A website migration is any significant change to the URL, domain name, structure, UI/UX, content or platform. It’s a process often feared by SEO professionals due to its potential impact on search engine visibility.
If done incorrectly, a site migration can cause significant function, traffic, and SEO issues. Here are ten things to consider for a smooth web migration:
Backup Your Site
Regarding web migration, backups are an essential part of the process. After all, if something goes wrong during the transition, your site could experience significant downtime. To avoid this, you should create a backup of your existing website before starting the process. You can use tools like WP Migrate DB or the built-in plugin. Alternatively, you can use FTP or a file manager to do the same thing manually. For more web migration checklist, check this out.
In addition to creating a website backup, you should also prepare your new hosting credentials. It will make it easier to move your site over once the time comes. Additionally, preparing your new hosting account before you migrate will give you extra time to resolve any issues arising.
Another critical step in the preparation process is contacting your old web host to ensure the migration will not cause downtime or other problems. Registering your new domain name is also a good idea if you haven’t already done so. It will help prevent confusion and allow visitors to find your site easily.
Once your site has been migrated, you should thoroughly test the new website. It can be done by accessing the website from various browsers and devices to ensure all functionality works correctly. You should also test the site’s speed and compare it to the previous version.
If you have any third-party tools installed on your site, such as Google Analytics or Omniture, you should check to see that they have been moved over with the migration. It’s also good to inform Google of the change through the search console and webmaster tools.
Website migration is a complicated process that can have many hidden complications. Following the five steps in this checklist is essential to ensure that your site is up and running without any issues. If you need assistance with your website migration, contact a WebHelpAgency team member to learn more about how we can help. For more web migration checklist, check this out.
Prepare Your New Hosting Credentials
Migrating your site can cause issues with your SEO, PPC and overall user experience if it isn’t done correctly. That’s why it’s essential to use a website migration checklist and follow all the steps to ensure your migration goes smoothly. A site migration involves significantly changing a website’s platform, structure, content or location. It can affect your website’s success in search engine results pages (SERPs).
First, ensure your new hosting server can access your old site files. Fortunately, most modern web hosts provide a tool that will allow you to easily upload all your site’s files and databases into one package. You’ll also need to change your domain nameservers to redirect visitors to the new site. It can be done in your hosting control panel or by logging into the service where you purchased your domain name.
Once you’ve made all the necessary changes, it’s time to start your web migration. To do this, log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Tools – Migration. From here, you’ll be able to choose whether or not to migrate your database and the rest of your site. The plugin will then scan your site to ensure everything is ready for the move. It might take a few minutes, depending on the size of your site.
After completing the scan, click Build to begin creating your migration package. Once this process is complete, you’ll be prompted to download the package file (which may take several minutes, depending on your site’s size).
Before closing down your old account or changing your domain nameservers, check that all your files have migrated successfully. Using the File Manager in your cPanel or FTP software, compare the files on your new host to those on your old one and ensure all the data has moved over correctly.