Moving a WordPress Blog to Another Host
Now that Google is factoring in loading times to their search ranking algorithms it's more important now than ever to have a good host. Not only will it help you move up the rankings if you are faster than your competitors, but it will also provide a good user experience that can lead to an increase in conversions and sales.
The first tip we gave on how to speed up your site was to review your hosting. Almost everyone starts out on some kind of shared hosting environment. It's cheap and you don't really need much more than what they have to offer. However, as your traffic grows so do your hosting needs. If you don't branch out to some sort of VPS, managed host, or dedicated server you are going to be bogged down.
If you have a WordPress site you might think it's difficult to transfer your blog to another host. It isn't as simple as copying your files over to a new location, you also have to move the database. Sound scary? It isn't when you follow these easy steps.
Transfer All of Your Files
You want to make sure that you move the themes and any of the plugins that you are currently using. I like to transfer all of the WordPress files over to the new installation, so I'll just download the entire folder and upload to the new server. However, be aware that the wp-config.php will need to be modified when you get set up in the new location.
Export Your Data
When signed in to your WordPress Admin area you will see "Tools" on the left menu. Under Tools there should be an "Export" link. Make sure "All Authors" is selected and click the "Download Export File" button. Save the XML file to your computer.
Switch Your Host File
The biggest problem with switching servers is that during the time is takes for the DNS cache to clear and your nameservers to switch over, some people will be viewing the new version of your site while others might be on the old. You want to make sure that both of them look the same and the easy way to do that is to modify your host file to the new IP address. The file is located at: C:WINDOWSsystem32driversetchosts. Right click on it and open with Notepad. Insert the following and then save the file:
(new IP address) (domain name)
An example would be: 96.30.20.236 www.jamiefaidley.com
Restart your browser after saving so you can see how your site will look on the new host.
Setup WordPress
On your new domain you need to go through the steps to setup WordPress. The famous five minute installation has all of the details if you are unsure how to do this.
Import
After WordPress is installed, upload your theme and plugin files that you downloaded from the older version of your site. Activate the plugins and make sure you select the theme you wish to use. Then click on "Tools" in the left hand menu and "Import." Choose WordPress from the bottom of the list. On the next screen click on "Choose File" and browse until you find your XML file that you downloaded previously. Click "Upload file and import."
Now switch the nameservers over to your new host and you will have a seemless move to your new server!