When to move off a do-it-yourself website builder

When a builder is fine

A do-it-yourself builder is a reasonable choice when you're starting out, money is tight, and you need a page with your number on it this week. If your site loads quickly on a phone, shows your services and photos, has a working form, and you can change it yourself, there may be no reason to move. Don't let anyone tell you a site is bad just because of what it was made with.

Signs it may be time to move

• You can't add what you need, such as a separate page for each main service.
• The site feels slow on a phone even after you've shrunk the photos. Test it with the steps in our phone speed guide.
• You're paying for add-ons one at a time and the monthly total keeps growing.
• You don't have time to keep it updated, so the hours, photos or services are out of date.
• You can't control basics like page titles, page addresses or redirects.
• The site is still on the builder's free address instead of your own domain.

One or two of these can often be fixed inside the builder. Several at once may mean the business has outgrown its first site.

How a move works

1. Content

Many builders don't let you export the design, and some only export part of the text. Plan on copying your words by hand and gathering your original photos, not the shrunken copies on the site. Make a list of every page address on the old site before anything changes.

2. Domain

If you bought the domain through the builder, check that it's in your name and whether it can be transferred out or simply pointed to the new site. A domain sometimes can't be transferred for a while after it was registered or moved, so check early. More in owning your domain and website.

3. Redirects

A redirect sends anyone who visits an old page address to the matching new page. Without redirects, old links from Google, your profile and directories can lead to an error page. Match each old address to a new one, and test them after launch.

4. Email

This is the step that is easy to miss. If your business email runs on the same domain, its settings (called MX records) must be carried over exactly when the domain is pointed at the new site. Tell whoever is doing the move that you have email on the domain before they touch anything.

5. Launch and check

Keep the old plan running until the new site is live and tested. Then send a test form, tap the phone number, send and receive an email, and update the website link on your Google Business Profile if the address changed. Cancel the old plan last.

Before you cancel anything

• Text and original photos saved
• List of old page addresses
• Domain in your name, and transferred or pointed
• Email tested on the new setup
• Redirects tested

If you'd like a second opinion on whether a move is even worth it, our free website check is a place to start.