How to Migrate Your Website to New Web Hosting (Step-by-Step)

1. Step 1: Choose Your New Hosting Provider and Plan

Research hosting providers thoroughly. Compare performance, uptime guarantees, customer reviews, and pricing. BearHost offers transparent plans with no hidden fees and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Select the appropriate hosting type for your website. If you're currently on shared hosting, consider whether VPS or dedicated hosting better suits your current traffic and growth plans.

Sign up for your new hosting account before canceling your old one. You'll need both active during migration to ensure zero downtime.

BearHost offers free website migration assistance. Our team can handle the entire process for you, eliminating technical headaches.

2. Step 2: Backup Your Entire Website

Create a complete backup of all website files via FTP or your current hosting's File Manager. Download everything in the public_html or www directory.

Export all databases using phpMyAdmin. For WordPress sites, this includes your wp_database. Save the .sql file securely.

Backup your email accounts and settings if you use email hosting. Note all email addresses, passwords, and forwarding rules.

Download any SSL certificates, custom configurations, or .htaccess files. You'll need these for the new hosting environment.

BearHost provides automated daily backups, so once migrated, your website is protected against data loss.

3. Step 3: Upload Files to Your New Hosting

Access your BearHost cPanel and use the File Manager or connect via FTP (FileZilla recommended) to upload your website files.

Upload all files to the public_html directory. Maintain the same directory structure as your original hosting to avoid broken links.

For WordPress sites, upload the entire WordPress installation including wp-content, wp-includes, and all core files.

Set correct file permissions (typically 755 for directories and 644 for files) to ensure proper functionality and security.

4. Step 4: Import Your Database

Create a new database in BearHost cPanel using MySQL Database Wizard. Note the database name, username, and password.

Use phpMyAdmin to import your saved .sql backup file into the new database.

For WordPress sites, update wp-config.php with your new database credentials (database name, username, password, and host—usually localhost).

Test database connectivity to ensure your website can properly communicate with the new database.

5. Step 5: Test Your Website on New Hosting

Before updating DNS, test your website on BearHost using the temporary URL provided in your welcome email or by modifying your local hosts file.

Check all critical functionality: forms, checkout processes, user logins, image loading, and page navigation.

Verify SSL certificate installation. BearHost automatically installs free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt.

Test email functionality if you use email hosting. Send and receive test emails to confirm proper configuration.

Fix any broken links or paths that reference your old hosting environment.

6. Step 6: Update DNS Settings

Log into your domain registrar account (where you purchased your domain—GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.).

Update nameservers to point to BearHost nameservers (provided in your welcome email). This typically takes 4-48 hours to fully propagate.

Alternatively, update A records to point to your new BearHost IP address for faster propagation (usually 1-4 hours).

Keep your old hosting active for 48-72 hours during DNS propagation to ensure no visitor sees downtime.

7. Step 7: Monitor and Verify Migration

Monitor your website closely for 48 hours after DNS changes. Check visitor analytics, form submissions, and error logs.

Use online tools like DNS Checker to verify that DNS propagation is complete globally.

Test from multiple devices and locations to ensure everyone can access the new hosting.

Once confirmed working for 48-72 hours, you can safely cancel your old hosting account.

BearHost support monitors migrations and proactively addresses any issues during the transition period.