Preparing Your Website for a Migration to WordPress

When you're considering moving your site to WordPress, it's important to start with a clear strategy. You'll need to assess what content, plugins, and design elements are still working for you, and what's just taking up space or creating vulnerabilities. Taking the right steps before migrating can save you headaches down the road—but before you jump into the actual move, there's crucial groundwork you can't afford to skip.

Decide When and Why to Migrate Your WordPress Site

When should you consider migrating your WordPress site?

If your site's performance is suboptimal, it may be beneficial to move to a more optimized hosting platform, like going from Joomla to WordPress. This can improve key performance metrics like First Contentful Paint.

Security concerns also warrant consideration, as outdated plugins can make your site vulnerable to cyberattacks, which constitute a significant portion of breaches.

Additionally, if your website requires more storage or bandwidth due to growth, WordPress.com Business plans can accommodate these needs.

Improved customer support is another factor; WordPress.com offers expert assistance with the migration process, often completing it within a few days.

To minimize downtime and disruptions for visitors, it's advisable to schedule the migration during periods of low site traffic.

Audit Your WordPress Content, Plugins, and Custom Code

Before migrating your WordPress site, it's essential to conduct a thorough audit of your content, plugins, and custom code to ensure a smooth transition.

Begin by generating a comprehensive list of plugins using WP-CLI and document each plugin along with its version.

This will help identify any potential incompatibilities.

Outdated plugins can pose significant security risks; therefore, it's crucial to identify and update those that require it.

Utilize tools like W3C Link Checker to review your site’s content for broken links and create an inventory of unused files.

Examine any modifications made to wp-config.php and functions.php, keeping in mind that custom code won't transfer automatically.

It's also important to inventory custom post types and themes, tracking all information in a spreadsheet to ensure compliance with the latest WordPress standards.

Clean Up and Remove Unused Plugins and Data

Once you have completed your site audit and documented all content, plugins, and custom code, it's advisable to remove any elements that are no longer necessary.

Unused plugins should be deleted as they pose security risks, with outdated plugins accounting for a significant portion of security vulnerabilities.

Cleaning your database by removing post revisions, spam comments, and other unnecessary data can be achieved with tools such as WP-Optimize.

Additionally, eliminating unused files and themes can create a more efficient environment, potentially reducing compatibility issues during migration.

Back Up Your WordPress Site Before Migration

Migrating a WordPress site requires careful preparation to safeguard against data loss.

A critical step is to create a comprehensive backup of your entire WordPress installation, which encompasses themes, plugins, uploaded files, and the database.

Using reliable plugins such as UpdraftPlus can simplify the process, offering comprehensive backups and allowing verification of restore functionality on a staging site.

For those opting for manual backups, transferring files via FTP tools like FileZilla or creating a .zip archive with cPanel’s File Manager are viable methods.

Additionally, databases can be exported using WP-CLI or mysqldump.

It's advisable to store backups in an off-site location and regularly test the restoration process to ensure data integrity during migration.

Set Up Your New WordPress Site for Import

A critical part of the website migration process is preparing your new WordPress.com site for import.

Begin by setting up a new WordPress.com installation on a Business or Commerce plan, as this helps prevent potential data loss.

Log into your existing account or create a new one if needed.

Navigate to your new site's dashboard and proceed to Tools → Import.

Select the WordPress.com import option.

It's important to ensure that your destination site is currently empty and verify that the software versions on both the existing and new hosts are compatible.

Prior to initiating the import process, input your source site's URL into the import tool and select "Check my site" to detect any possible issues.

Choose Your WordPress Migration Method

When deciding on a WordPress migration method, it's important to evaluate both the type of website you manage and your level of technical expertise.

For users seeking a straightforward and secure transfer of their WordPress.com site, the "Migrate to WordPress.com" plugin offers an efficient, automatic migration process.

Those subscribed to the Business or Commerce plans on WordPress.com can take advantage of professional migration services, ensuring a seamless transition managed by experts.

If you prefer a hands-on approach with more control over the migration process, the "All-In-One WP Migration" plugin is a viable option.

This tool allows users to independently transfer files and databases.

Additionally, the WordPress.com importer provides the flexibility to selectively choose content for migration.

For websites hosted outside of WordPress.com, tools like "Migrate Guru" facilitate automated transfers, catering to different hosting environments.

Ultimately, selecting a migration method that aligns with your specific requirements and technical comfort level is crucial for a successful transition.

Run the Migration and Monitor Progress

To initiate the migration process, access your WordPress.com account and navigate to Tools → Import on the dashboard of your destination site. Select the WordPress.com option and click Run Importer. Enter the URL of your source site, click Check my site, and choose "Migrate site" to start the procedure.

The migration team will handle the secure transfer of content, plugins, themes, users, and customizations.

This process generally takes 2–3 business days and is included at no additional cost for Business or Commerce plan subscribers.

Progress can be monitored through the dashboard's migration wizard, which provides real-time updates and access to your migration key if needed.

It's advisable to avoid making changes to your live site during this period to ensure a seamless migration.

Check Features and Fix Issues After Migration

With the migration phase complete, it's essential to systematically review your new WordPress site to ensure all features are operating correctly.

Begin by testing posts, pages, themes, and plugins to confirm their functionality across various devices, emphasizing mobile responsiveness.

Verify all URLs and links, implementing 301 redirects for any changes to maintain SEO rankings and traffic flow.

Utilize Google Search Console to track analytics, address errors in meta tags, headings, and SEO components, and compare these metrics against pre-migration data.

Promptly resolve any broken links and loading issues, assess the accuracy of your sitemap, and reactivate firewalls and caching plugins to protect your site from security threats.

Conclusion

Migrating your site to WordPress doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By auditing your content, cleaning up old data, backing up everything, and setting up your new environment first, you’re setting yourself up for success. Choose the best migration method for your needs, watch the process closely, and don’t forget to double-check your site after the move. With these steps, you’ll make your transition smooth, secure, and hassle-free. Your new WordPress site awaits!