The Audit Every Business Owner Needs Before Switching Web Hosts
Switching web hosts is a big decision. It’s not just about finding faster servers—it’s about securing your assets, ensuring smooth performance, and avoiding unnecessary downtime or surprises. As an agency specialising in web hosting and maintenance in Perth, we’ve guided many businesses through this process, helping them avoid common pitfalls.
Let’s walk through the audit process we recommend to all our clients before migrating their websites. This isn’t just technical advice—it’s based on real-world experience, with lessons learned from helping businesses take control of their digital presence.
1. We Only Host Websites We Build—Here’s Why
One of the principles we stand by is hosting only the websites we design and develop. This gives us full knowledge of the tools, themes, and plugins used, ensuring a tailored hosting environment that’s efficient and secure.
We’ve seen cases where businesses host websites built by someone else, only to encounter compatibility issues, security risks, or poor performance because their hosting provider wasn’t familiar with the setup. By controlling the entire process, we eliminate these problems.
What This Means for You:
- Reliable performance tailored to your website’s exact needs.
- Quick and effective troubleshooting since we understand every element of your site.
- No unnecessary bloat from incompatible configurations.
2. Domain Registration: You Must Own It
A recurring issue we’ve encountered is businesses discovering their domain name isn’t registered in their name. Instead, it’s registered under their previous agency or hosting provider. This is not only frustrating—it’s a direct violation of auDA (Australian Domain Administration) rules, which require domains to be registered to the business or individual using them.
Learn more about auDA’s domain rules here.
A Real-World Example
We’ve once worked with a client whose previous agency had registered their domain in the agency’s name. When the relationship ended, they couldn’t access their domain or transfer it without going through a tedious recovery process which delayed their website migration, caused unnecessary stress on top of the extra costs to the customer from the agency – just for transferring it over to the client’s own name.
What You Can Do:
- Log into your registrar account and confirm the “Registrant Contact” matches your name or business entity.
- Use reputable registrars for transparency and reliability (if you can share access, that’d be best!).
- Always retain admin access to your domain account to avoid dependency on third parties.
We always ensure our clients own their domains outright. It’s your business—it should be your asset.
3. Admin Access: Don’t Let Others Hold the Keys
Another common issue is businesses not having admin access to their website, hosting, or domain accounts. Without it, you’re essentially locked out of your own digital property.
Our Policy:
- Clients always retain admin-level access to their website and domain accounts.
- We document everything transparently, so you’re never dependent on us.
- Shared access is managed securely, ensuring both convenience and control.
4. Audit Your Website for Hidden Pages and Issues
Hidden or outdated pages can harm your website’s user experience and SEO performance in Perth. Many businesses are unaware that their site might contain irrelevant pages or broken links—often remnants of past updates or neglected maintenance.
How to Spot Hidden Pages:
- Visit your sitemap.xml (e.g., www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml) to see all indexed pages.
- Look for outdated, duplicate, or irrelevant pages that no longer serve a purpose.
- Fix or redirect broken links to ensure visitors and search engines don’t encounter errors.
What We’ve Seen
We recently worked with an NDIS provider who had over a dozen hidden pages indexed by Google—pages they didn’t even know existed! These included outdated staff profiles and multiple “test” pages, which confused visitors and hurt their SEO.
5. Check Website Security and Backups
Website security is non-negotiable. Poor maintenance and hosting practices leave your site vulnerable to hacking, data breaches, and downtime.
Your Security Checklist:
- Run Malware Scans: Use tools to identify potential threats.
- SSL Certificates: Ensure your SSL is active to encrypt data and protect users.
- Back Up Everything: This includes your website files, databases, and email accounts.
6. Evaluate Hosting Support and Scalability
Not all hosting providers are created equal. Unresponsive support and restrictive plans can hold your business back.
What to Look for in Your Next Host:
- Reliable customer support that’s available when you need it.
- Transparent pricing with clear resource limits—no hidden restrictions.
- Scalability to support growth as your website traffic increases.
When we host websites, we prioritise proactive support and clear communication, ensuring our clients’ websites run smoothly at all times.
Switching web hosts is an opportunity to improve performance, security, and control over your digital assets. By conducting a thorough audit, you can avoid common pitfalls and set your website up for long-term success.
J.Tech – Web Design specialises in web hosting and maintenance in Perth, focusing on empowering businesses to take full control of their digital presence. From domain ownership to admin access, we ensure everything is managed transparently and securely.
Ready to switch hosts or need advice? Contact us today for a seamless migration experience.
FAQs
1. Why is domain ownership important?
Without ownership, you risk losing access to your domain, which is essential for your website and email.
2. How can I check if I own my domain?
Log into your registrar account and verify that the “Registrant Contact” reflects your name or business entity.
3. What’s the risk of not having admin access?
Without admin access, you may not be able to update your website, switch hosts, or address urgent issues.
4. How can hidden pages affect my SEO?
Outdated or irrelevant pages confuse search engines, dilute your website’s focus, and hurt rankings.
5. What’s included in your hosting and maintenance services?
We provide fast, secure hosting, regular updates, backups, and hands-on support tailored to your website’s needs.