6 Important Things To Consider For A WordPress Website Migration

WordPress Website Migration

WordPress is a free, open-source content management system (CMS) used by millions of websites worldwide.  In fact WordPress is used by over 40% of the top 10 million websites as of October 2021.

CMS’s, like WordPress, help users manage the content on their website by providing a lot of the website structure, so that user can just concentrate on the information they want to present.  And it takes away the need for coding and having to understand the really detailed side of web design.

WordPress has in-built website templates to enable users with little or no experience to customise their website and manage their content.  WordPress is a powerful tool with great standard functionality and loads of free or inexpensive plug-ins to enable you to do almost anything with WordPress.

However, there may come a point where you need or want to move your WordPress site to another server.  For example;

• You are not happy with your current web hosting service
• Your current WordPress loads very slowly
• Your current web host does not provide you with enough webspace or databases to effectively run your WordPress site.

But there is an answer.  You can migrate your WordPress site to another server without having to start over.

Ways of Migrating Your WordPress Site

The main risk with migrating your WordPress Site to another server is that it could impact your current website functionality and if your website is customer facing, it could affect your customers.  And nobody wants that.

You have 2 main choices;

1. Self-migration – this is something you could choose to do, or you could rely on an automated website migration which some web hosting firms offer.  This article explains the steps you would need to follow.  Depending on your level of technical experience you may feel comfortable completing this yourself.
2. Alternatively, if you choose a reputable hosting firm, they may offer to help you complete the transfer as part of hosting with them.

Reasons why you should choose a hosting firm to help you migrate:

• It should prevent website issues, like downtime from occurring before and after website migration has been done.
• It enables safe and secure data and effective website migration.
• The professionals are trained I.T experts who can effortlessly migrate your site.
• They can help test and support following the website migration.

Steps to be taken before you transfer your Site

Before you transfer your site, we recommend taking the following steps to minimise the risk to your data and your site;

Data Backups

Take data backups.  Take a backup of all the user data on your current websites. This can help prevent the risk of data loss when transferring your sites. Furthermore, some servers require new sites to upload their backed-up data when they migrate. Backing up data safeguards your data and keeps it intact.

You can save your media files and many more in cloud storage to be accessed later.

To store existing data we recommend:

• Noting down the files you wish to transfer. Number the files in the list.
• Take two backups to be on the safer side. You can store the data on cloud storage and backup sites.
• Start the backup process after you have chosen where you want to back store it to.
• Tick each data they have saved and continue until all the data is saved. This will guarantee that all the data is stored without missing any data.

Migrating Data

The next phase involves data transfer. This is the process whereby site owners upload their data to their new web hosts servers.

This can be done in two ways:

• Site owners can upload their files by using File Transfer Protocols. You need authorization before you can utilize the protocols.
• Site owners may upload their stored data through WordPress dashboards.

Consider how big or small the files are that you will be transferring. Large sites can accommodate huge files. Therefore, the size of your site will determine the size of your files. Before uploading your files, assess the new server and see if it has enough storage space.

We recommend not operating your websites while you are transferring data. There is a greater risk of losing data, or the data not transferring. Let the transfer complete and then you can resume working on the site.

URLs Reconfiguration or Restructuring

Restructuring your URLs is not compulsory, but optional.  An example is changing from fashionicon.com/news-site to fashionicon.com/news/news-site.

Many people change their URL structures for site optimization purposes and to increase their site rankings on the internet.

However, it is not easy to restructure URLs yourself. You can find automated URL restructuring tools on the internet that automatically restructure URLs.

Website’s Downtime Reduction

It’s normal for a site to go down or operate slowly down during website migration. Immediately after migrating the site, the site may be slow to display any modifications you make to the site. Additionally, after website migration, the site might not be accessible online.

Similarly, site owners can encounter other problems when migrating their sites. When this occurs, the site links will not work. Nevertheless, if they work, they won’t work properly. Therefore, site owners need to be patient when migrating their sites.

With some of these risks in mind, you should consider whether you need help with some or all of the above tasks to ensure you don’t put your data or site at risk.

Electronic Mail (e-mail) Accounts Migration

Many website owners forgot to transfer their email accounts when migrating their sites. Email account transfer is vital because emails are used to communicate with customers. Otherwise, it would be impossible to get email messages from your clients and website visitors.

Site owners may migrate their email accounts themselves because it is a simple process. Or they may employ professionals to do it for them. These professionals have digital tools specifically made for this purpose. These digital tools can synchronize emails and other digital communication accounts when migrating the site. In addition, digital tools facilitate migration because they are in-built and automated for the process.

Free Migration Services

It’s possible for anyone to migrate a WordPress site, but if you’re worried about the risks or don’t understand the technical aspects of website migration, you’re better off hiring experts. We at BeMoreOnline Offers you the free website Migration services.

Ensuring your new host can offer you good customer support is particularly important if you are transferring an existing WordPress site to them.  If you do have any issues, it is important the web host understands your issues and can help resolve the quickly.

Because WordPress is such a popular Content Management System it is often possible to find freelance help (at a price) who can help you if you get stuck.

Conclusion

Anyone can migrate a WordPress site, but if you don’t understand the technical aspect of website migration or are worried about the risks, it’s best to hire professionals.

Keep our website migration tips in mind and don’t be afraid to ask.  Good hosting companies are happy to answer questions and provide advice even if you are not a current customer and are perhaps considering their services.