How to Migrate Your Website to a New Hosting Provider in Nigeria: Step-by-Step Guide

Why Website Migration is Necessary

Migrating a website to a new hosting provider is a decision many Nigerian website owners face at some point. Common reasons include:

Improved speed and reliability – A faster site boosts user satisfaction, SEO rankings, and conversions.
Better customer support – A reliable provider with responsive support reduces downtime and technical frustrations.
Cost savings – Competitive hosting packages can lower expenses without sacrificing quality.
Advanced features – Improved storage, enhanced security, scalability, and automated backups encourage businesses to switch.

While migration offers benefits, potential challenges such as downtime, data loss, and DNS propagation delays must be carefully managed.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Hosting Provider

The success of your migration begins with selecting a hosting provider that matches your business needs. Consider the following:

Hosting type: Shared hosting (budget-friendly for small websites), VPS (for growing sites), or dedicated hosting (best for high-traffic businesses).
Pricing & renewals: Compare introductory offers with renewal costs to avoid hidden charges.
Uptime guarantee: Choose a provider with 99.9% or higher uptime.
Scalability: Ensure your hosting plan can grow with your traffic.
Reviews & reputation: Check independent reviews to learn about reliability and customer experiences.

Pro Tip: Nigerian businesses often benefit from local hosting providers with data centres in Africa for faster speeds.

Step 2: Preparing for Migration

Before you start moving files, take these crucial steps:

Backup your entire website – Download files, databases, and emails via cPanel, FTP, or backup plugins. Keep both on-site and cloud backups.
Check your requirements – Review server specifications, PHP versions, and storage needs.
Gather login credentials – Ensure you have access to your old hosting, new hosting, and domain registrar accounts.
Plan downtime – Migrate during low-traffic hours to minimise user disruption.

Step 3: Executing the Migration

Follow this structured migration process:

Back up all data – Use cPanel, FTP, or WordPress backup plugins (e.g., UpdraftPlus).
Upload to new hosting – Transfer website files using FTP and import databases with phpMyAdmin.
Update DNS records – Log in to your domain registrar and change your nameservers to the new hosting provider.
- DNS propagation may take 24–48 hours. Keep your old hosting active until your new site is stable.
Test your new setup – Use the temporary URL provided by your new host to check site functionality before going live.

Step 4: Testing & Troubleshooting

After migration:

Check all links, images, and forms to confirm functionality.
Fix broken URLs using 301 redirects.
Verify SSL certificates are installed properly.
Test site speed and performance with Google PageSpeed Insights.
Monitor analytics to ensure traffic isn’t being lost during DNS propagation.

Step 5: Post-Migration Best Practices

Once your site is live on the new host, don’t stop there:

Monitor site uptime and performance daily for the first week.
Set up automated backups to avoid future data loss.
Update WordPress plugins, themes, and PHP version for compatibility.
Keep your old host active for a few days until you confirm everything runs smoothly.

Final Thoughts

Migrating your website to a new hosting provider in Nigeria doesn’t have to be stressful. By carefully selecting a reliable host, backing up your data, and following a structured migration process, you can achieve a smooth transition with minimal downtime.

With the right strategy, your website will not only run faster but also deliver a better user experience—boosting traffic, conversions, and long-term growth.

Seamlessly Migrate Your Website with ENGRMKS & CO.

Switching hosting providers can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. At ENGRMKS & CO., we provide professional website migration services in Nigeria, ensuring:

Zero downtime
100% secure data transfer
Optimised performance on your new host

Don’t risk losing traffic or breaking your site.
Contact us today for a free consultation, and let’s make your website migration smooth and stress-free!