Terms and conditions – Terms and conditions are essential when offering any service, ensure that all your clients have a copy of your terms and conditions. Many resellers forget to create their own terms and conditions, as they are often very time-consuming to write. If you ask a web host you will find that some of them will either let you copy theirs or they will just supply you with terms and conditions specifically written for this purpose.

Fast and reliable support - Fast and reliable, service and support, is essential, from your web hosting company. If something happens to your client’s web site it is important to be able to get problem solved as soon as possible. You don’t want clients being unhappy with your hosting services, as this will reflect badly on your other services too.

Reselling can be a very profitable side business if you find right host. It may take up some of your time, however, if you put time and effort into providing a little bit extra in your services, not only will your clients be a lot happier you will have a rewarding total web services business.

On your new mail server, re-create all email accounts currently in use; and set up auto-responders, forwarders and aliases at same time. If available, enable “catch-all” feature; this will help you to retrieve all emails sent to a non-existing email account; which you may have forgotten to create! Remember though, new email addresses will only work after transfer of domain is complete. Unfortunately, there is no way to test them on new server before transfer.

The next step is transferring domain; to do this you need to start by changing DNS server details, which is pretty easy to do. Obtain Primary and Secondary nameserver details from your new web host. Go to your domain registrar’s site (the site from which you registered domain name) and login into your control panel, offered by most of domain registrars, to maintain your domain name. In control panel, look for ‘DNS’, ‘Nameserver’ or ‘Delegation’ option and change previous nameserver details, with new one (you just obtained from your new host).

Some domain registrars confirm these changes by sending an email to address you nominated while registering that domain. You will need to reply using that email address. Most of hosts offer a free domain transfer service and will be happy to make necessary transfer changes for you. The domain transfer can take 24 to 72 hours to be confirmed by domain registrar; and, so too for new host, if doing this service for you. If it is not transferred within 72 hours, it is advisable to contact domain registrar and look into matter.

Once your domain is transferred you will start receiving emails from your new mail server and see your website from your new account. Leave your old web hosting account open for 3 or 4 more days, just to ensure you receive all emails, including those losing their way in domain transfer and directed back to your old email account.

After a few days, ask your previous web host to cancel your account. Make sure you follow all of your previous host’s closing procedures, and leave cleanly. You will find that transfer should go smoothly and all parties will be more helpful.