1. Choose Your New Host: Things to Look for In Your New Host
Storage
The size of your website's storage is based on a lot of factors. The number of images and videos posted, how many people might access the site at a given time and if the business frequently updates its content. All are important pieces of information to consider when choosing a hosting deal.
Uptime
There isn’t a more frustrating thing than clicking on a link and the site not opening. This does not only affect the returning user rate. It also affects Google, which starts giving that address less value in organic search results. Make sure that the provider promises at least 99% uptime for your site.
Loading speed
Google prioritizes the search results of fast loading pages, so choose a web hosting provider that will ensure your online presence has the best loading speed. Slow websites annoy visitors, but this is not just about aesthetics: slow sites also mean losing users and therefore, money.
Monthly traffic
There are some hosting providers that have a limit for monthly traffic. This means that if there are visitors above that monthly limit, the server will charge an additional fee or will not display your website. So, make sure that you get a hosting provider that will offer unlimited data traffic.
Customer support
Remember to look for a hosting provider that offers 24/7 support. You don’t want to run into an issue while you’re working on your website late at night and to realize that you have to wait until the next day in order to resolve that issue. Choose a provider with different methods of communication - telephone, chat, or ticket system.
2. Select the Right Hosting Type
There are a number of hosting options out there for any budget and website size — but what is the best hosting for your specific needs? The answer can be difficult without understanding the specifics of URLs, bandwidth, storage, and more.
If you’re new to the process of creating and running a site, the different hosting types can seem a bit confusing. Here’s a refresher of the main hosting types to make it easier for you when deciding which one you’re going to get.
The most affordable and basic web hosting plan is shared hosting. Users who decide to use this type of hosting will have their website live on the same server as a number of other websites. Since the amount of bandwidth and storage you get is a fraction of what a full server can provide, shared hosting works for simpler sites.
Cloud hosting takes place on “the cloud,” which isn’t one physical server but instead a bunch of connected servers that link together. By connecting a few servers, this type of hosting offers more storage space and power. The concept behind cloud hosting is probably familiar to you if you’ve used Google Drive or Dropbox. Cloud hosting plans are best for site owners who want to impress their visitors with fast load times without having the technical knowledge.
Managed hosting for WordPress is a great choice for anyone who has a WordPress site they would like to easily manage, keep secure and up to date without having to learn all the technical processes. With a Managed hosting plan for WordPress, your hosting provider does the work, maintaining your site, and you save time and manpower.
3. Backup Your Data
Before migrating your site, you need to back up every aspect of it. Before any major change, this is a good practice to do, and this should be a part of your general WordPress security.
There are plenty of plugins to backup WordPress. With this type of plugin, you get to choose which files you want to be backed up, where those files will be stored, and how you want to back up your files.
One great plugin is the WPvivid plugin, which offers tons of options for backup splitting, scheduling, multisite support, and more.
4. Export Your Database
To export your database, all you need to do is sign up to the cPanel account and access the application called phpMyAdmin.
From the list on the left-hand sidebar, you need to choose the database that has your WordPress installation and then click on the Export tab on the navigation menu.
Leave the default settings of a SQL format and a Quick export.
Then, click the button Go, and the exporting process will start.
Finally, a file will be downloaded to your computer.