Changing the provider does not always mean replacing everything.
Start by separating the website build, hosting, domain registration, DNS, business email, and ongoing support. Different companies may run each part. Decide which service needs to change and which useful parts should stay.
A sound WordPress setup may remain while the design improves. A subscription platform may require a rebuild if its design or code cannot be exported. Your current agreement, account access, and the replacement scope determine the practical route.
If you are leaving an advisor-specific platform, use the advisor website migration guide for content, publishing, and firm-review questions.
Get the handover inventory before committing to a switch.
Ask the current provider to identify the accounts and deliverables below. Use named access or a secure transfer method. Do not put account passwords or transfer codes into a public project inquiry.
| Item | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Domain and DNS | The registrar, account holder, renewal date, DNS host, and who can authorize changes. |
| Business email | The mail provider, administrator, aliases, and records needed to keep email working. |
| Website and content | Available files, database or content export, images, articles, page URLs, and a usable backup. |
| Licenses and ownership | Which project assets transfer, which third-party licenses are reusable, and which services end. |
| Forms and connected tools | Every contact form, notification recipient, booking link, payment link, portal, and supported integration. |
| Measurement and search | Access to the business's analytics, Search Console, relevant profiles, and existing verification records. |
| Commercial handover | Notice requirements, outstanding fees, export costs, service end dates, and who confirms completion. |
Your contract controls what the current provider must supply. Confirm unclear ownership and termination terms before relying on an assumed export or cancellation date. For the broader distinction, read what owning a website actually means.
Move in a sequence your business can verify.
Inspect the current setup.
Confirm access, required content, and connected services. Identify any parts that depend on the outgoing provider. Agree whether the job is maintenance, a redesign, a rebuild, or a platform move.
Prepare the replacement privately.
Build and review on staging while the current site remains available. Include your real content and test the paths customers will use, rather than judging a homepage alone.
Map the pages that change.
Keep useful existing URLs when practical. Map changed URLs to relevant replacement pages, including important articles and downloads. Google's site-move guidance explains URL mapping and permanent redirects. Search results may change during a move.
Protect business email.
If DNS hosting changes, preserve the records required by your email provider. Confirm mail routing and authentication with the people administering email. Website hosting and email hosting should be explicit decisions. Cloudflare's email-record documentation explains the role of these DNS records.
Approve and verify the live switch.
Agree the change window and rollback plan. After publication, check HTTPS, agreed redirects, mobile navigation, booking links, client access, and form delivery to the actual intended inbox.
Close the old service deliberately.
Confirm that the old account is no longer needed for the website, email, redirects, retained records, or another dependency. Keep an agreed backup and handover record. End old services and access only when the business authorizes those steps.
A migration you can inspect.
The Hilpan Moxie case study records the content migration, reviewer handoff, and finished website. It shows what was delivered for that project. Your available exports, content rights, integrations, and review process need their own assessment.
Get a scope before booking the handover date.
TMN's Essential Website starts at $2,250 for a focused website using an existing brand and usable content. Full Site Rebuild starts at $3,750 with deeper writing and content organization. Custom Studio Build starts at $5,000 for more involved migrations, integrations, audiences, or review coordination. A routine content move does not automatically require the largest tier.
The proposal specifies the content to move, pages to retain or redirect, platform, editing access, connected tools, launch work, and support. Existing WordPress or WooCommerce systems are assessed before recommending what should remain.
Tell us the current provider, what you want to change, and any renewal or service-end date. Do not cancel first. An accelerated launch may fit a ready project once scope, access, approvals, and availability are confirmed.
After full payment, project-specific website files and assets created by TMN transfer under the signed agreement. Hosting, care, third-party licenses, integrations, and maintained TMN software follow their separate terms. General business care is optional from $50/month. New RIA engagements include separately billed $100/month managed hosting and care from the agreed launch. See current pricing and scope.
Questions before you start.
Can I keep my domain when I change website providers?
Often, yes. Confirm who holds the registrar account, who controls DNS, and any applicable agreement or transfer requirements. A website hosting change does not automatically require a registrar transfer.
Will my business email need to move?
Not necessarily. Identify the current mail provider and preserve the required DNS records. If email also needs to move, treat that as a separate, explicitly scoped migration with sending and receiving checks.
Can TMN keep my WordPress site or backend?
We assess the existing theme, content, plugins, publishing needs, hosting, and integrations before recommending a change. A useful WordPress or WooCommerce backend can remain when it fits the approved scope.
When should I cancel my current website service?
Confirm the replacement is live and accepted, the agreed checks are complete, and the old service is no longer needed for email, redirects, content, backups, or another dependency. Follow the current agreement and authorize cancellation separately.
Can you guarantee that rankings will stay the same?
No. We can scope URL preservation, redirects, metadata, crawlability, and monitoring. Search visibility can change with content, competition, technical changes, and search systems outside TMN's control.