How to Move Your WordPress Site from Godaddy to Siteground

If you’re looking to launch a new blog, whether it’s for fun or for work, you’ll soon discover that the most popular web hosts offer a one-click installation option for WordPress. With most web hosts, you can launch your blog in minutes and begin writing your first post.

However, once you’ve got your first few articles published, you’ll discover just how much maintenance and optimization goes into keeping a consistently high quality blog experience. If you’ve ever tried to update your blog’s software, fix a broken link, or take care of any other technical issues that come up, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

The good news is that after you’ve launched your blog, upgraded to a premium plan, and made a few dollars, you can move your blog to a more reputable web host that offers support and updates for free. In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of moving your WordPress site from GoDaddy to Siteground, one of the most reputable web hosts available, in order to give you an idea of what to expect.

The Basics

Before you begin the process of moving your WordPress site, it’s a good idea to do some research about the company and what to expect. One of the best resources for learning about Siteground is their own website because they’ve done an excellent job of explaining everything you need to know about the company in an easy to understand manner. When you’re finished with this article, you’ll have all the information you need to make the right decision for your blog.

Step 1: Sign up for a free account with Siteground

The first thing you need to do is visit the Siteground homepage and click the button that says “sign up for free”. You’ll then be brought to the signup page where you can enter your e-mail address and create a password. Don’t worry, this is totally free and there’s no credit card information required.

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be taken to a page where you can check out all the features that Siteground has to offer. From here, you can access your Dashboard which is the equivalent to the WordPress administration area. This is where you can click the Get Started button to start up your WordPress blog with the click of a button.

Step 2: Upload your WordPress files

The next step is to upload the WordPress files to your server. To do this, visit the Siteground WordPress installer, and click the button that says “upload from local disk”. You’ll then be asked to locate your WordPress files on your computer. Once you’ve clicked “open”, the files will begin uploading to your server. This process can take a while depending on your internet connection speed so be patient.

Once the files have been uploaded to your server, you can click the “Get Started” button to end the process. You’ll now have a working WordPress installation on your host server.

Step 3: Switch your DNS settings to point to Siteground

Now that you’ve got a working WordPress installation on your server, it’s time to switch your DNS settings to point to Siteground. Go to your hosting account and navigate to the “Domain Settings” area. Look for the “A” record for the domain name and click on it. Then, in the drop-down menu, select “Change” and enter the IP address for Siteground (It will be a one-time process, but it will save you time in the long run).

Step 4: Login to your WordPress Dashboard

Once your DNS settings have been changed to point to Siteground, you can login to your WordPress Dashboard via the admin area of your website. Type in the username and password for the Siteground account that you set up earlier and click on the “Log In” button. You’ll then be brought to the WordPress login screen where you can choose the locale (the language you wish to use on your site) and click on the “Login” button.

Now that you’re logged in, you can begin making changes to the appearance of your site. Go to Appearance|Settings in your WordPress admin area and click the button that says “customize”. You’ll then be taken to the WordPress customizer where you can make changes to the layout and design of your site. When you’re finished, click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page to continue.

Step 5: Activate the Cloudflare CDN for faster speeds

Cloudflare is a content delivery network (CDN) that is used by millions of websites around the world. What this means is that even though you’re using WordPress to power your site, the actual content that you’re serving (the words you’re typing, the images you’re displaying, etc.) are coming from a web server that is closer to the end user. This usually results in faster speeds and lower prices for the consumer. You can get a free trial of Cloudflare from here and begin using their services to supercharge your blog.

The Good

One of the best things about Siteground is how easy it is to use their services. Because it’s a one-click install, you can get up and running with a working blog in no time flat. The best part is how the staff at Siteground stands behind their product and offers support via live chat, email, and phone. You won’t find many providers that offer such support after the fact, but it’s essential if you’re going to make any sort of profit from your blog.

Another huge selling point for Siteground is how much faster speeds they offer versus other providers. According to stats provided by Cloudflare, on average, users experience a 4x speed boost from using their services. Even better, it’s a money-back guarantee if you meet the right conditions. This is because Cloudflare caches the content that you’re serving, so even though you might be on a remote server, the end user will still experience fast speeds.

The Bad

There’s a downside to using Siteground, and it’s the price. If you’re looking for a free option, there are certainly cheaper web hosts out there. The main drawback is that you’ll have to pay for the privilege of using their services. The good news is that once you’ve paid for a domain and installed WordPress, you can launch a WordPress blog from any web host and begin making money in no time. Additionally, if you’re looking for a one-click option, you might be better off looking elsewhere.

Final Takeaway

As you can see, there’s a lot to like about Siteground. If you’re looking for a reliable, reputable web host that offers one-click WordPress installs, you can’t go wrong. Plus, they’re one of the few web hosts that offer a money-back guarantee if you meet the right conditions.