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-Adrian
Switching from one domain name to another is not all that easy, but worth the effort.
Switching domains was relatively pain free, with a couple of exceptions. Apparently, I just could not find the correct incantation for 301 redirecting via .htaccess at the old domain; however, after bashing my head on it for over an hour, it was easily fixed via my webhost’s control panel anyway. Then I had up update a hostname within WordPress to reconnect to the existing database which was only made apparent by the website NOT coming up online after the switch. Changing Google Webmaster Console/Analytics was trivial, and apparently I did not have to rebuild store inventory since connecting was just a matter of re-syncing via API (a nice surprise). I’m in the process of updating email addresses, and logins, but that is nothing major to worry about.
A few things about this process:
- Yeah, it’s a weekend project since I am taking my time about it, but the majority of it switched over just fine. There was some manual changing of the domain within actual pages and blog-posts, but that is easily cleaned up one at a time.
- The switch is NEVER as simple as “we do the heavy lifting for you, and everything is fine,” no matter what your webhost claims.
- WordPress exposes you to EVERYTHING that gets hidden away from you on Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, Shopify, etc. That has its own pros and cons, but after finally figuring out what was causing the backend to choke on itself and fixing it, the website is much more responsive on the backend and does not drown in PHP-FPM processes. Seems a lot of server RAM hovers around 700MB at night, but 125MB during the day, but never gets tied up at 75MB or less and stuck until it all comes to a screeching halt.
All of this might sound much more impressive than it actually is, but it isn’t. I still can’t code, but I can at least follow basic instructions and cut and paste as necessary. Conjuring up 301 re-direction incantations in a dot-file is some next level logician-ship that may as well be me trying to translate Sumerian cuneiform tablets to English in order to speak Russian, in French…
It took a few years, but I finally exist as my name online, and will use adrianfeliciano.com as my primary branding and personal hub. Everything else will be tied to it.
About my current webhost
In case you’re curious, this website is hosted by DreamHost, my current favorite webhost, on their dedicated WordPress plan, DreamPress (Affiliate Link).
I chose them after migrating away from Squarespace and comparing different WordPress hosting plans on Hostgator, SiteGround, InMotion Hosting, and Pressable among several others.
For a variety of reasons, I refuse to touch GoDaddy.
American Bogan, my e-commerce shop, is also hosted under a second DreamPress plan after I decided to migrate it away from Shopify. The combined monthly costs for two Shopify stores on the basic plan ($39.99 x2) plus another $20 each (to allow Shopify’s live shipping rates to connect to Printful) is more than three times what my DreamPress Plus websites cost at $29.95 each!
I now have multiple automatic backups enabled for safety and security and can access far better SEO tools, something that Shopify does not offer unless you install separate apps that each charge you yet another monthly fee.
I also have a shared hosting account with DreamHost. On it, I am currently hosting three websites: one for Zoe’s chainmaille and scalemaille webshop, her best friend’s handcraft shop, and one for Artemis’ official website.
I can host as many websites on my shared-hosting plan (Affiliate Link) as I wish without worry.
DreamHost has been the right combination of price, storage, un-metered bandwidth, expertise, and support for me. I swear to God, I learn something new every time I have to contact Customer Support with a new question!
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a good webhost, please consider DreamHost (Affiliate Link).
I’ve been very happy with them for a few years, now!
