Transfer a domain to Sitejet
In this article, we will explain everything you need to know to successfully transfer a domain to Sitejet that is already registered with another provider.
Table of contents
Preparation
Before you get started, here are a few things you should prepare for:
- Does the domain you would like to transfer to Sitejet already have email accounts? If so, the email messages in these accounts should be backed up locally. After the backup, please move them using our email transfer tool. If this doesn't happen before the domain transfer, then the emails might get lost. You can find more information on how the email transfer tool works here.
- Is the auth code available? The code is required during the transfer process to identify you as the legitimate owner of the domain.
- With some domains, there is additional information that you need to have for the transfer. Please check with us via mail, before you like to transfer domains like *.org, *.no, etc. Most domain providers do have a list of special cases in their knowledge base.
Locate the authorization code
To move a domain from one host to another, you will need the domain's auth code, also known as "EPP code", or "transfer key". You can get this code from your current domain provider. It is usually available in the customer portal, or by asking customer support.
Add the domain
Once you have the auth code, the next step is to add the domain in the Domain Manager which you can find in the relevant website under the "Actions" dropdown menu. When adding the domain, make sure that you enter it without the "www". For example, you would enter the domain as "your-website.com" rather than "www.your-website.com/".
Transfer the domain
To transfer a domain, simply follow these steps:
- Enter the domain name, then click "Search" in the Domain Manager. Select "Transfer domain from previous provider".
- Check the domain details, and update them if necessary.
- Enter the auth code in the field for "AuthCode".
- Click "Start transfer".
If you only want to add the domain to the domain manager and transfer it later you can select "Transfer later".
Things to be aware of when transferring domains
When you want to move your website to Sitejet, you have to make sure that you follow a couple of steps to avoid a decrease in your page’s rank. To make this process a bit easier on you, we created this list of the most important steps you need to take to maintain your rank or even improve it.
Avoid 404s at all costs
This is the number one thing you want to avoid! Make sure that all your previous pages’ links, external and internal ones alike, actually end up somewhere other than the dreaded 404 pages. You either want to create a duplicate of the old structure with matching names or at least add redirections for undesirable sub-pages you don’t want to keep, because even if you remove them, Google will still remember them all. Follow these steps to find all your links and add them to a spreadsheet for easy access and to avoid confusion:
- Manually scrape all your links from your website
- Use a scraping tool to find your links
- Check google for all search results
- Keep your SEO Settings or improve them
When you get to your SEO settings, like your page description, its title, and everything else, you want to make sure to keep it at least the same or, even better, improve them!
As Google improves its ranking algorithm over time, the prerequisites for a good ranking will change as well. So, you might want to use this opportunity to update yourself on current SEO standards to improve your rank. While you are at it, you might even want to take a look at the content of your website. There are a couple of dos and don'ts you want to adhere to when it comes to Google and user-friendly content. While there aren’t any specific routes to success, there are, however, a lot of well-researched guides that can point you in the right direction.
Optimize your loading speed
When you re-upload your images so Sitejet, you should optimize them if you haven’t done so already. This is one of the most important factors that impact your page speed. We recommend you look up a couple of guides about image optimization, but we will also list a few quick things you can do right now:
- Optimized JPGs are smaller than PNGs except when using solid colors
- Illustrations should be done in vector format
- Run your images through an image compressor if you don’t have access to tools like Photoshop or Gimp
If you have the time, feel free to read through this image optimization guide by Google. We also provide you with an article about the website performance.
Test all Google search results again
Even with the rigorous testing, you have done beforehand, you might have missed a link or two. So, use the opportunity to double-check this one last time.
Add the necessary DNS Settings
After transferring your domain, you might have to add any or all of these DNS settings in the domain manager: Follow this link for the DNS Settings.
That sums up our top tips for successfully transferring a domain to Sitejet. There are of course a couple of factors that you can’t control, like server speed and uptime but we have taken care of that for you by providing a reliable and fast infrastructure for all your websites.
Become a part of our Community!
Exchange ideas with other web designers about current developments, tips, and tricks and show your favorite sites. Get advice and talk to us about possible features you would like to see on Sitejet. You can join the Sitejetters community here.
