Migration · Yogi’s VPS

Migrating from shared hosting to a managed VPS

Upgrading from cheap shared hosting to a managed VPS is one of the biggest performance boosts you can give your WordPress site. This guide walks you through the full migration process — what to prepare, how to safely transfer your site, and what to check before going live.

Image placeholder: Comparison between shared hosting and VPS

1. Why move away from shared hosting

Shared hosting means your site is on the same server as hundreds (sometimes thousands) of other websites. You share CPU, RAM, disk space, and sometimes even IP addresses.

Slow response times during peak hours
Random slowdowns due to noisy neighbors
Limited PHP memory and worker processes
Weak caching layers and restricted server access
Frequent timeouts for WooCommerce, LMS, or membership sites

Image placeholder: Shared hosting bottleneck diagram

2. What you get with a managed VPS

A VPS gives you dedicated resources and full control over the performance stack.

Dedicated CPU, RAM, and NVMe SSD storage
Server-level caching + optimized PHP-FPM
Better database throughput
Isolated environment: no resource sharing
Full control over PHP, extensions, cron, and services
Staging, backups, and advanced diagnostics

Image placeholder: VPS architecture graphic

3. Before you migrate: Prepare your site

Spend a few minutes prepping your existing site so migration goes smoothly.

Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins.
Delete unused plugins and themes.
Clean your database (post revisions, transients, spam, trash).
Remove any old staging sites you no longer need.
Check for malware or hacked files.

The cleaner your site is before migration, the faster and smoother the transfer will be.

4. Create a backup from your current host

On most hosts (Bluehost, HostGator, GoDaddy, SiteGround), you can download either:

A full cPanel backup
A home directory + MySQL backup
A backup plugin archive (UpdraftPlus, Total Upkeep, etc.)

If you’re not sure which method to use, choose whichever option gives you access to the uploads folder and database.

Image placeholder: cPanel download backup screenshot

5. Send us your backup or credentials

You can provide Yogi’s VPS with:

Your backup ZIP or TAR file
Your cPanel or hosting login
Your WordPress admin login (temporary)

We handle the full transfer for you — including database imports, file restoration, and URL checks.

Image placeholder: Yogi’s VPS migration intake form

6. We migrate your site to your new VPS

Once we have access, we handle every step of the transfer:

Create the new WordPress environment on your VPS
Upload and extract your site files
Import the database
Update wp-config.php and database table references
Fix URLs, image paths, SSL, and mixed content
Set correct file permissions and caching

7. Test your site on a temporary preview URL

Before switching DNS, we’ll send you a private preview link. This lets you test:

Homepage and inner page layouts
Forms, logins, checkout, and emails
WooCommerce product pages
Plugins, menus, search, and account pages

Image placeholder: Staging / preview URL screenshot

8. Update DNS or point your domain

When you're ready to go live, update DNS records with your domain registrar.

A record → Points your domain to your VPS IP
WWW CNAME → Points to your root domain
MX records → Only if you use a custom email provider

DNS changes usually propagate in 5 minutes to 2 hours.

Image placeholder: DNS update graphic

9. Final checks after migration

After DNS updates, walk through your site one more time:

Verify SSL is active
Test all forms, logins, and checkout
Check admin speed (should be much faster)
Check emails (contact forms, WooCommerce orders)
Clear caching plugins and CDN

10. Enjoy your new faster site

Your site is now running on isolated resources, stronger caching, and optimized PHP workers. This means better uptime, faster page loads, and more stable WooCommerce performance.