Learn how you can quickly and easily migrate your existing WordPress website to SiteGround’s hosting service using the free do it yourself option with next to zero downtime.
You could pay someone else to move your website for you. But you’re going to learn how you can do it quickly and easily, all on your own, saving time, money, and downtime. All the techie stuff is automatically done for you with the easy-to-use plugin.
Watch this video
There are just a few simple steps to follow so just take them one at a time.
- Create your SiteGround account using this link: marionblackonline.com/siteground
- Add your website to your SiteGround account
- Get the Migration Token (Key)
- Install and use the SiteGround Migrator plugin on your original website
- Check the preview
- Change the DNS
- Get a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate
That’s it!
Before You Start the Migration
Make sure that your WordPress installation, all your plugins, and all your themes are up to date and working properly. Run a security plugin such as Wordfence or Sucuri and fix any issues. Do not attempt to migrate a hacked website. And don’t change the DNS until instructed to do so.
Create your SiteGround account
Use this link when you create your SiteGround account to tell ‘em I sent you. You’ll be offered a nice discount on your hosting package and I may get a small commission from their affiliate marketing budget.
Your discount is for your first purchase so it’s a good idea to sign up for as long as you can manage. You’ll save the most with a 36-month package.
Then log into your SiteGround account and follow the prompts to set up your website.
What you need to migrate your website
The three things you need to migrate your website are the migration plugin, migration token, and the Domain Name Servers.
Copy the Migration Token and save it in a Notepad.
Copy the Domain Name Servers information from your welcome email or the SiteGround website and save that with the Migration Token.
Now let’s log into your website and make this migration thingy happen.
Use the SiteGround Migrator Plugin
Go to Plugins > Add New > search for SiteGround Migrator.
Install and Activate.
Find the SG Migrator in your WordPress admin menu then copy and paste your Migration Token.
Check that the email address is valid then Initiate Transfer.
Wait while the plugin does its thing. Depending on the size of your website this could take several minutes.
The plugin takes a snapshot of your site so don’t make any changes to your website for the next 48 hours as any changes could be lost.
When you get the Success notification you can check what your site is going to look like after the migration.
You’ll also get an email from SiteGround with the link to preview your website.
Please note, this is a preview, it doesn’t mean that your website has been migrated yet.
Change the DNS (Domain Name Servers)
Make sure that everything looks OK on the preview then go to your domain name registrar and change the Domain Name Servers. This process will vary depending on where you’ve registered your domain name. If you have any problems the registrar is sure to have full instructions.
You’ll find the DNS information for SiteGround in your welcome email or on their website.
Make sure you use copy and paste when you set the nameservers to avoid errors. And make sure you don’t include any spaces before or after the nameservers info.
It can take up to 48 hours (usually a lot less) for the DNS changes to propagate throughout the internet. So don’t make any changes until you’re sure that the migration is complete.
Get a free SSL Certificate
While you’re waiting you can install a free SSL certificate. Let’s Encrypt is a free SSL certificate that is used by many hosting companies including SiteGround. I’ve used it before and it works just fine and SiteGround provides automatic renewals. There’s no need to pay for an SSL certificate when you have your website hosted with SiteGround.
Log into your SiteGround account. Go to Websites > Site Tools > Security > SSL Manager and select Let’s Encrypt. Click the GET button.
Next, go to HTTPS Enforce and flick the switch.
Are we there yet?
When your site has been successfully migrated it’s going to look exactly the same as it did before…
…on the outside.
But when you log into your WordPress dashboard you’ll notice two things; there’s a Purge SG Cache option at the top of your screen and there’s a new plugin installed and activated.
It’s the SG Optimizer which includes super caching, image optimization, plus a few more features. You may need to tweak the setting of the plugin and deactivate some of your existing plugins for the best results.
That’s it! Congratulations. You’ve successfully migrated your website to SiteGround. Happy blogging!
Please scroll down to ask any questions and to share your experiences with migrating your website to SiteGround. I read all comments personally.