In this digital era, marked by an always-connected population, websites had become the main protagonist of every business. It is commonly the way your business makes the first contact and impression with the potential customer. For your credit union to be on the up and up, in the long run, you must choose the best hosting provider for your unique set of circumstances. There are numerous aspects to consider when choosing a hosting provider, and the process can seem overwhelming at first. For example, some criteria are evident and measurable like the cost, while others are more subjective like customer support.
Possibly the most important thing to consider when choosing a hosting provider is knowing precisely what your business needs from the provider.
Additionally in an ideal world, you would never have to worry about migrating because your hosting provider will give you everything your website needs like affordable costs, great load time, and 100% uptime. Sadly, the world is not ideal and there might be a time when you had enough of your current hosting provider. When that happens you would want to be ready to make the change as smooth as possible, making the customer completely unaware of the process unfolding behind the scenes.
Key factors
When you are a credit union your needs from a hosting provider are more specific than other businesses. Use these guidelines to help you make the right decision which is simply a matter of considering your needs alongside what the hosting provider has to offer.
Cost of buying/renewing – In addition to the price of signup, you need to look into the renewal rates and check if there are any hidden fees or obligations. Also, hosting providers often charge different rates depending on the traffic your website generates and how much space it takes up. So, if you expect your business to expand, keep this in mind and plan accordingly.
Technical needs – Make certain that the hosting provider you go for meets all of your website requirements and also check for things you may need or want in the future like storage space, speed, bandwidth amounts, domain name, security tools, etc.
Reliability – Your hosting provider should ensure your website is live on the internet at all times. Additionally, your hosting provider should take security measures against hackers and keep your website safe.
Support services – Do you need support 24/7? Is chat and/or email support acceptable, or will you need to talk to someone on the phone? Is support included in the plan or will you have to pay extra?
It is of the utmost importance to take into account that all US credit unions need to be compliant with federal examiners. This involves how you host and the way you design your credit union website.
Migrating to a new hosting provider
When you decide to choose a different “home” aka hosting provider for your website, you will need to either do it yourself (manually) or outsource it to the hosting provider. Most of the hosting companies will provide free migration for your website. In this case, all you have to do is request a migration after signing up with the new provider. This option will save you precious time and will allow you to focus on running your business.
Whichever way you choose to do it let us explain the steps, or what needs to be done in order to successfully and smoothly “arrive” at your new “home”.
Purchase and activate a new hosting account – Before you can start with your migration you will need to buy a new web host. It will be wise to not cancel the previous one before all the transfer is done, and you can see your website up and running. Also, you’ll need to inform your customers not to visit your website to minimize system load.
Move all website files – As we have used the metaphor with the “new home”, imagine that the website’s files are all the things you keep in your home that you want and need to take with you. It wouldn’t feel like home without them, right? So, depending on if your website has databases or not, the transfer should be with an easy download/upload (website with no database), or with import/export (runs on a database, ie. MySQL)
Modify your website’s files – This really depends on the kind of application that you are using (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal). Basically, you need to edit the code of certain files to sync them up with the new database. More specifically its name, user name, and password.
Test your website – Now it’s the time to test your website. Be thorough about it. Make sure everything is working properly and it’s in the right place.
DNS changes – Finally, you have to change the nameservers for your domain to point to your new host. This is a critical step – make sure to get the right DNS info from your new web host.
When it comes to deciding on a hosting provider, the process can easily get overwhelming. If you don’t feel confident to make this decision yourself – the team at CUWebsite Services is here to guide you through the process. There are many factors to be considered, for sure. Nevertheless, when you go into your hosting provider search have your needs clearly defined and you’ll find the right provider for your credit union.
