Top 5 Things To Checklist When Migrating A WordPress Website

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Migrating a WordPress website can be a headache if you don’t know the most efficient steps to take, so we’ve put together our checklist to make it as easy as possible. But beware – not all hosting companies provide a free migration tool, and some take a long time to assist in migrating a site. At ReforestHosting, we provide a free tool that allows you to move everything over, hassle-free. So, let’s begin!

 

Choose your new host – Make sure a package is active and ready to receive a migration. If a hosting package isn’t already active, then there won’t be anywhere for your website to go! So choose the package that suits you and have that ready to begin migration.

 

Backup your website – Most migration tools like the one at ReforestHosting carry no risk of data loss when transferring the site from one hosting provider to another, but it’s still a great idea to back up the site nonetheless. You can use a free third-party service like Google Drive or OneDrive, or you could backup to your local computer. If you are running a WordPress site, then a plugin such as UpdraftPlus which is free! Or WP Time Capsule which can be tried with a free trial.

 

Plan the migration – It is a good idea to plan the migration a week before renewal/expiry, as you have a great chance to avoid any website down time if things move slowly.
You could also plan to complete the migration during your site’s low-time – try to identify when there are the least visitors on your site, and migrate at that time.

 

Prepare your FTP details – You will need to login to your previous host, and create an FTP account for each site you would like to move.
Select a username and password that you’ll use when entering the details at the new host.
Ensure the hostname box is filled out correctly – usually it auto-fills that box with the correct information, but if not, then have a look around the host site and see if they have a blog/article that states what the details should be. You may have to contact their support system and ask.
Lastly, select the domain that you wish to migrate, and ensure that it is filled out correctly in the corresponding box. You can use FileZilla to help setup and connect to the FTP accounts you need, or use it as a diagnostic tool to identify where the problem with those details are.

 

Login to your new host, and begin the migration – Once you have logged into the new host client area, and you have a hosting package active (this will need to be purchased before a migration can take place), then head over to hosting management, and then select ‘start migration’ and choose how you would like the migration to work, since you have prepared the FTP details the FTP migration would be the best choice. Enter the FTP details – Make sure the details are entered exactly as seen from the previous hosting provider, and start migration. Then it’s just about checking every now and then to see if it has worked through the necessary steps, and you should be good!

 

So now you know! It really is that easy, using FTP details makes migrating a WordPress website a straight-forward process.

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