How to Move Your WordPress Site Without Losing Your Mind
You've decided it's time. Maybe your developer's gone quiet, your hosting bill keeps creeping up, or the site just feels slow, and nobody's fixing it. Whatever the reason, you've landed on the same conclusion: this site needs a new home.
Then you Google "how do I move my WordPress site" and the results start talking about FTP, database exports, DNS propagation and something called a wp-config file. Suddenly the thing that was supposed to solve a problem has become a new one.
Here's the good news. Moving a WordPress site is a well-understood job. When it's handled properly, there's very little you need to do yourself. You don't need to learn the technical language or work out how WordPress migration works. You need somewhere new for your site to live and someone who knows how to get it there.
Migration and hosting go together
Moving a site isn't much use without somewhere for it to land. Your new hosting matters because that's where your WordPress site will be running once the migration is finished.
Our migration service handles the move onto affordable UK-based WordPress hosting, with plans starting at £9 per month.
You can choose how much you want us to handle afterwards. If you're comfortable managing WordPress yourself, you can have cPanel access and take care of your own updates. If you'd rather hand over the maintenance, we can manage updates, security and ongoing care for you. There's also a plan with monthly design time for businesses that regularly need changes made to their website.
What actually happens during a migration?
A WordPress site isn't just the pages you see. Behind it sits a database containing your content and settings, alongside files for your images, theme and plugins. Your domain then points visitors towards the server where all of that lives.
A migration moves everything to the new hosting and makes sure it works properly before traffic is sent there.
Your site gets checked first
Before anything moves, we look at what you've got. Site size, plugins, custom functionality and anything else that could make the migration more complicated can be identified before work begins. If your site needs anything beyond a standard migration, you'll know before paying.
The transfer happens in the background
Your WordPress files and database are copied to the new hosting while your existing website remains available from its current server.
The new copy gets tested
We check that the migrated site is working properly before changing where your domain points.
Your domain is switched over
Once everything is ready, the DNS is updated so visitors start reaching the website on its new hosting. Any disruption is normally minimal, and the switch can be planned around your business where necessary.
If your email is hosted separately, for example through Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, the relevant DNS records can remain in place so your email continues working. If your mailboxes are hosted with your current web hosting and need to move as well, we can migrate them separately for £79.
What if my developer controls the website?
This is where a lot of business owners feel stuck.
Perhaps somebody built your website years ago and has always dealt with the hosting. You might not know where the domain is registered, who the hosting company is or which login details you need.
That doesn't necessarily mean you're trapped with the current setup.
The first step is simply working out what access is available. Depending on how your website has been set up, we may need WordPress administrator access, hosting details or access to wherever your domain is managed.
If you're unsure what you have, tell us what you know. We can help identify what's needed before the migration starts, and if you'd rather not deal with your current developer or hosting provider yourself, we can speak to them directly on your behalf to get the access and information needed for the move.
What does a WordPress migration cost?
A standard WordPress migration with NX Digital costs £149 as a one-off payment.
That covers transferring your WordPress site and database to its new hosting, reconnecting your domain and DNS, and checking the migrated site before the switch.
Larger or more complicated websites, including some WooCommerce stores, membership sites and heavily customised WordPress installations, may require additional work. We'll check the site first and confirm the price before you pay anything.
Hosting then starts from £9 per month, depending on how much ongoing support you want.
If mailboxes also need moving from your existing hosting, email migration is available for £79.
Common questions about migrating a WordPress site
Will my site go down while it's being moved?
Usually there is little or no noticeable downtime. Your existing website can remain live while the new copy is prepared and tested, with the domain switched once everything is ready.
Could I lose content, images or pages in the move?
A proper migration copies the website files and database together, then checks the migrated site before the domain is switched. Backups also provide a recovery point if something unexpected happens during the process.
If I run a WooCommerce store, will I lose my order history or customer accounts?
Your orders, customer accounts and product information are stored within the WordPress database and move with the site. Active stores require some additional planning because new orders can continue arriving while a migration is taking place, so we'll look at your setup before confirming how the move should be handled.
What happens to my domain name?
You don't need a new domain just because you're changing hosting. Your existing domain can continue pointing to the same website address after the migration. In many cases, the domain itself doesn't need to be transferred anywhere at all; its DNS records simply need updating.
What if something doesn't look right after the switch?
The site is tested before the domain is changed, and we check it again once it's running from the new hosting. If something needs attention afterwards, you're dealing with the same team who handled the migration.
Ready to move?
If you're unhappy with your current WordPress hosting or feel stuck with a developer who no longer works for your business, moving your website can be much less complicated than it appears.
You don't need to work out FTP, databases or DNS yourself. Start by telling us what you've got and why you want to move. We'll look at your current setup, recommend the right hosting option and confirm the migration cost before you pay anything.
Visit our WordPress hosting & migration page to find out more and get started.
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