Yes, you can switch hosts even if your website is on GoDaddy, Bluehost, or HostGator, and in most cases it’s a routine move with little to no interruption for visitors.
The big thing to know is that your hosting and your domain name are two separate pieces. Your host stores your website files and database. Your domain is your address (yourbusiness.com) and can stay where it is while you move the website to a new server. After the site is copied, you simply update DNS to point your domain to the new host.
Here’s the clean way we handle a host switch for Orlando and Central Florida businesses:
- Confirm what your site is built on. WordPress and most custom sites can be migrated. Some “website builder” products are not portable and may require a rebuild (more on that below).
- Collect access and backups. We pull a full copy of your site (files + database) and document current DNS records (A, CNAME, MX, TXT). We also keep a rollback plan in case anything odd pops up.
- Lower DNS TTL before the switch. This helps the change take effect faster when it’s time to point your domain to the new host.
- Move the site to the new host and test it. We test pages, mobile layout, forms, booking links, tracking, and any integrations (Stripe, calendars, CRMs).
- Flip DNS and finish the cutover. We update nameservers or individual DNS records, install SSL, and verify your site loads correctly on HTTPS.
- Monitor and then cancel the old hosting. Once everything is stable and email is confirmed, you can safely remove the old plan.
Two common “gotchas” we plan for: email and builder platforms. If your email is tied to the old provider, changing DNS can interrupt mail flow unless MX records are set correctly and mailboxes are migrated if needed. And if you’re on a closed builder (for example, some versions of GoDaddy’s site builder), you usually can’t export a full working site, so we rebuild it on a platform you fully control.
Will this hurt SEO? A hosting switch by itself typically doesn’t hurt rankings if your URLs stay the same, the site remains crawlable, and the move doesn’t introduce downtime or blocked pages. If you want the behind-the-scenes details, our FAQ on how website migrations work explains what actually changes during a move.
If you’re also thinking about moving your domain registration (not required), you can do that too, it just follows a different process than hosting. Our FAQ on transferring a domain covers the practical steps and what can slow it down (like domain locks or recent registrations).
If your current setup feels messy or slow, we usually pair the move with performance cleanup and safer backups, which is exactly what we do in our WordPress hosting service. And if your site is stuck on a non-portable builder, our web design team can rebuild it on a platform that’s easier to manage and easier to grow.
