How To Move To Lyrical Host

Don't worry, migrating to us is a piece of cake! Simply book in & we'll take care of the rest.

Hey there!

We’re so happy you’re thinking of moving to us. Here’s an overview of how our migration process works and what to expect before, during, and after your move. Many people are nervous about switching hosts, which is completely normal and understandable, but we make the process completely safe and secure. We handle your website with even more care than our own, and you don’t need any tech skills; we do everything for you.

Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to welcoming you to the Lyrical Host family!

What’s included in your migration

Migrations are free with any hosting plan (& yep, we’ll migrate multiple websites – as many as your plan supports!)

Coming from another self-hosted web host (e.g. Bluehost, SiteGround, TSO Host, GoDaddy etc.)? We do a complete transfer of everything, including your theme, database and all files and content. We can install and set up another theme of your choice if you'd like a new look.

Coming from Blogger? We transfer all your content, including posts, comments, images, other media etc. We install your choice of WordPress theme since Blogger themes aren't compatible with WordPress sites.

Coming from WordPress.com? We transfer all of your content, including posts, comments, images, other media etc. and your followers (via Jetpack). We install any WordPress theme you like, as long as it's compatible with self-hosted WordPress (we can confirm if the theme you want to use or buy is compatible). Unfortunately, WordPress likes (i.e. the ``X bloggers liked this`` that appears at the end of your posts) aren't compatible and can't be transferred.

We safely migrate any email you want migrating to us, set up you@yourdomain.com email addresses, and help you with mail client setup (e.g. Apple Mail).

If you already have a domain name you'd like to use, we can a) transfer it to us as part of your migration (transferring incurs a separate cost depending on your domain extension), or b) update your name servers with your current registrar so you can use it from where it's currently registered. It's up to you!

Intensive malware scanning & cleaning takes place towards the end of your migration, so you can rest assured your website is virus-free.

Free SSL certificate & installation is included, so your website URL begins with https:// & gives visitors better security. Your SSL certificate renews automatically for free.

Plugin review: We review any plugins you have and suggest (free) alternatives if needed for better security.

Half an hour of free theme tweaks and setup (if you'd like more than that, we offer additional time at very reasonable rates).

Questions everyone asks (it’s not just you!)

Can I still work on my website?

You’re welcome to add to, edit, and otherwise update your website any time up until your migration starts. After that point we ask that you don’t make any changes, purely because they may not copy across.

We recommend you turn commenting off just before your migration starts, otherwise you may miss out on any comments that are submitted during the migration process.

How do you contact me at my migration time?

When your migration time comes up, our team will send you a support ticket to confirm that you’re happy to go ahead, and to check they can successfully log into your account. This all takes place via the Lyrical Host Hub, and you can access our ticket system from any device where you have internet access, including your phone.

We don’t call you – don’t worry!

After our team has confirmed they’ve started your migration, which typically takes just a few minutes, you can check back in any time that’s best for you. You don’t have to stick around for the whole thing and our team will add updates to your ticket as your migration progresses through the different stages.

How long does it take to migrate my website?

It depends on the size of your website, who your host is (some are slower than others), and how many files you have, but typically migrations take up to five hours. There are always exceptions – we’ve done one which took 24 hours! You don’t need to be around for the whole of this time, just the beginning, so don’t worry!

How much does it cost to transfer over to you?

Website migrations are free with any of our hosting plans.

If you have a domain name you’d like to transfer to us, there’s a transfer cost which varies depending on your domain name extension. All the prices can be found here and all domains renew at the same price. Transferring a domain to us extends your domain’s renewal date, so it’s basically like renewing it and moving it in one.

From the start of your migration time until our team confirms your site is live with us, please don’t make any changes to your website as they are unlikely to copy across. If you make changes on your old site after your migration start time and before your new site is live with us, you will need to copy them across manually to your new site. (If you require your site to be fully re-migrated for this reason, unfortunately we will have to charge for this because it requires a whole re-migration and several hours of work for our team). Thank you for your understanding 🙂

Do I need to tell anyone I'm moving hosts?

It’s totally up to you – some people prefer to announce it on social media or their blog, some people prefer to mention it afterwards, or not at all! If you get a lot of comments, you may want to tell your visitors you’re temporarily turning comments off while your site is being migrated.

If you’re with an independent ad network, you may need to tell them that you’re moving hosts if that’s part of their terms and conditions.

Can I transfer my domain name at a later date?

You can transfer your domain name at a later date if you prefer. We recommend having at least 7 days left on it before it expires. There is a transfer cost equal to a year’s renewal, which also extends your domain name’s renewal date by a year (so effectively it’s like you’re renewing it). Our support team can handle the transfer and any redirects needed – just raise a support ticket whenever you’re ready!

Is it just my website you migrate?

We can also migrate your email, set up an SSL certificate, and many other tasks for free as part of your website migration. Take a look at the ‘What’s included?’ section above for more details.

Is there any down time?

There shouldn’t be any downtime for your website during your migration, regardless of where you’re moving from. On extremely rare occasions, it may take a while for the changes to kick in globally, which may make your site temporarily inaccessible for a short period. In all the migrations we’ve ever done, this has only happened twice.

If we’re setting up an SSL certificate for you, there is likely to be a 30 minute window where you and your visitors see a “Website not secure” browser warning. This is due to the nature of the SSL certificate activation process.

Is there any risk to my site?

There’s no risk to your site at all, for two reasons. The main reason is that we make a full copy of your website on our platform, so there’s no risk of losing any files or data. The second is that your migration is assigned to and completed by an experienced senior support technician, rather than automating the process and hoping for the best like many companies do.

What about domain names?

Transferring your domain to us is entirely optional.

If you’re planning to transfer your domain name to us as well as your website, we recommend waiting until after your website has been migrated before transferring the domain to us.

Transferring your domain to us involves a transfer cost (typically the same price as it would cost you to renew the domain anyway) and will extend its current expiry date by one year.

If you don’t already have a domain name, you can register one with us (or through another provider if you’d prefer), and our team will connect your domain to your hosting during the migration.

If you want to keep your domain where it’s currently registered, just let our team know, and they’ll get everything connected up during the migration.

What if my hosting/domain is due to expire soon?

We strongly recommend you book your migration no closer than 48-72 hours before your hosting is due to expire, and/or 7 days before your domain is due to expire (if you are transferring your domain to us at the same time as migrating your website), whichever is sooner.

We occasionally have people cancel at short notice, so if you can’t see a time slot that works for you below, please use the chat in the bottom right to contact us or email sales@lyricalhost.com and we’ll see if we can open up another slot for you.

When do I cancel with my old host?

Our support team will be able to confirm when you’re good to cancel with your old host. Please don’t cancel your services with them until we confirm everything has finished being migrated and transferred.

How does the migration process work?

Firstly you need to book in a migration, which is explained below. When it’s time for your migration, our team will ticket you and wait for you to confirm you’re still happy to go ahead. After that our team takes care of everything in several stages, which are covered in more detail towards the bottom of this page. You don’t need to be techy – our team handles everything for you.

Can I change my billing cycle, date, or plan in future?

You can change your billing cycle or billing date any time you like; just let our support team know and they’ll make the switch for you.

Upgrading your plan is just as easy – it only takes our support team a few minutes to do and there’s no risk to your files or any down time.

Unlike other hosts, we even let you downgrade your plan as needed. We’re here to make your life easier & fit in with what you need.

I’m ready to get started! What do I do now?

There are three steps to booking in a migration. After that you can sit back and relax!

1. Book Your Migration

2. Head Through Checkout

3. Raise A Ticket

Step 1 of 3: Book Your Migration

Pick a slot on the calendar by using the arrows to navigate months, clicking or tapping your chosen date, then completing the short form. You’ll get an email to confirm.

Please ensure your old hosting plan will still be active (i.e. it won’t have expired) for at least 48 hours after your migration date. If you want to transfer a domain, it must have at least 7 days left before it’s due to expire.

New dates open every 24 hours. If you can’t see a time/day that works, please email us for emergency availability!

You only need to be available for the first 5-10 mins of your migration time, to confirm you’re still happy to go ahead, and so Support can check they have the login details & access needed.

We book out fast, so please book in (it’s free!) even if you’re not planning to check out yet. Paying 24 hours before your migration is fine; or, if you prefer to pay now and your migration slot is more than 3 days in the future, we’ll add free extra days to your plan to make up the time. Just ask Support after your migration.

Have multiple websites? Please book one migration slot per site. If you have 3+ to move, please contact us directly first.

Once you’ve booked in your migration, please continue to Step 2 below.

Existing customer? We can migrate additional sites you own via this booking process. Sadly, due to demand we can no longer migrate any of your clients’ sites to your existing hosting plan; they will need their own new plan.

Step 2 of 3: Head through checkout

Here’s what you need to pick at each stage of checkout. Click the images to enlarge.

Firstly, head to our secure checkout. Choose your hosting package and click ‘Order Now’ to go to the next stage of checkout.

If you don’t already have a domain name you want to use, you can search available names using the top (default) option, “Register a new domain,” and add one to your cart.

Or:

If you already have a domain name you want to use, choose the bottom option. “I already have a domain name I want to use. (Choose this option if you’re going to update your name servers or you’ve booked a Website Migration).” Then enter your existing domain name in the box that appears. If you’re migrating multiple websites, just enter one domain name. Our team will talk through transferring or updating your domain later on in the migration process.

Next, choose your preferred billing cycle from the dropdown menu. You can choose to pay monthly, six monthly, yearly, every 2 years, or every three years.

If you change your mind later, just contact our team and they can switch your preferred billing cycle, upgrade or downgrade your plan, or change the date payment is taken.

Once you’ve chosen your billing cycle, click ‘Continue.’ On the following screen you can review and edit your order, and enter a promo/discount code if you have one.

Finally, complete your order by entering your contact and payment details. Please use your main email address for sign up as all important notifications and actions will be sent there (for example if a payment is declined or a service is due to renew).

During this stage of checkout, you’ll also be asked to agree to our Terms and Conditions, which are linked for easy reading.

When you’re happy, click “Complete Order.” Your order will be confirmed and you’ll receive payment confirmation and a Welcome email to the email address you entered during the process.

Now it’s time to move on to the final step, raising a ticket.

Step 3 of 3: Raise a ticket

The final thing to do is to contact our support team here.

If you need to log in, please use the details you used at checkout.

Then simply copy and paste the following and add in your answers (if you aren’t sure, just do your best and we’ll follow up!):

Hey Lyrical Host Team,

Just confirming my website migration booking.

My website URL: [list all your URLs if you booked migrations for multiple websites, in order of most important to least important]

Current web host: [for example WordPress.com, Bluehost, GoDaddy]

My web host login details: [provide your username & password for your account with your current web host (not your WordPress Dashboard). Our system is secure & you can change them as soon as your migration is finished].

Click the ‘Submit’ button, and your ticket will be safely sent to our migration team.

Congratulations! You’re all booked in.

Here’s what happens next.

The Migration Process

1. Booking in: We confirm your migration slot

Our team will reply to your support ticket to confirm your migration and provide a little more info. Ticket replies will come through to your email, or you can log in to https://hub.lyricalhost.com if you don’t see them in your inbox.

2. Migration start: We ticket you at your migration time

Once the time slot you picked for your migration comes up, our team sends you a support ticket to confirm the migration start. You don’t need to be around for the whole migration, just the beginning. Please do not make any changes to your site during this time, as they may not copy over. Any checkouts or sign ups you have on your site itself should be closed during this period.

3. Migration underway: We make a copy of your website

There’s no risk to your files because we make an exact copy of everything and upload it to our staging platform. At this stage we also scan your site for malware and clean up anything we find. We’ll then send you a ticket to confirm you’re good to check over your website.

4. We migrate your email accounts

If your email is provided by your old hosting company, we’ll migrate it over to our servers. If your email accounts are provided through GSuite or another service, we’ll make any necessary updates to the settings so that your email continues to work uninterrupted.

5. Migration complete: We put your website live

Once you’re happy, we push your website over to our fast, optimized live platform. It takes over seamlessly, so there’s no downtime for your visitors.

Our team will confirm via ticket once your website is live with us, so you know you’re safe to cancel with your old host.

Any domain names you want to transfer can also be done at this time.

6. Post-migration aftercare: We do any other related tasks

For example, installing your free SSL certificates, assisting with email account setup, assisting with the set up of Google Analytics & Search Console if needed (you’ll need to provide your verification code from Google), advising on plugins, generally helping you get settled in to your new hosting, etc. Please raise a new ticket for each different query so it doesn’t get lost in your migration ticket.

Enjoy your new home!

While you’re waiting

Now’s the perfect opportunity to spend some time getting familiar with your Lyrical Host account. All the info you need is in your Welcome email, along with details about accessing our Resource Library, our affiliate program, and more.

If you aren’t already a member, we’d love to welcome you to the Lyrical Host Blog & Business Squad Facebook group. We run an active, friendly community where you can connect with likeminded bloggers and business owners from all over the world.