Reading can sometimes lead to unnecessary complications.

I often find myself reading extensively, which sometimes leads to confusion. Recently, I came across an insightful article recommending the separation of domain registration from web hosting. Additionally, I read about the advantages of Managed WordPress hosting for better performance and security. A search for the best Managed WordPress hosting services pointed me to Bluehost.com, touted as an excellent provider.

Over the past few days, I was nearly convinced to transfer my domain registration from GoDaddy and create a Managed WordPress account with Bluehost. I planned to migrate my websites to the new hosting service and figure out the fate of my associated domain-specific email accounts, which are also managed by GoDaddy. Bluehost offered similar email services at a slightly lower cost, along with the capability to migrate all my accounts.

To finalize my decision, I needed to speak with a representative at Bluehost to confirm that my plans were feasible. I connected with a friendly tech support agent after navigating through an automated system. I explained my situation, detailing my various domains registered with GoDaddy and my current shared hosting plan.

What Makes Good Tech Support?

A good tech support representative should ask ample questions to ensure they fully understand the customer’s intentions. I explained my structure: having a main domain under which I could create various sub-domains that would each appear with their unique domain names in a browser.

I inquired if it was possible to migrate my entire directory structure from GoDaddy’s server to a new Managed WordPress server at Bluehost using FTP. I understood that the new plan would allow premium resources for only one domain—the main blog where I would generate content, which needed to load quickly for my visitors. The agent confirmed that this was indeed how a Managed WordPress plan operates. I then posed a crucial question: If I transferred the entire directory structure and made the necessary adjustments to the database configuration, would my other websites remain functional, albeit possibly slower and less secure?

"Absolutely," she affirmed, echoing what I had been told in a previous online chat with another Bluehost representative. This confirmation made me feel optimistic; I was ready to proceed.

However, effective tech support is more than just friendliness. It requires setting the right expectations upfront. If there’s uncertainty, it’s better to be honest about it than to provide misleading information.

The Migration Process Begins

Confident in the information I received, I brewed a fresh cup of coffee and opened the migration guide, meticulously following each step.

The initial phase involved downloading all my files from GoDaddy to my local machine using an FTP manager. This process was fairly straightforward and took about an hour. Afterward, I used phpMyAdmin to export the unique databases from my existing sites to my hard drive.

Next, I created a MySQL database, user, and account on the new server via cPanel tools. Then, I imported the existing database files into the new databases I had set up. So far, so good.

Moving on, I created a new FTP user account and login credentials on the new host and connected with my FTP file manager. I uploaded the complete directory structure from my computer to the new site. This upload took approximately four hours, but once it was completed, I verified that all files were in place, and the wp-config file was correctly modified.

The final step involved adjusting the DNS records to redirect web requests from GoDaddy’s servers to Bluehost’s. GoDaddy provides user-friendly tools for making bulk DNS record changes, and everything seemed to be progressing smoothly.

When Trouble Strikes

However, trouble soon emerged. When I attempted to designate one of my domains as the primary domain for my Managed WordPress hosting plan, everything fell apart.

First, I couldn’t validate my login credentials because the email Bluehost was trying to send a validation token to was no longer operational. Changing the DNS nameservers had rendered my GoDaddy-associated email accounts inactive, as I hadn’t yet set up and migrated my email accounts to Bluehost. Then, I encountered an issue with the primary URL assignment because I had purchased it too recently from GoDaddy. It would take two months to transfer the DNS records for my desired primary blog website. Ugh!

Frustration began to set in as my attempts to get one of my existing sites operational yielded no results. In search of a solution, I decided to grab more coffee and make another call to Bluehost tech support.

The Next Call to Support

The next representative at Bluehost was just as friendly as the first. She listened attentively to my situation, but about two-thirds of the way through my explanation of linking multiple domains under my new plan, she abruptly interrupted me.

"That's not going to work at all on a managed plan," she stated. After a few moments of shared grief, she clarified that the managed plan accommodates only one website. If I wanted to use it with my newly acquired domain, the DNS transfer would take two months, essentially consuming the majority of my promotional period. She suggested opening a shared hosting account for my other domains.

Confronted with the sunk-cost fallacy, I went ahead and purchased an additional hosting plan. My reasoning was that I could still separate the hosting from the domain registration. After clicking "buy," the helpful tech remained on the line to assist me in setting up my login for this new hosting account.

I inquired whether this would simply integrate with my existing Bluehost account. She regretfully informed me that it would not, and each hosting service would require its own login credentials.

I expressed my concern about managing multiple logins for one domain. When I learned that I would need to create yet another set for the new shared plan, I realized the complexity I was diving into.

The Smart Move That Saved Me

Fortunately, the wisest decision I made was not to cancel my GoDaddy services. I reached out to one of their techs, who was understanding and professional. He guided me to cancel my Bluehost plans, have them release the DNS records, and instructed me on redirecting them back to GoDaddy’s nameservers.

I followed his advice, and he took the time to listen and ask questions, ensuring he understood my needs before suggesting options. Importantly, he didn’t try to upsell me anything. He simply helped me close the loop on the process I had initiated earlier that day.

He sent me an email with his contact information and recovery instructions. "Once you’re back to where you started and receive a full refund, email me," he suggested. "We can set up a time for me to walk you through your desired process." That’s what excellent tech support looks like. And that’s where I currently stand.

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