How to Move a Website to New Hosting With Less Downtime

Moving a website to a new hosting provider can improve speed, storage, support or reliability, but a poorly planned migration may cause broken pages, missing images, database errors, email problems or hours of downtime.

The safest approach is to build and test the website on the new server before changing the domain’s DNS records. This allows visitors to continue using the old hosting while you prepare the replacement. The method works for blogs, business websites, online shops and information platforms serving readers in Nigeria or abroad.

What a website migration involves

A typical hosting move has several separate parts:

• Copying website files, media and configuration files.
• Exporting and importing the database, if the website uses one.
• Recreating email accounts and other hosting services.
• Checking the website on the new server before changing DNS.
• Pointing the domain to the new hosting provider.
• Monitoring the old and new servers during DNS propagation.

Changing hosting does not automatically transfer everything. Your domain registration, website files, database, email, SSL certificate, scheduled tasks and DNS records may all be managed separately.

Before you begin: create a migration plan

First, list what the current website uses. This prevents important services from being forgotten during the move.

• Domain name and registrar account.
• Current hosting login and new hosting login.
• Website files and folders.
• Database name, username and password.
• CMS details, such as WordPress or another platform.
• Email addresses and forwarding rules.
• DNS records, including A, CNAME, MX, TXT and verification records.
• SSL certificate and HTTPS settings.
• Third-party services such as payment tools, analytics, advertising or security systems.

Also decide when to make the final switch. Choose a period when the website normally receives fewer updates and visitors. For a Nigerian news or football platform, for example, moving during a quiet period is safer than migrating while publishing a major breaking story or live match coverage.

1. Back up everything before touching DNS

Make at least one complete backup before the migration. Keep a copy on your computer or another secure location rather than relying only on the old host.

A complete backup normally includes the public website files, uploaded images, themes, plugins, configuration files and database. If the site has comments, orders, registrations or other frequently changing information, record when the backup was created.

Download the database separately where possible. A file backup without the database may preserve the design but lose posts, users, settings and transactions.

Do not delete the old hosting account immediately. Keep it available until the new website has been tested and DNS changes have settled.

2. Prepare the new hosting account

Set up the domain or a temporary address on the new server. Many hosting providers supply a temporary URL, preview address or server IP address. If none is available, you may test through a hosts-file change, although this is more technical.

Confirm that the new server supports the website’s requirements, including:

• The required programming language and version.
• The correct database type and version.
• Required extensions or modules.
• Enough storage, memory and processing capacity.
• SSL and HTTPS support.
• Scheduled tasks, backups and control-panel features you depend on.

If you are moving a CMS, install a clean copy only when appropriate. In many cases, it is safer to upload the existing files and import the existing database so that settings and content remain together.

3. Copy the website files and database

Transfer the files to the correct document root on the new server. This is often a folder such as public_html, but the name varies by host.

Then create a new database and user on the new hosting account. Import the old database and update the website configuration file with the new database name, username, password and server details.

After importing, check file permissions and ownership. Incorrect permissions can produce server errors, prevent image uploads or expose files that should not be publicly accessible. Your hosting provider can help if you are unsure which permissions are suitable.

For a large website, copying files may take time. Use a reliable transfer method and confirm that the number of files and total size are broadly consistent with the original. An interrupted transfer can leave a website appearing to work while silently missing images or downloads.

4. Test the new website before switching DNS

Do not wait until the domain points to the new host before testing. Visit the temporary address or use a private local test and examine the important parts of the site.

Check the following:

• Homepage, important landing pages and category pages.
• Articles, images, videos, downloadable files and internal links.
• Search, contact forms, login and registration.
• Shopping cart and payment hand-off, if applicable.
• Mobile layout and page loading.
• Database-driven features and recent content.
• Admin dashboard and publishing workflow.
• Redirects from old URLs.

For a platform that publishes technology guides, educational opportunities or travel information, test the pages readers use most often rather than checking only the homepage. A migration is not complete if the front page loads but application links, search results or practical tutorials fail.

5. Reduce DNS uncertainty before the final switch

DNS tells browsers where to find your domain. Before changing records, review the current DNS zone and copy every record that must remain active.

Important records may include:

• A records: point a domain or subdomain to an IP address.
• CNAME records: point one hostname to another hostname.
• MX records: direct email to the correct mail servers.
• TXT records: support email authentication and service verification.

If you control the DNS settings, lowering the DNS time-to-live, or TTL, before the migration can encourage resolvers to refresh records sooner. Do this in advance, because lowering the value immediately before the switch may not affect cached records that already exist.

Do not change email records accidentally. A website can move successfully while incoming email stops working because the MX or related records were deleted or replaced.

6. Make the DNS change and monitor both servers

When the new copy passes testing, update the relevant DNS record or nameservers according to the instructions from the new provider. Record the old values before making the change.

DNS changes do not reach every visitor at exactly the same time. Some people may continue seeing the old server while others reach the new one. This is why the old hosting account should remain online during the transition.

During propagation, monitor:

• Website availability from different networks and devices.
• HTTPS and certificate warnings.
• Forms, logins and publishing.
• Images, downloads and redirects.
• Incoming and outgoing email.
• Server error logs and resource usage.

Do not publish different versions of the same database on the old and new servers during this period. If visitors can submit orders, comments or registrations, you may create separate copies of new data. For active sites, place the website into maintenance mode briefly for the final database export and import, or use a migration method that keeps the database synchronised.

7. Check SEO and security after the move

A hosting migration should not change your URLs unless there is a separate reason to do so. Confirm that important pages return the expected status and that old links redirect correctly.

Check your sitemap, robots settings, canonical URLs and analytics configuration. Make sure the site is not accidentally set to discourage search engines after testing on a temporary address.

Install or renew the SSL certificate on the new server and force HTTPS only after HTTPS works correctly. Confirm that images, scripts and styles also load securely; mixed-content warnings can make a page appear broken.

Change hosting passwords if they were shared during the migration, use strong unique credentials and enable multi-factor authentication where available. Never send passwords, database credentials, payment details or one-time codes through an insecure channel.

Common migration mistakes to avoid

• Changing DNS before testing: visitors become the test team.
• Backing up only the files: database content and settings may be lost.
• Forgetting email records: website traffic may work while mail stops.
• Deleting the old host too early: rollback becomes difficult.
• Ignoring configuration files: database connections and special rules may fail.
• Testing only on desktop: many Nigerian readers access websites through mobile networks and phones.
• Changing several things at once: it becomes harder to identify the cause of an error.

When should you roll back?

Prepare a rollback decision before the switch. If critical pages, payments, logins or email fail and you cannot correct the issue promptly, restore the previous DNS settings and keep the old server active while investigating.

Rollback is not a failure. It is a controlled way to protect visitors and business operations. Keep notes of every change so that the next attempt is based on evidence rather than guesswork.

The practical takeaway

The lowest-risk website migration is staged: inventory the services, back up files and databases, build the new copy, test real visitor journeys, preserve DNS and email records, then switch traffic while keeping the old host available. Taking time to test mobile pages, forms, publishing tools and security is especially important for websites that help people access news, guides, opportunities or online services.