Web developers and web designers often overlook the process of setting up websites. This is when the website is ready to be deployed to a live server. The hosting plan is the most important thing to think about.
You could be in a position where your client is not happy with the outcome. You could find yourself in a situation where your client is unhappy with the outcome.
Step 1: Preparation
There are many things to consider when finalizing a website installation. These factors depend on what type of website deployment you are performing.
- The client doesn’t have any (i.e. It is their first website).
- The site will be deployed to the existing hosting.
- If the client has hosted, you will be moving to a new server.
Since you start with a blank canvas you are most likely to choose the first scenario. Knowing what your deployment scenario looks like will help you prepare for the transition.
You can register your domain to deal with scenario 1 and then buy or provide hosting.
Domain management credentials are required to manage DNS records. Many clients don’t know where they can be found. Before you approach your client, it is important to learn as much information as possible.
We can use a tool like whois.domaintools.com to find out some information about the existing domain name.
Enter your domain name and you’ll find the whois information. A Whois query is an Internet resource query such as a domain.
Make sure to pay attention to all contact email addresses, both technical and administrative.
You can ask them for their contact information. This will give you the ICANN Registrar information.
Notify Name Servers. A company that registers domain names is known as the ICANN Registrar. Namecheap.com Network Solutions, GoDaddy, and Network Solutions are just a few examples of ICANN registrars.
The contact information of the domain’s technical and administrative contacts can be used to ask them for permission to manage the domain or to request that they change the DNS records. Mention the name of the ICANN Registrar (e.g.
“Hey, you registered your Domain on GoDaddy. Does this sound familiar ?”),?? It might also help with their memory and help them remember what they need.
Step 2: Create DNS records
You can access the DNS management admin and set up a website on the new host. A subdomain should point to the IP address of the new server.
ZoneEdit.com allows you to manage your DNS access online. Please read the FAQ and understand the basics of DNS before using this tool.
If you don’t want to, there is no need to get into technical details. You will be able to create DNS records by logging into your domain registration account.
Step 3: Create a live testing site
Now, it’s time for you to verify that the site works on the live server environment.
You should not create a subdomain for the host. Do not create a subdomain for the host.
Let’s take, for example, an A record that maps the IP address to a domain name.
example.com. A 192.0.2.1
As such, you would create an alias for developer.example.com:
dev.example.com. CNAME example.com.
This allows you to set up the website exactly where it will be found. You can change folder permissions to test the site’s functionality on the server.
Upload to the development directory. While you test, a subdomain DNS record can be created.
Step 4: Create an email account
Web developers often overlook email when creating websites. It will still be a priority for your client when deploying websites.
If they are still using the same hosting account for their old website, they will most likely move their mail to the new server. The website will automatically move to the new mail server.
You need to verify that your client is using third-party or internal mail servers. It is likely hosted on a different server if it has an IP address other than the website. Double-check MX Records. Make sure that you inform the person responsible for managing DNS. It can also provide information about MX records related to a domain.
This is not something you would like to see.
Step 5: Back up and live
Even if the server is new, ensure that you have a backup copy of all data from the old site. It’s possible to change the A record for the domain name, giving you complete control over DNS records. Once the IP address is set, it will be sent to the new server. The new website will be available within 20 minutes.
To fix problems, you can always change the URL back to your old site. You should allow plenty of time to verify and fix any errors on the new site. You should be prepared and allow plenty of time.
You will need to delete the previous website from the server you are hosting. This should be done at a time that you can monitor and fix any issues as they arise. You can contact the company during business hours if you need to.
These steps will ensure your website launches smoothly and that your client is satisfied.
Website deployment checklist
- Find the contacts you need to contact or have access to DNS records management
- Set up DNS records.
- Test your website on the production server.
- Get an email address
- Back up the site if you can, and then create a new site.
