Have you finally decided to move your WordPress blog to a self-hosted account? This is a great decision to make considering all the perks that come along with it. With a self-hosted blog or website, you get your own domain name, access to all WordPress features and useful SEO tools that will help your website rank better on search engines.
For some people though, the joy of moving to a personal hosting account was cut short after realizing that they had lost all their content in the process or encountered technical problems that took a long time to resolve. The truth is that moving your free WordPress site to a hosting account can either be total disaster or smooth experience. The final outcome ultimately depends on your chosen host. To help you have a trouble free experience, here are some tips on how to select a convenient WordPress host.
Backup Your WordPress Content
Before selecting a WordPress host, first make sure to backup your content. It can be quite disheartening to lose all your data if the blog has some content on it. Fortunately, there are several ways to backup WordPress content and not have to re-post everything. The first option is to export all your WordPress pages and posts from the dashboard. Simply go to the Export option from the Tools menu on the dashboard and download the export XML file with all your posts, comments, and pages. Alternatively, you can use the backup database plug-in to backup more data such as tables in your database, which are created when you install plug-ins. All you will need from there is your backup files, which will be uploaded to the server once you have WordPress set up on the new host.
Choose Hosts that Offer One Click WordPress Installation
There are two ways to set up WordPress on your hosting account after registering for a domain name. One, you can download WordPress and upload it to your server via an FTP program provided by your host. This process may take quite some time if you are using a slow internet connection. To enjoy a seamless installation process, consider hosting providers that provide on click scripts for installing WordPress from the control panel.
The automatic installation process varies from one host to another. However, most of these applications simply allow you to integrate WordPress into your hosting account with just a few clicks. All you will have to do is simply upload your back up files to get your website up and running again. The process of moving may take some time before completion but should not last more than 24 hours. If you are new to moving WordPress sites and don’t have the required skills, ensure to hire a hosting provider that offers free support to clients that want to move from a previous platform.
Keep in mind that choosing the best WordPress host involves more than simply considering which host will allow for an easy move. Other factors that you will want to consider include prices and features of your chosen hosting package as well as the level of support and reliability that your host provides.
As an experienced WordPress designer, Scott Heron enjoys sharing useful knowledge on what it takes to own a website. Click here to visit his website and avail the best WordPress hosting UK has to offer.