Hosting needs can change instantly. Your site might be growing, or you may want better speed or need more support. Whatever the reason, moving your WordPress site to a new host can make significant improvements fast. Choosing the right host can help you achieve faster load times, stronger security, and greater stability.
Moving your site really isn’t that challenging. The hardest part is picking a host. With the right plan and expert support, you can safely move your WordPress site to another host with no downtime.
At BigScoots, we specialize in site-specific, fully managed WordPress hosting. That means we handle the technical details while you focus on your content.
Understanding the WordPress Site Transfer Process
When you “move” your WordPress site, you’re moving all the files in your database to a new server.
Here’s what’s inside your database:
- Posts, pages, and drafts
- User data, like logins, roles, and permissions
- Site settings, like permalinks, time zones, and reading options.
- Themes, plugins, and extensions
- Comments
- Metadata
When you move your WordPress site to a new host, every part matters. It’s important to plan and make backups before you start. If something is missing or uploaded incorrectly, you risk your site going down.
Your domain name stays the same, but your hosting server changes. Your DNS updates so visitors can access your site through your new server. For example, moviepopcorn.com will still bring clients to your site. It’s just like changing your home address, but online.
The good news is that WordPress is easy to transfer by design. If you follow each step, the process is simple. Nothing will change by migrating to a new server. Visitors will never know the difference when looking at your site. It will just load faster.
DIY vs. Fully Managed Migrations
There are two ways to move your site from one server to another. You can do it yourself or let experienced technicians handle it for you.
If you choose to do it yourself (DIY), it will take time and some technical know-how. You’re going to back up files, copy databases, edit settings, and test everything yourself.
Fully managed migrations, however, remove all the hassle. The team at BigScoots does the transfer for you, safely, quickly, and with zero downtime.
Benefits of a fully managed migration include:
- No installation or configurations to figure out
- No risk of missing files
- No broken links
- No downtime
- Expert verification and optimization
When your revenue or traffic depends on your site remaining live, managed migration is the safer route.
How To Move Your WordPress Site To a New Host
Not everyone wants a fully managed migration. Some prefer to have total control of their site migration. But how do you transfer a WordPress site to a new host?
1. Prepare Your Current Site
Your first step is making sure you have a current backup. Install a backup plugin, like Jetpack Backup or Duplicator. Then you can configure your settings and choose what to include in the backup. Once you initiate a backup, all of your site data and settings are ready to be moved.
Before you move on, check your plugins and theme for updates. Having an updated site makes moving from host to host a more seamless process.
Also, be sure to take note of your permalink structure, homepage setup, and any custom code or shortcodes you might need to reapply later.
If you’re using BigScoots, our migration team handles this step for you, including backups and performance checks.
2. Choose Your New Host Wisely
Choosing the right host is a big decision because the host you use can make a significant difference in how your site operates. There are many factors to consider when you decide to transfer a WordPress site to a new host. You’re looking for performance, scalability, and security.
When choosing a new host, look for:
- Fast servers and CDN integration
- Flexible scaling to handle traffic spikes
- Daily backups, SSL, and proactive monitoring
- 24/7 support from a live person
BigScoots offers all this plus site-specific management. We tune your site for your needs, including caching, databases, and plugin efficiency. We make sure your WordPress site doesn’t just run, it performs.
Bottom line: The right host keeps your site fast, secure, and live. The wrong host slows it down, risks your data, and costs you visitors.
Looking for hosting built for both speed and stability? Explore our Managed Hosting for WordPress options.
3. Move Your Files and Database
The most important part of the migration process is moving your database. This is when you copy your entire website from your old server to the new one.
Two ways to move your site:
- Manual
- Automated
Manual transfers are for more advanced users with more technical experience. It requires you to download a client and move your database by yourself.
To perform a manual transfer:
- Get an FTP client like FileZilla
- Download your site files
- Export your MySQL database through phpMyAdmin
- Upload the files to your new host
- Create a new database
- Import your data
- Update the wp-config.php file with new credentials
Automated transfers are best for beginners. There are several migration plugins, like Duplicator, All-in-One WP Migration, or Migrate Guru, that can copy your site for you.
To perform an automated transfer:
- Download a migration plugin
- Install the plugin
- Export your site
- Import it to your new hosting dashboard
Either method yields the same result, but if you’d rather skip the technical steps, BigScoots’ free migration handles it from start to finish, with no downtime.
4. Point Your Domain To the New Host
Once your site files are moved to your new host, it’s time to connect your domain. For a simple migration, the process looks like this:
- Get your IP address from your new host. That will look something like this: 192.0.2.123.
- Log in to your domain registrar (such as Namecheap or Domain.com).
- Navigate to your DNS records.
- Paste your new IP address into your A record.
- Save. It takes minutes or up to 48 hours for your site to be fully transferred, depending on the size of your site and the new host.
Visitors might still see an old version while your site is still transferring (DNS propagation). Never fear, it’s normal and temporary.
5. Test Everything
Once the DNS changes are complete, you can begin testing your site to make sure everything looks right. Things to check:
- Pages and blog posts
- Forms and checkout pages
- Login and customer data
- Images, menus, and links
- Speed and responsiveness
If something looks wrong, there are a few things you can do. First, clear your cache. Then, check your plugins to make sure they’re compatible. If all else fails, contact your new host’s support team.
How BigScoots Makes WordPress Transfers Effortless
With a fully managed migration from BigScoots, our engineers do all the hard work for you. We test your site to ensure it’s fast, stable, and optimized for your setup at no extra cost. Free, hands-on migrations mean there’s no need to download and configure plugins. Our team moves your entire WordPress site and verifies performance.
BigScoots also provides site-specific optimization. You aren’t getting presets. We customize caching, images, and database cleanup to your site.
And we’re here for you before, after, and during your move. BigScoots customers get live help in under 90 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No AI. No shuffling you off to a complicated article. Just real engineers ready to solve your problem right away.
Request your free migration to get started today.
What To Do After You Move Your WordPress Site
Once you move your WordPress site, you still want to make sure everything is working as it should. Below are some things to keep an eye on.
Monitor Your Site
Once your site is ready to go, you can start focusing on generating content and revenue. You must still keep an eye on your WordPress site’s health.
Google has many tools for monitoring your site, including:
- Google Search Console crawls your site to check for errors and indexing issues.
- Google Analytics monitors traffic spikes and drops.
- Core Web Vitals provide metrics for site speed and responsiveness.
When your new hosting is faster, you may even see your rankings rise.
To learn more about how BigScoots’ hosting boosts load times, explore our WordPress Speed Optimization services.
Update and Secure Your Site
Updating is always essential for many reasons. It ensures all your plugins are up to date and working correctly. It also ensures your site is as safe as possible. Make sure to update your plugins and WordPress core.
To keep your site up to date and secure, don’t forget to:
- Make sure your SSL certificate is active.
- Run a scan for broken links or missing images to ensure a flawless user experience.
- Add uptime and backup monitoring through your host. BigScoots includes these protections automatically.
That’s it. Once your migration is complete, you can focus on what matters most: your content.
Ready To Move? Let Us Handle It for You
Moving your WordPress site doesn’t have to be a hassle. Whether you’ve outgrown your old host or want better, faster performance, BigScoots makes moving your site a breeze.
Our migration team handles every step of the process, from backup to setup. Your site stays online the whole time. No fuss, no stress, no charge.
Start your move today with our free WordPress migration services and take your website to the next level.Have questions or want to schedule a custom consultation? Contact us anytime.
