WordPress site migration service – move without downtime, keep your SEO

The three kinds of WordPress migration

Start by working out which move you are making. The type decides the work involved and the questions to ask any provider.

• Server move: same domain, new hosting. Usually driven by speed, an expiring contract or an outdated PHP version on the old host
• Domain change: same content, new address. Common after a rebrand, a company name change or when a site leaves a subdomain
• Move from another platform: rebuilding a Jimdo, Wix or hand-coded HTML site in WordPress. Content cannot be copied across directly, so the pages are rebuilt

These can be combined – a new server and domain at once, or a migration plus a redesign. The more you change at once, the harder problems are to trace, so agree on the scope first.

What usually goes wrong when moving WordPress

Copying files and the database is only part of the job. These are the problems that come up most often:

• Downtime: the old hosting is cancelled while DNS is still switching, so some visitors see nothing
• Email stops: mail ran on the same server and the MX records were not moved
• Broken images and links: old URLs stay in the database, images fail and the admin panel will not open
• Plugins fail: the new server runs a different PHP version and forms or caching plugins throw errors
• Rankings drop: URLs changed without 301 redirects, so search engines do not pass the old pages' value on

All of these are avoidable: keep the old server running, test the site on the new one, and switch only when everything checks out. For choosing a host and handling the contract change, see how to plan a server migration.

Step by step: a WordPress server migration

The goal is that visitors never notice the move. A typical sequence:

• Record the current setup: WordPress, plugin and PHP versions, email settings and DNS records
• Back up: all files including wp-content, plus the database, so you can roll back
• Prepare the new server: the same or a newer PHP version, a database and an SSL certificate
• Move the data: copy files and the database and update the connection details in wp-config.php
• Test before switching: preview the new server via the hosts file and check pages, forms, images and the admin panel
• Switch DNS: lower the TTL in advance, then change the nameservers or A record at a quiet hour
• Check after switching: SSL, sending and receiving email, forms and caching – and keep the old server for about a week

A domain change adds one more task: replacing the old URL in the database. WordPress stores some settings as serialized data that includes string lengths, so a plain find-and-replace can break them. A dedicated tool or WP-CLI does it safely.

Keeping your SEO through a domain change or a move from Jimdo

When URLs change, search engines need clear signals to carry your existing rankings over. The key is mapping every old URL to one new URL.

• Build a URL map: list every old page next to its new address, starting with the most visited pages
• Set 301 redirects: send each old URL permanently to its matching new page, one to one
• Tell Search Console: add the new property, use the Change of Address tool for a domain move and submit the new sitemap
• Fix links and tracking: internal links, GA4 and ad tags, and the website field in your Google Business Profile

Moving from Jimdo with your own domain is straightforward: point the domain at the new server and redirect the old URLs. If the site lives on a Jimdo subdomain such as jimdofree.com, server-side redirects are usually not available, so rankings are harder to carry over. In that case we keep a notice on the old pages pointing to the new site and match the page structure and titles as closely as possible. For the full redirect process, see 301 redirects and SEO for site migrations.

WordPress migration cost and what to prepare

Cost depends on scope. As a typical range in Japan, a server move for a small site starts at a few tens of thousands of yen, a domain change with redirect planning costs more, and rebuilding a Jimdo or Wix site in WordPress can reach several hundred thousand yen. When comparing quotes, check that they include:

• Testing before the switch and checks afterwards
• Moving email and DNS settings
• A URL map and 301 redirects
• A rollback plan if something goes wrong

To speed things up, have ready: logins for your current hosting and domain registrar, a WordPress admin account, a list of the email addresses in use and who uses them, and your preferred timing. If you want updates and security handled after the move, see WordPress maintenance.

How UNANOBO handles it: see the migrated site first

Before you commit, UNANOBO builds a free demo of your site after the move. For a move from another platform, you see your pages rebuilt in WordPress; for a server move, you see the site running in its new environment. Alongside it you get a structure proposal covering the scope, how URLs will be handled and the switchover plan.

The process is free demo, feedback, launch, growth. The founder handles every project personally, so you keep one contact from the first demo through switchover day to improvements after launch. Everything runs by message, in Japanese or English. Hosting and the domain stay in your name, so you remain in control whoever you work with later.