Changing Web Agencies: How to Move Your Website Without Losing Data

What should be secured before cancellation?

Do not cancel first. Secure everything needed for a rebuild or migration: website files, database, images, texts, logo files, logins, analytics access and a list of all connected services. With WordPress, the database is as important as themes, plugins and uploads. Without it, pages, forms and menus may be missing.

Ask for a full backup and check whether it can actually be used. A ZIP file is not enough if nobody knows the CMS, PHP version or database details. A simple handover list covering domain, hosting, CMS, email, DNS, tracking, cookie tool, forms and external licences prevents invisible parts from being forgotten.

• current website files and database
• media folder with images, PDFs and downloads
• admin access for CMS, hosting, domain and email
• DNS records, SSL certificate, mailboxes and forwards
• proof of image licences, fonts and paid plugins

Who owns the domain, content, images and design?

The most important ownership question is the domain. It should be registered to your company, not the agency. For a .de domain transfer, an AuthInfo code is normally required. Without account access or cooperation from the current provider, the switch becomes slower and more expensive.

Your own content is usually clearer: texts, photos, logos and product information belong to you. Design and source code depend on the contract. German copyright law grants usage rights under section 31 UrhG, which may be simple or exclusive and limited by time, region or purpose. So ask specifically whether the new agency may reuse the design, layout, texts, images and code.

Which contracts and deadlines matter when switching?

Read the existing contract before cancelling. Check minimum term, notice period, payment status, maintenance contract, hosting contract and handover clauses. Some contracts separate build, hosting and care; others bundle everything into one monthly fee. Then it must be clear what ends after cancellation and which data you receive first.

A professional handover includes a backup date, DNS switch date, contact person and short transition period. Red flags are domains that are not released, backups offered only for excessive fees, or pressure tactics after cancellation. Pay legitimate open invoices, but get handover of your own data confirmed in writing.

How does the technical move work without downtime?

A safe website move is not done live on impulse. The new agency should first build a copy in a test environment. Pages, forms, privacy texts, redirects, mobile layout and loading speed are checked there. Only when that version works is the domain pointed to the new hosting via DNS.

Treat email separately. Many businesses do not lose website data but email deliverability because MX records, SPF, DKIM or mailboxes are copied incorrectly. If website, domain and email use different providers, the DNS zone must be documented exactly.

• import backup and test staging site
• test forms, bookings, redirects and cookie settings
• save DNS zone, especially MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC
• schedule go-live for a quiet time, not Friday evening
• keep the old environment for a few days

What does changing agencies realistically cost?

Costs depend on whether the existing website can be moved or must be rebuilt. Moving a small WordPress site with a clean backup may take only a few hours; €300 to €900 is realistic if there are no surprises. If the site is modernised or moved to a new system, it becomes a small relaunch project.

With bezahlbare-webseite.de, the switch is often part of a new subscription model: Starter from €79/month, Business €149/month, Premium €299/month. This makes sense when the old site is technically outdated and you do not want another large upfront project. Add-ons such as SEO from €69, Google Ads from €149 or booking from €149 should be planned openly.

Which checklist prevents data loss?

The best protection is a sober checklist. It keeps the switch factual even if the old agency reacts emotionally. Ask for handover of data, access and domains, set a reasonable deadline and document key points in writing.

After go-live, do not only check the homepage. Review subpages, contact forms, thank-you pages, Google Business Profile, tracking, sitemap, robots.txt and redirects. A switch is only complete when technology, content, legal pages and visibility have been checked.

• check contract and notice period
• request and test full backup
• clarify domain owner and AuthInfo
• document email and DNS records
• check rights to images, texts, design and plugins
• test go-live and redirect old URLs