How to Transfer Your WordPress Site from Classic to Cpanel Hosting with FTP
There are many reasons why you might want to transfer your WordPress site from your old hosting provider to a new one. Maybe the new one offers better service or better prices, or maybe you’re looking to try a different platform. Whatever the case maybe, moving your WordPress site to a new hosting provider is a big decision – one that can’t be made lightly.
In this article, we’ll discuss the steps you need to take to move your WordPress site from one hosting platform to another. We’ll cover everything from changing your domain name to transferring your website’s content, images, and plugins to the new host. Along the way, we’ll discuss some of the pitfalls that lie ahead and how you can avoid them.
Step one: Take plenty of time to plan
As with any major transition, planning is essential. You can never be too careful when it comes to moving your website to a new host. Plenty of time spent planning will save you both time and money in the long run. If you’re searching for a new host, don’t just look at the prices – consider all the other factors as well.
Step two: Choose a reputable host
Nowadays, it’s extremely common for hosting providers to offer a ‘white label’ service. This means that instead of using their own domain name for your website, you can use a different domain – one that’s registered with the company. Most reputable web hosts offer these services, so you can rest assured that whatever host you choose, they’ve been around for a while and are known for doing a good job. This makes transferring your site to them a little safer.
Step three: Check if your current hosting provider is authorized to transfer your site
One of the first things you should do before making any changes is to check with your current hosting provider to see if they’re authorized to transfer your site. If they’re not, then you’ll have to look for another provider who is. Typically, web hosts will charge you a small fee for this authorization, so don’t expect them to do this for free. However, it is possible for them to make the request to your old provider on your behalf for a small fee.
Step four: Change your domain name
Once you’ve obtained authorization from your current hosting provider, you can change your domain name. Chances are you’ve been using the same domain name for your site for a while now, so it’s about time for a change. Renaming your domain is quite simple. Just visit your domain’s administration panel and follow the on-screen instructions. You’ll be asked to enter an authorization code that you’ll find on a confirmation email from your domain’s registration provider. After you’ve entered this code, press the Update Domain button to complete the process.
Step five: Back up your data
Before you begin making any major changes, it’s essential to back up your data. This is something that you must do on your own. There are several online services that you can use to help you back up your site, but you should invest in a professional tool – one that’s specifically designed for backing up websites. Even if you back up your data frequently, it’s far from enough. You must also test your backups and perform manual restores as needed. This is why it’s important to have a reliable tool.
Step six: Test your site during the transferring process
Once you’ve changed your domain name and backed up your data, it’s time to test your site. While it’s always best to test a site before making any major changes, it’s not always possible. Especially when you’re in the middle of transferring your site, it’s not practical to test every aspect of it. This is why you need to test the site after the transfer is complete. Once you’ve done this, you can find any errors that you might have made and fix them before going live.
Step seven: Go live with the changes
This step will vary depending on your situation. For some sites, it might mean simply copying and pasting your content over to the new host. For others, it might mean uploading your entire website to the new host. Once you’ve copied all your content, it’s time to go live with the changes.
This is also the step where you want to make sure that everything is working properly. There are a few things you can do to make sure that everything is up and running smoothly. First, you can check out your site’s performance in different browsers. This way, you can make sure that everything looks the same to your visitors regardless of their browser. Second, you can check the email delivery by sending a test email to one of your addresses. This will ensure that all the email notifications from your WordPress dashboard are being sent out as expected. Finally, you can monitor your site’s security by looking at the HTTP response codes that are displayed for each request. An experienced web developer should be able to help you fix any security flaws that you might have, so don’t worry about this aspect.
These steps will help you transfer your WordPress site from classic to cpanel hosting with FTP. We’ve discussed the various steps you need to take and what pitfalls you need to watch out for. Now, it’s your turn to take what you’ve learned and use it to transfer your site successfully.