How to Change WordPress Hosting From Godaddy to WPEngine

Many times, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to change your hosting provider but you don’t have any choice. This usually happens when you are previously with Godaddy and decide to move to another web host. It might also occur when you are on the verge of running out of space on your current provider and decide to upgrade. In both cases, you will have to change your hosting and take care of transferring your sites from one platform to another. This article will tell you exactly what you need to do to make the transition as smooth as possible so you can finally grow your business online.

Find Out Where You Stand

Before you make any move, you should first assess your situation and find out exactly where you stand. First, it’s essential to determine the level of support you will receive from the new hosting provider. There are three major aspects to consider here: customer service, technical support, and the cost of the service. If possible, you should try to find out what are their policies regarding refunds and cancellations so you don’t find yourself in a situation where you are unexpectedly unable to access your websites.

Choose A Hosting Plan That Suits Your Needs

Depending on your needs, you will have to choose a hosting plan that suits you. Do you need shared hosting with no limit on the number of sites you can have or did you planning on installing WordPress MU or a multi-site network? Each hosting plan comes with different advantages and disadvantages. For instance, if you need lots of storage and have a lot of traffic, you might want to go for the basic shared hosting plan offered by many providers. On the other hand, if you have a modest site that barely generates any traffic, you might want to opt for the cheapest possible shared hosting plan and save yourself some money.

Know What To Look Out For

Once you have chosen a hosting plan that suits your needs, it’s time to look out for other aspects that could prove problematic. It’s a good idea to go through their website but, as always, beware of the small print. Many web hosts have additional policies and terms of service you should be aware of. Some of these policies and terms are standard but, sometimes, you will find hidden gems that give you additional rights as a customer. Make sure you familiarize yourself with these documents before you begin hosting your sites with them.

Decide Whether To Go With A Free Or Shared Account

One of the most important decisions you will have to make is whether to go with a free or shared account. A free account gives you access to basic features but, usually, you will have to pay per month to actually use them. A shared account, on the other hand, gives you access to all the features regardless of whether you pay or not. In most cases, you will have to choose between these two options so it’s important to weigh the pros and cons. If you are looking for a long-term solution with the goal of eventually monetizing your sites, then a shared account might be a better choice since you won’t have to worry about paying for hosting in the future.

Understand How To Switch From A Free To A Paid Account

If you decide to go with a shared account, it’s essential that you understand how to switch from a free account to a paid account. This is usually done through a process called ‘conversion stacking’ or ‘upgrade stacking’. Basically, you will have to contact the support team to get approved for a paid account and, once you have done that, you can continue to use it. While this process is pretty straightforward, it’s still a good idea to read the full guide on how to upgrade your host from a free account to a paid account.

Choose The Right Transfer Tool

Another decision you will have to make is which tool to use when transferring your sites from one hosting provider to another. There are several options including Fantastico, Cloudflare, or Clickfunnels. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages so it’s important to do your research. If you decide to use an automated tool, make sure that you work with a trusted company or individual that is a member of the WordPress community.

Choose A Website Transfer Tool

Once you have chosen the right transfer tool, it’s time to consider how you will migrate all your sites. There are several options including doing it manually with FTP or using an automated tool. If you decide to do it manually, you will have to migrate each site one by one. If you decide to use an automated tool, you can create a single file that will take care of the entire process. This is usually a.zip file that you can upload to your new hosting account. Make sure you save this file in the correct folder structure so it can be imported easily into WordPress.

Decide Whether To Upgrade Or Install WordPress MU

If you decide to go with WordPress MU, it’s essential that you decide whether to upgrade or install it. Upgrading is when you install a newer version of WordPress directly on top of your current installation. This usually means you have to export all your content and then import it back. If your current hosting provider offers WordPress MU, it is generally recommended that you go with the upgrade since it will give you all the benefits of the update without all the hassles of updating individually.

Install WordPress MU On Your New Hosting Account

Once you have upgraded to WordPress MU or have installed it manually, it’s time to consider how you will maintain it. One of the biggest headaches that you will have to deal with is spam. Due to the fact that WordPress MU is a popular option for hosting blogs, many spammers have figured out how to abuse it and send out millions of spam messages every day. To make matters worse, the developers of WordPress MU do not offer much prevention against spam. Luckily, there is a solution to this problem: Akismet. Akismet is a free WordPress plugin that provides built-in anti-spam measures. After you install it on your blog, all the incoming comments will have the ‘spam’ label applied automatically. This is an excellent way to prevent spam without having to do a single thing other than maintaining your blog.

Take Care Of Your Existing Sites

If you are switching from a shared hosting plan to a more expensive one, you will have to take care of your existing sites first. This is usually done through the use of a tool called a ‘caching’ plugin. Caching plugins are quite popular and, in most cases, you won’t have to do anything other than install it on your new site and activate it. This will make all the pages on your site load faster because the information is already stored on the servers. While this might not sound like a big deal, every little bit of speed and efficiency counts when it comes to running a business online.

Make Sure You Follow All The Instructions

Finally, make sure you follow all the instructions of the web host you are switching to. This usually means taking care of any special requirements they might have for you to be able to use their services. Sometimes, you will have to take a bit of extra effort such as creating an account with a different username or dealing with payment problems that might arise from your banking information being tied to your old account. Even if everything goes well and you are able to move all your sites without any hitches, it’s still a good idea to follow up with the support team to make sure you have everything you need to continue operating your business.

Hopefully, you had fun preparing for this move and were able to find a better solution for your hosting requirements. If this was helpful, be sure to share it with your friends who are also looking to change their hosting providers. Additionally, if you found this article valuable, be sure to check out some of our other helpful articles including How to Design a Website For Maximum Impact and What Is a Squeeze Page?.