Checkpoints to Consider After You Migrate Your WordPress Website

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At one point in time, it will become a complete necessity for you to migrate or move your WordPress website to another hosting server. Maybe you found a better server than your current one, or you do not like your new server and you wish to return to your old one. Whatever the reason may be, you have to check a lot of things first before pushing through with the migration.

It isn’t as simple as copying and pasting a paragraph of text to another document. A switch in hosting may drastically affect your website’s functionalities, bringing out a lot of complications. These changes will affect your website as a whole, and by extension, your business’s performance. A mindful business owner will make sure to catch and resolve any issues first.

But wait, we’re getting ahead of ourselves! For those of you that don’t really get the concept of website migration, here’s a 5-minute explanation by Google Webmasters.

Wait, you already know what a website migration is, with you getting ready to do one right now? Stop! Before you migrate your website, there is one thing you MUST do. And it’s…

The Golden Rule: Always Have a Spare

Whether it’s before, during, or after the migration, a web developer or administrator has to consider one very important thing (and everyone will stress this out to you): always have a spare. And by that, we mean that you must always have a backup of your website. It’s better to be safe than sorry! You don’t want months or even years of your work disappearing in a blink of an eye.

A simple (honestly, not so simple) migration of your website assets may corrupt your files, rendering them useless. Or the move could cripple your website into an unstable mess. Get triple, if not double sets of file backups just in case such a thing happens. If you think we are being too extra about this, don’t say we didn’t warn you when your website is no longer working and you didn’t have a backup!

Here’s a short, simple, and to-the-point video on how to backup your WordPress website.

Now that we’ve taken care of your website backup, you need to check if your website is still in tip-top condition after moving from one server to another. Before doing so, you need to…

Go Incognito

Using your browser’s “incognito mode” is not only used to browse the Internet without your history being tracked and logged to your computer. Going incognito can be also a great tool when checking what your website looks like post-migration without any logins attached to it. You may not notice that normally browsing your website will do an auto-login with your credentials as the developer and/or administrator. With this special access, you may not see the glaring issues that your visitors are seeing. By going undercover via your browser’s incognito mode and pretending to be one of your visitors, you can see the other side of your website—the one that is displayed to the public. You can then start your website check-up from there.

Take a look at this quick tutorial on how to go incognito on Google Chrome:

Now that you have a website back-up ready and you’re in incognito mode, these are the things that you need to ask yourself while you check your site.

Crucial Checkpoints After Migrating Your WordPress Website

1

Does Your Website Still Look the Same as Before?

When migrating your website, some images and resolutions may get screwed up. A good design may become worse if your website code is not optimal for your hosting server, as it may interpret layouts and dimensions in a different manner. Always keep an eye out for any visual defects that may arise after you moved your entire website. After all, the easiest ones to fix are the ones that can be seen in plain sight.

2

Does Your Website Still Make Sense?

Think of your website migration as if you were moving into a new home. The placement of certain rooms will not be the same as before. Some rooms may not even exist in your new place while some rooms will have completely different layouts.

Due to the same reasons, migrating a website to a different hosting server may also make any page and post content you have on your website seemingly unreadable. Its formatting may have changed, showing text that should not be seen by anyone—or not showing anything at all. Your content could seem like a disorganized mess, something you definitely do not want anybody to see. This affects how your visitors view your website, negatively impacting their experience.

3

Can Your Visitors Still Reach Out to You?

After checking if the website’s output and content is good, you must now check the website’s input method: your contact forms. Whether it’s an application form, a login form or an inquiry form, a lot of issues can arise after the migration. Your forms may send you missing or unreadable information, or you may not receive anything at all. This defeats the primary purpose of your forms: to receive input from its visitors.

The two previous checkpoints were just simple visual checks, so this one takes a little bit more effort. You need to fill out forms with dummy information so you can see if you’re getting the right details on the back-end side of your website. This way, you avoid any issues that may arise when visitors use your website which could have let to missed business opportunities.

4

Can Your Visitors Still Reach Out to You?

After checking if the website’s output and content is good, you must now check the website’s input method: your contact forms. Whether it’s an application form, a login form or an inquiry form, a lot of issues can arise after the migration. Your forms may send you missing or unreadable information, or you may not receive anything at all. This defeats the primary purpose of your forms: to receive input from its visitors.

The two previous checkpoints were just simple visual checks, so this one takes a little bit more effort. You need to fill out forms with dummy information so you can see if you’re getting the right details on the back-end side of your website. This way, you avoid any issues that may arise when visitors use your website which could have let to missed business opportunities.

5

Is Your Website Still Searchable?

What’s the purpose of your website if no one can see it? A website’s migration may mess up your search engine optimization (SEO) plugin settings, which could result in your site being pulled down on the result pages of search engines like Google. This, in turn, leads to a loss in website traffic.

Check if your SEO plugins are set up the way they were before. Doing so ensures your settings still function the same as intended so you don’t lose any website visitors. Remember, your audience helps keep your website alive. Without them, your content is as good as non-existent.

6

Is Your Website’s URL Structure Still Consistent? 

A website URL is often used by people to easily find your website and is also one of the main contributors to an effective website search. Migrating your website to a different hosting server may drastically change its URL structure, making it more difficult to navigate and search. In addition, this change may also possibly flag you down as a malicious website.Go through as many web pages as you possibly can to check that the URL structures are the same as before.

7

Are the Settings of Your Website Still Intact?

While the above-mentioned checkpoints are to be prioritized, you may also need to take a look at other plugin settings and possible compatibility issues that may arise in the future. Do keep in mind that not all plugins work on all servers, and sometimes, a minor oversight after the migration process may lead to a potential website-breaking experience later on. It helps to read related articles to avoid unwanted situations that can damage your preexisting site. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure.

In Conclusion

WordPress website migrations can be overwhelming at times, given the multiple factors that you need to consider. But as you keep things in check, your website will be in optimal working condition even if you change servers.

While these questions can guide you in monitoring your website after a successful change of servers, it is not a bad idea to go above and beyond in taking care of your site. You can consult with a professional web developer to guide you through the process so things will be a lot easier before, during, and after the migration, ensuring that the entire transition is seamless.

About the Author

I have been in the 'online business' space since 2009 when I started an eCommerce business selling motorcycle parts (sold in 2012). Since then I have owned and operated several successful online business (and had a fair share of failures), along with owning offline home services businesses. Currently my focus is online businesses that are profitable with paid traffic. As a 'self employed individual' I do not use Linkedin, but you can connect with my on my personal instagram and youtube which largely revolve around my mountain biking passion!