Shared and VPS hosting are two different types of web hosting available. When the average small business or person begins a website, they often go with shared hosting due to the inexpensive cost. Still it cannot be compared as it comes to the level of service and reliability with VPS hosting, even if it is a cheap vps. Upgrading to VPS hosting from shared hosting requires certain steps for the successful completion. To make it easier for you to upgrade successfully, we have divided the whole process into five steps.

 

1. Copying the files from your old website to a backup file is one of the easier steps. Remember to always have your files copied somewhere. Although many people keep their files on the web server they are hosted with, it is a much better option to make a web server copy and store it somewhere else. In this manner you have all of the files you require, without needing to download them from the web server when or if you need to move hosts. The files should be sent to your computer.

2. Do not terminate your old shared hosting service until you have loaded the files onto the VPS hosting site. If you do, you will automatically lose access to the web server and the files on it. It is better to test your files on the new server before you annul the older site

3. Having completed the first two steps, you can start uploading the saved files to your new VPS host. Check your files - you may find many redundant ones. Often times we have old files or old versions of files, so you may not need all the information you copied.

 

4. Verify your internal links once you have finished uploading to the VPS server. It should be the same for any site you launch. For simple navigation, it is important that the internal links work in all browsers. Testing them will enable you to trace and fix all links that were broken while transferring.

 

5. If you have a domain name you will need to update the DNS records for that name. This should be done when you are satisfied the new cheap VPS server and your site is working. It may be as simple as telling the registrar that your site is with a new company. Still, if you need to change registrars, it will take more than that. Changing from name based systems to dedicated IP systems can cause you even more trouble. You may have to obtain a whole new IP address.

If you follow those steps, you should have no problem moving from a shared to a cheap VPS host. You will most certainly lose some potential visitors due to the process of upgrading and website testing. Following the above tips, you will minimize all undesirable effects. Still, if everything is done correctly, nobody may even notice a slightest change.