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How to Migrate a Website (Manually and with a Plugin) 

How to Migrate a Website (Manually and with a Plugin) 

Website migration happens when you make substantial changes to a website. Some examples include changing the domain name, switching to a new platform, changing the URL site structure, or migrating to another web hosting provider.

This article is a website migration guide for WordPress users who want to move to another host. While many hosting providers offer free migration, some users might prefer to go the DIY route.

Keep reading to learn how to complete a successful website migration both manually or automatically using a plugin.

What to Do Before Website Migration

Some website migrations fail due to a lack of preparation. So before you proceed, make sure to do the following during the planning stage. This way, the website migration process will happen smoothly with minimal negative impact:

  1. Purchase a quality web hosting plan with sufficient resources. Make sure to choose a hosting provider with a good performance track record and a plan that can handle your website’s data and traffic. Check out my recommendations for the best web hosting for WordPress.
  2. Communicate with your team and visitors. As the site owner, you should inform your team and your visitors about the site migration in advance so that everyone is on the same page. Plus, issues may happen following a migration, so it’s a good idea to keep everyone posted either way.
  3. Review your site’s traffic and other metrics. Take note of your existing site’s metrics, such as organic traffic from Google Analytics and Google Search Console. You’ll be able to compare your site performance in the search results before and after the migration to identify any issues.
  4. Consider creating a staging environment. A staging site lets you create a copy of your existing site and perform changes without affecting your actual live site. Once you make sure the staging site has no issues, you’ll be able to make the changes to the real site with minimal risks. 

How to Migrate a Website Manually 

In this section, you will learn how to perform a successful site migration to another host manually. Let’s go over each process step-by-step:

1. Backup Database and Files

The first step of the manual website migration process is to back up your current website database and files. 

The database is the foundation of your website. It allows WordPress to store and fetch all website data in an organized way so that the website functions correctly and smoothly.

The entire site's content, including all the pages, posts, comments, and existing settings, is stored in the database. Within the database are various tables consisting of different pieces of information that make up a WordPress site.

For example, the wp_posts table contains all the post types, post content, revisions, and custom post types.

To back up your site database:

  1. Go to your current hosting control panel. 
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1 Comment

Everything is very open with a really clear clarification of the issues. It was definitely informative. Your site is extremely helpful. Many thanks for sharing!

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