Move a Wordpress Site to a New Host With No Downtime

Not all web hosts are created equal. While your current host may be ideal for starting a site without having to spend a lot of money, it may not be able to handle the increased traffic it has gained lately. A site's current host may also be lacking in security tools or customer service staff. Let's look at how to move your WordPress site to another host in a few easy steps.


Choose Your New WordPress Host

When choosing a new host for your WordPress site, it is important to make sure that it meets your needs both now and in the future. If you are expecting to receive a lot of traffic for the next several months or years, try a dedicated host or a cloud server. A virtual private server may be your best option when security and uptime are your top priorities. If you re looking for a VPS, be sure that it offers an IP address in a country where content won't be blocked or censored by the government.

Other options may include shared hosting solutions in which many sites get space within the same server. However, be sure that you can easily acquire more bandwidth if your site traffic increases again. Otherwise, you may be looking to migrate to a new host again in the near future. Regardless of where the site is going, be sure to ask if there is a fee for migration and if it has to be done manually.

Backup and Transfer Site Files

The first thing that you want to do before you move WordPress site to new host is create a copy of your site's files. This will give you something to fall back on if there is a problem with the migration or if site files are ever compromised in the future. If you are migrating the site manually, the first step is to backup site files using an FTP program.

Once inside the program, you can export the current WordPress site database using the phpMyAdmin program in the FTP's control panel. Then, you create a new database on the new host, edit its name and other basic information and import the database that was just saved. If your site will be migrated by someone else, do a quick online search for transfer request forms.

Once the request is granted, you will receive confirmation from the new host and receive updates as the transfer progresses. Assuming that you are using a host's services for the first time, the migration will likely be free. Even if you understand how to change hosting of WordPress site by yourself, having another party handle the migration can still save time and energy.


Switch the DNS Settings

The final step in changing WordPress hosting service providers is perhaps the easiest. As soon as your site has been transferred to the new host, you will need to change the DNS settings. This will show which service is hosting your site's domain. To update the settings, click on the DNS panel on the domain registrar's site and input the server names provided by the host.

Check Your Site for Errors or Other Problems

Learning how to change WordPress hosting providers is only part of the migration process. It is in your best interest to look over your site to be sure that there aren't any missing images or broken links. You should also be sure that anything that needed to be redirected is doing so properly.

If there any problems with your site, don't hesitate to contact customer support. Depending on the type of service that you purchased, a service representative may call you back or start a live chat immediately after receiving your support ticket. Even if there aren't any issues, it can still be a good idea to spend time familiarizing yourself with the site tools a host provides.

When you current WordPress host is too slow or simply not offering an adequate level of service, feel free to migrate your site to a new host. There are resources to help answer any questions that you may have along the way, and once the migration is complete, your site will up and running without too much downtime .

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