Tips for Migrating PrestaShop Store to Another Domain

There are various reasons a company changes the domain name of the website. For example, an eCommerce store running for years might have changed its niche and require a new URL that matches its latest offerings more accurately. Migrating the PrestaShop store to another domain requires careful planning with a keen focus on zero database loss. 

The PrestaShop eCommerce platform releases new versions with upgraded security, performance enhancements, and more. The release of new versions offers scope for running online stores to leverage PrestaShop upgrade and change domain simultaneously, thus saving cost and time. 

This article offers handy tips for migrating PrestaShop stores to new domains in a hassle-free way. 

What is PrestaShop Domain Migration?

PrestaShop domain migration is the standard method of moving the website and the entire site content, all the files, and resources from one domain to another. A successful domain migration involves several factors and can be best handled by an experienced PrestaShop support team. 

When to Consider PrestaShop Domain Migration?

There are several reasons why you should consider eCommerce domain migration. The most prominent ones to migrate PrestaShop to a new domain are:

• Your company’s name, ownership, or brand name has changed.
• You have multiple domains with a few different contents, and you want to merge them as one.
• The current domain name does not correctly represent your business.
• You have found a relatively cheaper domain and want to sell or abandon the current one.

Benefits of Migrating PrestaShop Store to Another Domain

Migrating PrestaShop store to another domain can help any eCommerce business in multiple ways, like boosting security, privacy, customer service, and more.

• Boost Security

Your current website might be prone to redirects and hacks. Especially if customers have complained, it’s time to switch to a more secure domain. When you switch to a new domain, ask the registrar for a domain name lock that can prevent you from such hacks.  

• Improve Business Continuity

If your Prestashop eCommerce store is growing at a rapid pace, you might need support services with domain. If your current host does not provide support, ensure that the latest domain provider has an active support team to help you with 100% business continuity.

• Cost

You might be paying too much for too little with your current domain; switching to another domain can help you ensure maximum value for money. You should look for the following features when choosing a domain registrar:

• 24/7 Live Customer Support
• SSL certification
• Domain-based emails
• Multi-factor authentication
• Privacy controls

• Privacy

Privacy and security are not the same things when it comes to domain switching. While security focuses on protecting your site against hacks, privacy aims to hide your WHOIS information from the public. This helps to effectively avoid spam messages and also aids in protection against hackers. 

Most domain registrars promise to give you the utmost privacy, but not all meet regulation standards. Inspecting whether the registrars offer foolproof privacy is essential, as it can help you improve your game against online hacking activities. 

Do you know the top domain registrars across the globe? The infographic below offers insights.

Tips For PrestaShop Domain Migration  

• Detailed Roadmap for Migration Plan

Initiating the migration process without a well-defined plan can cause you more trouble than bringing benefits to the project. The foremost step is to look at various aspects of the project and devise a careful strategy for successfully implementing the project. 

You can connect with stakeholders and potential partners with first-hand process experience. This will help you gain insights into the possible challenges that might occur while leading the project. 

Another significant step is to check the standard hosting requirements for the website local server. The new account or the new hosting space needs to be compatible with the Prestashop database, configuration files, FTP client, and other standard elements of the site. Enlisting the basic requirements of the same server, PHP, and SQL helps to identify the best domain for the PrestaShop migration. 

• Estimate Project Duration

Many eCommerce companies mistakenly believe the project will be completed when it’s supposed to. Neglecting timelines with the roadmap can lead to unnecessary delays and high costs. 

A proper time estimate for moving the site from the Prestashop support team can help you with better project tracking. It will also eliminate hurdles and anxieties from the project. Moreover, with a timeline, you will have clear ideas on the total time for site downtime. This will help you estimate losses due to business discontinuity and devise ways to minimize them.  

• Create Backup & Run on Maintenance Mode

Having a backup of the site will prove handy in case things go mayhem. Ask the Prestashop upgrade team to take backups of your site and offer a single-click return to tackle any issue in case migration takes longer than expected. 

Another significant tip is to run the PrestaShop store in maintenance mode during migration. So, when the customers visit your online store, they will be notified about ongoing maintenance and can return to the store another time. 

• Leverage 301 Redirects

Several eCommerce customers must have saved or bookmarked your website’s old URL. However, you cannot notify every customer about the change in the URL as it leads to unnecessary confusion among the users.

Instead, You must redirect these customers to the new website URL via 301 redirects. This also lets the Google search engine understand that your website has a new address.

Wrapping Up

That was all about the PrestaShop domain migration. There’s a lot involved in a successful PrestaShop upgrade strategy.

At Presta Web Developer, we can help you craft immersive online stores or upgrade existing ones with new functional features, technology trends, and more.