Moving several websites to a new host: what I would check first
Send me the list of sites before choosing a hosting plan. I want to know which ones take orders, which need old software and where the email lives.
Start with a list you can trust
If you have a dozen websites, the first job is working out what each one does. Some may be simple brochures. Another might collect bookings or take orders all day. I would not give those sites the same moving plan.
For each address, note the owner, registrar, current host, platform, PHP version if relevant, and where its email runs. Add the person who can approve the move. A missing login can hold things up longer than copying the files.
- Which sites still matter to the business?
- What changes during the day: orders, enquiries, stock or member records?
- Which paid plugins, themes or encoded applications are needed?
Separate the website from the domain and email
They may share a provider, but moving the website does not necessarily require transferring the domain or mailboxes. A domain can stay with its registrar while its DNS points the website at a new server.
Before changing nameservers, keep a record of the DNS entries used by mail and other services. Replacing the website records while losing the mail records can make an otherwise successful move feel like a complete failure.
Test one representative site first
I would group similar sites and move one test copy first. That helps expose a shared compatibility problem before the same work is repeated across the group. A custom shop with old dependencies needs its own assessment.
WordPress needs both its files and database. On the test copy, check the features people use, including the login, forms, image uploads and any scheduled jobs. For a shop, agree how checkout tests will be carried out without creating unintended payments.
Plan for changes made after the first copy
A test copy taken on Monday will not contain the orders placed on Tuesday. Decide how to bring the final data across, whether an editing pause is needed, and who checks the result before the domain changes.
Write down what would make you stop the move and return to the old setup. Keep that setup available until the new site and the DNS change have been checked. Reverting a busy shop also needs care, because new orders may now exist on the new server.
Get a quote that names every site
Ask for the assessment, migration and monthly running costs separately. Check whether email, repairs, licences and out-of-hours work are included. A price for one site should never be assumed to cover thirteen.
If you want me to look at a group of sites, send the addresses and what you know about them. I'll work out the scope before recommending a hosting arrangement. Legacy software may need repair or an upgrade before it has an acceptable new home.