Switching web design agency: a step-by-step plan

Why business owners switch web design agency

• Long response times for outages or small changes.
• Unclear or rising costs for hosting and maintenance.
• The developer is stopping, retiring or no longer has time.
• Your business has grown and you need features your current provider can't build.
• You notice updates and security aren't being kept up.

Not sure whether to switch, or would you rather talk first? It often helps to write down your wishes and complaints and discuss them with your current developer. If that doesn't solve anything, at least you'll know exactly what you expect from a new agency.

Step 1: map what you have

Before you cancel anything, make an overview. Many business owners don't know exactly where their site runs or who manages the domain. Find out:

• Which registrar your domain is with, and in whose name.
• Where the website is hosted and whether you have your own account there.
• Where your business email runs. That's often not the same place as the website, but sometimes it is.
• Which system the site was built with: WordPress, another CMS, custom code or the developer's own platform.
• Which external services are connected, such as payments, forms, a booking system or a newsletter.
• What your contract says about ownership, notice period and handover.

Read how to check what belongs to you in owning your website, code and domain.

Step 2: request all access and files

Ask your current provider in writing for a handover. Be specific about what you want to receive:

• The domain's transfer code (authorisation code), or a change of holder to your company.
• Login details for the hosting and admin area, or a full export.
• A complete backup of files and database.
• The source code, ideally through a Git repository (an online folder with every version of the code).
• The DNS settings: the records that decide where your website and email point to.
• Access to Google Analytics, Search Console and any advertising accounts.
• Licences for paid plugins or themes, and whose name they're in.

Stay friendly and businesslike. Most developers cooperate properly, especially when your notice period and outstanding invoices are settled. If your developer charges a fee for the handover, ask what it is upfront.

Step 3: let the new agency assess the site

Give the new agency the backup or access, so they can see what's under the bonnet. This matters, because sometimes only then does it turn out that:

• the site runs on a closed platform and can't be moved;
• plugins or software haven't been updated for years;
• the code is so outdated that rebuilding is cheaper than taking it over;
• parts are missing that only existed with the old developer.

After this assessment you'll know whether you can take over the site as it is, or whether it's smarter to rebuild it. In that case, also read redesigning your website.

Step 4: move your website to new hosting

Now the site moves technically. A good order:

• The new agency puts the site on the new hosting and tests it on a temporary address.
• You check together that everything works: pages, forms, payments, logging in.
• The DNS records are changed, so your domain points to the new server.
• The old hosting keeps running for a few weeks as a safety net.
• Only once everything runs smoothly do you cancel the old hosting.

Pay extra attention to your email. If your mail ran through the same provider, it needs to move too or be set up again. A wrongly configured MX record (the record that decides where your mail goes) can mean you receive no email for days.

Step 5: transfer your domain with the transfer code

Moving the domain itself to another registrar is a separate step. You need the transfer code for it. It's wise to do this only once the site is already running on the new hosting, so you don't change two things at once. After the transfer, check that the DNS records have been carried over correctly.

With .nl domains a transfer usually goes quickly, often within a day. With other extensions it can take longer and you sometimes have to approve a confirmation by email. So make sure the holder's email address is correct and that you can read that mailbox.

Pitfalls when switching web design agency

• Cancelling too early. Only cancel once you have everything, or the old provider may take the site offline.
• Forgetting email. The website works, but nobody receives mail any more.
• Changing URLs without redirects. Then you lose rankings in Google. Read website migration without losing SEO for this.
• Licences in the old developer's name that suddenly stop.
• No backup from before the move. If something goes wrong, you want to be able to go back.

A practical tip: before you switch, make a simple list of all accounts, who has access and when anything expires. That list helps you with the move now, and later if you ever need to change or hand over something again.

Moving your website to Violexa

At Violexa we take over websites and web applications from other providers. We start with an assessment, so you know whether taking over or rebuilding is the best choice. If we go for a new custom website or app, it starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT). If you then want hosting, updates and backups taken care of, you can do that with a maintenance plan from €179 per month excl. VAT (€217 incl. VAT).

Want to know what it takes to switch? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on site, we look at your current situation together. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.

Frequently asked questions