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The Ease of Moving WordPress!

03 Dec 2018

Mike Patel

WordPress is running slow, you need to consider the option that it may be time to move to a new host servicer. But, moving digital information can be tricky! You understand that there are possible risks for data loss, downtime and even the loss of search engine keywords. But WordPress may not be as bad as you think to move!

Preparing and Planning

When WordPress begins to run slow, it is time to consider moving to a new host servicer. The cause of your web content management system being slow is the increase in the traffic. The increase in traffic is a good sign, but the slowness can really frustrate your users. You need a host that has a high speed and the capacity and capability to handle the increase in traffic.

Make sure you research that your new host service can handle WordPress and the volume of traffic. Think beyond your current needs and think about what you might need in a year or two. Why go through moving everything again if you don’t have to?

Before you make the move to the new host service, make sure you install the WordPress duplicator plugin. This plugin will definitely help make the transition from your old location to the new one easier. Simply install the plugin on the site that you are moving and activate.

Preparing for the Move

Now you have your new host site, WordPress duplicator is installed and activated, it is now time to start the setup and complete the transfer! To start the setup:

Go to Duplicator in WordPress.
Select Packages.
Click on Create New.
Follow the steps to setup and create your new package.
Once complete, your scan report should show a green “Good” in the boxes.
If everything says “Good”, click Build.
Once the process finishes, Click on “One Click Download”

Once you have your two files downloaded from your old site, it’s time to make your move to the new one. To move your information to the new website, you will need to use file transfer protocol (FTP) to upload your web content. But before you begin, you will need two pieces of information from your new hosting service: the IP address and the server hostname. Next you will:

Connect to your new host server with FTP.
Upload the installer.php and archive.zip files
Make sure the files are uploaded to the root directory of the new host server. If you are unsure or are having difficulties contact your new host server support department.

Continued Site Access

While you are transferring the information from the old site, you do not want to have any down time. To make sure this does not happen, you will need to access your hosts file on your computer. By accessing your files on your new host server through the new IP address, you can continue to make any changes while you old site remains in service. No downtime and your customers do not even know about the change. It’s all behind the scenes.

To change the IP address to work on the new site, simply go to:

Programs/All Programs/Accessories.
Open Notepad by Right clicking and Run as Administrator.
Then go to File/Open C:WindowsSystem32drivers.
Towards the bottom of the file enter the new IP address.
Save the changes

Creating Your New Database

Now you need to create your new database to store all your information for the new host site. To do this you will:

Go to the cPanel dashboard on the new site.
Click on the MySQL database icon.
Click Create Database.
Go to the SQL Users section and create a username and password.
Then go to the Add User to Database, select your database and add your user.

Making the Move

After you have created your database, you are ready to start transferring the information to the new site using the duplicator migration process. Using the installer.php and archive files transfer the data to the new host server after some validation tests are completed. All you need to do is follow the prompts, install your database and then you are ready for the data validation.

During this process you will need some information like your MySQL Host, database name, username and password. After that information is entered, click Test Database. Next login to your new website and test to make sure everything is working like it is expected.

The final step in make the switch is updating the domain names. Updating the names is important because it will take your customers to the new site. You can update the domain name in domain management. Contact your domain name company if you have trouble.

When everything has been transferred remember to go back and change the host files back to the information prior to the switch to the new host servicer.

Mike Patel

Mike Patel is a digital marketing enthusiast, innovator and President of a leading Digital and E-commerce Development Agency in Dallas, Texas. Mike holds a BS, Computer Science degree from Wayne State University and is a key player in the E-commerce development and digital marketing industry since 2004. The scope of technology in his extensive experience of more than 15 years ranges from Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce SEO (Search Engine Optimization), PPC (Pay Per Click) management, E-commerce SEO, Google Shopping Ads and more.

The Ease of Moving WordPress!

Preparing and Planning

Preparing for the Move

Continued Site Access

Creating Your New Database

Making the Move

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