Zero-Downtime Migration of 8 Client Websites

Key Metrics

1. Hosting Provider: Bluehost (standard VPS/Managed WordPress plan)
2. Sites Migrated: 8
3. Downtime: 0 minutes perceived by end users
4. Duration: Completed within 2 weeks

Migration Workflow

Centralize DNS

1. Action: Point all domains’ nameservers to Cloudflare.
2. Benefit: Single pane for DNS, TTLs down to 60s for near-instant IP switches, built-in DDoS protection.

Backup Everything

1. Databases: mysqldump each site (schema + data + user grants)
2. Files: Archive web roots (themes, plugins, uploads) into .tar.gz

Provision Bluehost Environment

1. Spin up the target hosting account on Bluehost.
2. Create eight MySQL databases matching the original names/users.

Upload and Configure

1. Transfer archives via SFTP, extract into public_html subfolders.
2. Update each site’s wp-config.php with the new DB host, name, user, and password.

DNS Cut-Over “Magic Moment”

1. In Cloudflare, update A-records/CNAMEs to Bluehost server IP.
2. Thanks to 60s TTL, traffic flips over in under 5 minutes, no downtime.

Email Migration

1. IMAP-sync or host-export all existing mailboxes.
2. Recreate identical email accounts in Bluehost’s cPanel.
3. Update MX, SPF, DKIM and any TXT records in Cloudflare.

Final QA & Handoff

1. Verify front-end, admin access, contact forms and SSL certs on each site.
2. Prompt the client to reset WordPress passwords and reconfigure email clients.
3. Deliver a short “migration confirmation” report.