Four Important things to know when changing vendors for website maintenance.

A prospective client wrote to me with this request: "Please assist us in assisting by informing that what documents are must for website maintenance and development activities, in context of shifting of vendors from one to new or technology platform." Here was my response to the query. It is something all website owners should keep in mind.

Any website consists of three components which the vendor handles for a client

1. Domain name
2. Email System
3. Website Hosting 

When shifting from one vendor to another, details of all three systems have to be transferred. There is no fixed documentation per se but there will be control panel logins, FTP login and mailbox system login details which will have to be transferred.

Each case is unique as it depends on the relationship with the previous vendor.

Some transitions happen safely and peacefully and in other cases the previous vendor makes trouble by denying critical login information.

To safely transfer

a. You must first and foremost secure the domain through the domain control panel

b. You must take charge of the email and web hosting control panels (sometimes they are one and the same). Many new vendors will insist on changes to the web hosting and if you trust the vendor you must cooperate with them.

Some of the reasons a vendor might want to change the hosting could be

a. The server configuration does not suit their needs for the? upkeep the website.

b. The vendor wants to shift the site from open source technology to microsoft dot net or vice versa

c. Vendor prefers client sites to be on their own servers for greater control and flexibility. The above is especially true if the new vendor is redesigning the site.

 To reiterate, it all depends on guidance from your new vendor and your relation with the older vendor.