Map your accounts before cancelling anything
Write down your domain registrar, web host, email provider, website platform, analytics and Google Search Console access. These may all be managed by one supplier, or several different companies. Do not cancel the old hosting or website contract before you know where the domain points and how messages reach your inbox. A premature cancellation can disrupt enquiries even if the replacement site is ready.
Keep email separate in your migration plan
A decorator may rely on an address printed on vans, workwear, quotations and invoices. Moving website hosting does not automatically require moving email hosting. Record current email settings and ask explicitly whether the migration changes DNS records used for mail. Coordinate changes carefully and verify messages can be sent and received after the switch.
Preserve useful URLs and links
If your current website already has project pages or ranks for a genuine local service search, record its live addresses. When the new site changes page URLs, use permanent redirects to the closest equivalent content where appropriate. Avoid sending every old page to the homepage, and do not abandon a useful guide simply because the new design uses a different navigation menu.
Build and test before switching traffic
Where practical, preview the new site in a staging environment. Check mobile layout, service-area wording, forms, telephone links and required legal information. Agree a switchover window when someone can monitor the change, then check the live website on multiple devices. Keep an accessible copy of the old site in case a missing page or asset needs recovery.
Know exactly what the old supplier must provide
Ask for account access or agreed exports, details of any proprietary platform restrictions, a record of existing redirects and clear contractual end dates. If ownership is disputed, use the written agreement rather than guessing. Moving provider should be a controlled project, not an angry cancellation email sent before anyone checks where the domain is registered.
Handover plan for a live decorating site
Suppose a decorator has been using the same domain for five years and wants a new website provider. Begin with a register of the domain registrar, hosting provider, email service, DNS settings, important URLs and analytics access. Export the old content and record where existing quotation messages go. Do not cancel hosting or change nameservers before the replacement site and email arrangements are tested.
Plan each redirect before launch. A former `/wallpapering/` page should lead to a relevant new wallpapering page, not automatically to the homepage. Test business email, web forms and phone links after the switch. This guide is about managing the live transition; separate ownership questions belong in the contract and domain-control review.
- Inventory existing accounts and essential URLs.
- Keep old enquiry channels working during migration.
- Test targeted redirects and business email after cutover.
Further reading
Related guide: Painter and Decorator Website Redesign Checklist: What to Keep and Fix
Related guide: What Should a Decorator Ask Before Signing a Website Design Contract?