How to do it without downtime
Anyone who is unhappy sooner or later thinks about the option to switch your Magento agency. This guide shows what belongs to you, how termination and handover run and how to plan the change without your shop going down.
Table of contents
- 1. When it makes sense to switch your Magento agency
- 2. What belongs to you before you switch your Magento agency
- 3. Contract, termination and deadlines
- 4. The process: how to switch your Magento agency without the shop going down
- 5. The new agency: what to look for
- 6. Checklist: seven points before you switch your Magento agency
- 7. Common misconceptions when you switch your Magento agency
- 8. How we support you when you switch your Magento agency
- 9. Summary
- 10. FAQ
1. When it makes sense to switch your Magento agency
A change is rarely an easy decision, and it should be well founded. Typical reasons are poor availability, recurring errors, lack of transparency in invoices, missed updates or the feeling of being dependent. When several of these points come together, it pays to switch your Magento agency.
Before you decide, check whether the problem can be solved in conversation. Sometimes only a clear contact person or a binding rhythm is missing. An open conversation with concrete examples and a deadline costs little and shows whether the agency reacts. If it does not, that is another argument to switch your Magento agency.
This guide is aimed at shop owners who want to switch their Magento agency or are checking whether it is worth it. How to choose a new agency is described in the guide Choose a Magento agency.
2. What belongs to you before you switch your Magento agency
The most important preparation is clarifying what belongs to you and where it is. Many owners only find out during the change that domain, hosting, licenses or source code are registered in the name of the agency. The table below shows what to look at.
| Component | Who should own it | What you check |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | You | Who is entered as owner |
| Hosting and server | You or within your access | Who has the credentials, who pays |
| Source code | You, usage rights clearly settled | Is it in a repository you can access |
| Extension licenses | You or transferable | Under whose account they are created |
| Data | You | Backups, exports, interface access |
| Documentation | You | Is there a technical description |
Whoever wants to switch their Magento agency and finds that essential components are not with them should first demand their release. That works best in a matter-of-fact way and in writing. The earlier you clarify this, the lower the risk that the change stalls.
3. Contract, termination and deadlines
Read the contract before you act. Important are term, notice period, rules on the release of data and code and possible flat fees for early termination. When you switch your Magento agency, the time of termination should fit the plan for the handover.
Secure access and observe data protection
In a change, access should be handed over in an orderly way and old access blocked. If the old agency had access to customer data, the end of the data processing should be regulated and the deletion of data no longer needed should be confirmed. Have contracts and deadlines reviewed legally in the individual case.
Terminate in writing and name in it the release of all components as a condition for a smooth ending. A matter-of-fact attitude helps: most agencies have an interest in a clean close.
4. The process: how to switch your Magento agency without the shop going down
An orderly change runs in five steps. First the inventory: what belongs to you, what is missing, which problems exist? Then the choice of the new agency, ideally with a technical check of the shop. In the third step the handover is planned: access, repository, documentation, dates.
In the fourth step old and new agency work in parallel briefly so that knowledge can be transferred. In the fifth step the new agency takes over and blocks the old access. Plan several weeks, not days. If you switch your Magento agency while a project is running, record the status in writing.
A technical check by the new agency prevents surprises. What it looks like is described on our page about the code audit. What a clean close looks like is shown in our guide for agencies Magento handover, which you can also use as a checklist for the old agency.
5. The new agency: what to look for
Whoever wants to switch their Magento agency should learn from mistakes. Ask the new agency who your contact person is, how response times are regulated, where the source code lives, how prices are calculated and what happens in case of absence. Have the answers given in writing.
Also check whether the agency fits your project. A small, specialized agency is often faster and more personal, a large team covers more disciplines. The comparison of models is in the guide Magento agency or freelancer. A first small job is a good test before you hand over everything.
Pay attention to maintenance. A change is an opportunity to regulate care by contract instead of leaving it to chance again. What a contract should contain is described in the guide Magento maintenance contract.
6. Checklist: seven points before you switch your Magento agency
Seven points for an orderly change
- ✓Domain, hosting, licenses and source code: who is the owner, who has access?
- ✓Read the contract: term, notice period, duties of release.
- ✓Secure backups of the shop and the data yourself.
- ✓Let the new agency start with a technical check.
- ✓Plan handover dates, access and documentation in writing.
- ✓Block old access after the handover and renew passwords.
- ✓Regulate maintenance and response times with the new agency by contract.
With this list you keep control over the change. If several points are unclear, get advice before the termination.
7. Common misconceptions when you switch your Magento agency
The first misconception: a change means a rebuild. In most cases the shop stays as it is and the new agency takes it over. The second misconception: the old agency does not have to hand anything over. What belongs to you, you are entitled to; what is not regulated becomes expensive in a dispute. The third misconception: the change takes only days. A clean handover takes time.
The fourth misconception: a new agency solves all problems. Some of the problems lie in the shop itself, such as outdated versions or extensions. The new agency can name and fix them but should make a clear quote for it. Hints on costs are in the guide Magento costs.
8. How we support you when you switch your Magento agency
We are a web agency in which fixed freelancers work together, all remotely from home offices. When you switch your Magento agency to us, we start with a technical check, state the condition and the effort in writing and then take over maintenance if you wish. Source code, access and documentation stay with you. The hourly rate is 30 euros net, see the pricing page.
This article is general orientation and not legal advice. For a first conversation a short message through our contact page is enough.
9. Summary
Whoever wants to switch their Magento agency first clarifies what belongs to them: domain, hosting, licenses, source code and data. Contract, handover plan and a technical check by the new agency follow.
Switch your Magento agency, the key points at a glance
Clarify first
Domain, hosting, licenses, source code, data and documentation
Contract
Check term, notice period and duties of release
Process
Inventory, selection, handover, parallel phase, blocking old access
New agency
Written answers on contact person, prices, maintenance and source code
Note: This article offers general information and does not replace legal advice in individual cases.