down whilst you transfer over to a new hosting provider.

1. Sign up to your new web hosting package before you cancel your previous hosting provider
2. Make sure that you choose a package that is offering the same set of features as your previous hosting provider
3. Download the content of your entire website using a free FTP program such as FileZilla. If your struggling with FTP programs you can backup using Cpanel, or Plesk
4. Export/ download the database from your site.  Remember to maintain naming conventions otherwise you might create some problems
5. Upload the files onto your new account making sure that you import the database and use the same naming convention as before
6. Make sure that you re-chmod your folders if you are running scripts and need to do so
7. At this stage, see that your site is fully functional, if you are using Plesk, utilize the preview website function to fully test out the site, making sure you test out all links
8. Once you are happy go to the control panel of the site where you registered your domain name and change your domain names name server by repointing the A records of your domain
9. Within 24 to 72 hours your site should propagate to its new IP address, check your site using nominet, or whois to see your current name server
10. Cancel your old web hosting account.

It is best at all times to have a backup of your site, just in case something happens to your site, it is a good habit to get into and provides great peace of mind!

If at any stage you are stuck, it is always worth asking your new hosting provider for some help, after all they are about to get your business, so they should have no problem in helping you!