How to Move your WebSite from Site Build It!
... for SBIers ... by an Ex-SBIer

So, if you decide to keep static HTML and just leave SBI, read on on this page. If you decide to have alook at the Wordpress option, please go to SBI to Wordpress.

I finished moving my two websites off SBI in August and am now saving $668/year in fees. And I am still getting the same great results as I was with my SBI sites!

Since then other SBIers (Blockbuilders as well as UYOHers) have asked me to write a tutorial about how to switch from SBI, especially since I still use "includes" and was also able to move over my existing C2.0 pages.

Update FAQ April 10 2012: I am asked quite often if you can use your existing C2 pages...yes, you can move them to your new host. You can take them with you.

So here is a How To move your SBI website off SBI. I did it... So you can do it, too.

UPDATE 7^th April 2012:

New Service! Many ask me for a Do It For Me service. I am now excited to offer this! If you are interested in having it done for you, please send me a mail with info about your site (No. of pages& C2 pages, BB/UYOH, domain(s) ... ) !

And many of you are afraid to be on their own if they move...So I am also planning a weekly membership group call for people like us...with topics like keyword research, promoting your sites, email marketing, how to build your next website based on a static Wordpress, Amazon sites, mini authority sites etc... I would love to hear your thoughts on this!

From: Daniel Papcke

No matter if you are an Uploader (UYOH) or a Blockbuilder (BB)... in this book and the special SBI chapter I show you how I moved my sites...and yes, am doing great!

USD 47.-

Dear ex-fellow SBIer,

ARE some of your sites not making enough money? Is the yearly SBI fee of $299 per site a strain on your budget? Especially these days?

Want to keep and grow your site(s) but wonder if $299 per site will be worth it? At least anytime soon?

The SBI tools are not as worthy for you with your second site. And for sure not as worthy with your fifth site as with your first site. You can learn things only once. You can only visit the forums once each time. You can only do research for one site at once. So every site you have on SBI is less worth the money.

Now with support for MAC OS

You do know that you can move your website to a much cheaper (and I do think actually better) hosting, don’t you? Especially your sites number two, three and four. But you don’t know how? Or fear the consequences?

Let’s face it: If you own three SBI sites you pay $897 per year just for keeping the sites.

Oh, and if you also have a blog or shop, connected via InfinIt!?
Well, than you already pay for the subscription which could easily host all your websites with the same success. So actually it would be only fair to add the ~$60/yr to the $897 above. That would make ~ $957/yr for three websites.

33 websites, full functionality and success, price of one SBI

If you are on a monthly plan, the maintenance of your sites already adds up to $1,076 per year. If you also need 3 big Wordtracker credit packages we can add another $225. All in all that adds up to $1,301.

I heard some SBIers have 30+ sites...wow, that’s $8,970 per year plus Wordtracker credits for 30 sites (it may be that heavy users get a discount)...

I own more than three sites (but not 30 yet) and now pay only about $60 per year for all of them, plus about $9.50 per year per site for the domain registration. That’s about $90 per year for three sites. For 30 sites I would pay about $345 per year.

For my former yearly SBI costs of $374/subscription (I did a lot of keyword research, as suggested) I could today run about 33 sites.

In all fairness I must add that for Newsletters I use the free Mailchimp account, I started as an SBIer. It is only free until I reach 2,000 subscribers. I did invest a few dollars (about $30) one-time for a server software to do all the double-opt-in email marketing directly from my host, as you can do with SBI. Am still working on it, but I will tell you about that nice tool in the future, if you sign up for my lifetime updates for this tutorial.

Other than that: No other fees. And yes, I have the same functionality with my site as I used to have.

Abundance of great free tools for SBI functionality

For example I use a great and free Keyword Research tool with all info we could ever need. No Wordtracker credits needed. As mentioned I do believe to see better results even, since it takes its results directly from Google. I show you how in the tutorial.

And in case I really needed a much faster server and was contacted because of too much traffic (as we are told that would happen, but according to my research and experiences this is not true, at least not with my choice Hostgator) I could have my very own, extremely fast Virtual Private Server (VPS) at Hostgator for about $480 per year - and host unlimited websites on it (there are even much cheaper alternatives out there, but I personally prefer the impressive reliability and quality of Hostgator).

No better neighborhood to be found anywhere. My own IP island...My own IP. Perhaps someday. But not because Hostgator forced me. But because Google rewards the investment.

Oh, as Google rewards buying your domain-name for more than one year at once. I bought mine for 10 years. You can actually do that, but not on SBI hosting (as of Aug 2011)...

Since many of you already have an account with Hostgator or Bluehost, you even don’t need a new account. You can just transfer your website there.

Actually it’s Hostgator with the best support in the web world

By the way, in my experience it is fair to say that Hostgator actually by far does have the best support and service on the net. Many claim this, they actually do. And I have perused several hosts...

I never heard "We do not help with your coding" from Hostgator. And I really tried them (esp. the Hostgator Ticketing support team - they are awesome!). Oh yes, I did.

Whenever I had any problem, they were instantly there and solved it or helped me solve it.

Never seen this speed and service quality from a host anywhere else.

• Are you paying a lot because you have more than one SBI site?
• Have you started full of hope but success still eludes you? Remember the SBI example of "just keep drilling?" and "Don’t give up just a few feet from gold?" Well, I am here to tell you that you can rent the "drilling space" much cheaper ... and mine the same gold ore...
• Thought about moving your sites No. 2 and 3 (...) to a cheaper host, but have no idea how to deal with the SBI specials like includes or your C2.0 pages?
• Do you fear that by moving your site you will loose Google’s love?
• Or are you convinced that SBI has a "secret ingredient", that makes your site succeed only there?

I was beginning to ask questions.

SBI’s Blockbuilder is a proprietary system. It is fine for users not wanting to deal with web technicalities, but concentrate on their business. That is absolutely ok and useful. Yes, SBI offers a fantastic service to these people. But in case you one day for some reason want to leave SBI, the disadvantages start to show. You simply cannot. Not without some real knowledge of web related technical stuff.

Oh, and I do think that the time of proprietary systems is coming to an end...if you are not Steve Jobs. He was able to make a proprietary system an industry standard.

• Can UYOHers move their site off SBI? - Yes, that’s the easiest one. That’s exactly what I did.
• Can Blockbuilders move their site off SBI? - Yes, you can. I show you how in my tutorial. It is more work, but doable.
• Can I move my C2.0 pages? - Yes, you can. It is very similar to the Blockbuilder’s process. Caveat: But you cannot create new C2.0 pages without SBI.
• Will I loose traffic? - That’s not my experience (see below). Though I ask you to not move your real money-making sites. Never change a winning team!
• What are the advantages? - Much less cost for similar functionality and much faster editing of your sites.

Well, even if do not want to move a site anytime soon, have this tutorial ready.

So when I told other SBIers about moving my sites off SBI, they asked me:

"Why don’t you write a tutorial?"

I think it is extremely useful information, which could save someone switching from SBI huge headaches. I like the way it is organized and the way you refer the reader to specific sections of your book where he or she might want additional information (...) I also like the way, later in the chapter, you go button by button through SBI’s Sitebuilder and explain how the reader can replace each function that he or she is used to in SBI.
SBIer S.N. in an email to me, anonymous for avoiding retribution

That’s how the idea to this tutorial was born:

How to move your site off SBI and keep your work "snowballing" for less Money.

Does it work?

You bet! I moved my main site physically between 2nd and 3rd of Aug 2011. After it all worked fine (I did thorough testing as described in the tutorial before and after I changed the "Nameservers", so on 4th of Aug 2011 I told Hostgator to take over the domain also:

Attention: papcke@xxxxxxxx.com
Re: Transfer of homeofsolarenergy.com

Tucows received notification on Thu Aug 4 15:05:47 2011 that you have requested a transfer to another domain name registrar.

If you want to proceed with this transfer, you do not need to respond to this message.

If you wish to cancel the transfer, please contact us before Tue Aug 9 15:05:47 2011 by going to our website,...

And though more than 8 weeks have now passed, I do see no difference in traffic, though August normally is a slow month:

©Google

Ok, that said: Did you know that...

But see for yourself: This is the actual Table of Contents:

Think this will help you, too? Perhaps not now, but in one year?

Then Act now!

USD 47.-

About my journey

I still remember the first time I stared at my host’s control panel. That was before I joined SBI. I was completely lost. It was so intimidating. I didn’t even know what index.html was. I knew nothing. Over the last years I have learned so much.

TESTIMONIAL:

SBI taught me everything I needed to know to start a web business. I found it to be the perfect tool in teaching me step by step how to be successful on the internet.

I grew very attached to the learning model and was afraid to leave SBI even when my site had grown to a point where I needed some functions and tools that SBI does not offer.

I was very pleased and fear turned to empowerment when I found Daniel’s straight forward and user friendly guide in transferring my site to a new host. How to Build a Website: SBI Special addressed every concern I had in transferring my site and over delivered with tips and advice on issues I did not even know I had to be concerned about!

I found the transition to be smoother than expected with absolutely no loss in hard earned traffic.

As a former ULYOH SBIer, I was able to follow all the instructions in building my own sitemap, transferring C 2.0 pages, and implementing server side includes.

However, there is a special section for block builders to accomplish all those same tasks.Transferring my site where I can make changes right on the server saves me so much time!

One of the biggest surprises was that every tool I was afraid to leave behind at SBI, Daniel provided a more than adequate replacement. I will forever be grateful to SBI for the fine start it gave me on the internet.

I can’t imagine starting out with any other tool. However, I am now also grateful to Daniel for providing a resource that will help take my site to the next level. I couldn’t be more pleased with my decision to advance and this book made it possible. Thank you!

Amanda

www.Cookie-Smart.com

Download How to Move your Site from Site Build It Now

You get instant access to How to Build a Website SBI Edition through a safe and secure transaction. Right after your order is approved, you will be able to download immediately.

It comes as a PDF file that you read on your computer. Or you can print a hard copy and read it anywhere, even in bed.

USD 47.-

Free Updates: I will send you every new version and information which is ever created for free. So you take no risk even if you do not plan on moving in the next few months. Or just don’t know yet.

I cannot even begin to tell you how great it is to change your website in seconds - no uploading anymore. Just press "Save"...

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view your PDF file. If you don’t have this installed on your computer, then you can download it for free, from the Adobe website. I will provide you with a link.

"Thank you, Daniel! I just finished transitioning one of my SBI sites to HostGator, and your thorough, step by step Guide simplified the process and kept me from making any number of mistakes.
Seriously, you saved me weeks of research and head pounding if I'd undertaken this project completely on my own. There are a number of smaller but necessary steps you detail that I would never have even known about.
And I absolutely love the new HostGator platform and the efficiency of working directly with the server. I finally feel like I'm living in the 21st century.
I can't wait to start transitioning my remaining sites - it's a great feeling knowing that my sites (and business) will be on a safe, stable, and high quality platform for the long term."

Brad

And please: Do not share! This tutorial represents 3 1/2 months of my full time work. It has more than 150+ pages. Two months for learning and investigating, and one+ month of writing the tutorial. So I believe $47 with all updates for free is a very fair price, even in these trying times. Thank you so much for valuating my effort!

Yours

Daniel

USD 47.-