Sometimes we get requests from prospective clients that want us to host their site – and that is primarily what they want us to do.
We lease server space based on the needs of the customer’s web site. That involves assessing the site for software, that includes covering storage and speed demands, and it means paying attention to add-on needs for the site that aren’t necessarily included in the server setup but are included in the server lease (for example, email discussion lists or backups, etc.)
That’s because we are NOT a server farm. We are a web development firm.
In addition, any time you move a web site that involves a server hosting change, it can get a bit messy, especially if you are requiring a DNS change. Various items that need to be covered:
- New DNS servers determined and used on the domain setup.
- New custom DNS for MX records, CName records, etc., need to be setup as the custom DNS is setup now.
- Email records may need to be re-created.
- Sitemap.
- SSL Certificate.
- Confirming setup of Analytics tracking.
So clearly this takes some planning and preparation as well. For most of the items above, it requires user names and passwords for accounts the client may control rather than us. And some of the changes, such as where email might best be served, could be a whole different discussion.
In addition, some things, such as domain registrar changes and SSL certificates, may have some required periods of time on their end that can delay the process. So you have to back that timing into the process.
So this isn’t a “get the call on Tuesday, we’ll do it on Wednesday” kind of thing.
We almost always do this on a Friday afternoon, trying to avoid peak use of that web site. Delays can happen anywhere in the process (such as the domain registrar), and there is usually an order of how things must be done in order to be accomplished. It is best to make the change when the least amount of important traffic is expected.