Moving a website to a new host, server, CMS, or domain is rarely simple. Downtime, broken links, lost traffic, database errors, and SEO damage are common risks. At Achi Systems we eliminate most of these problems with structured, low-risk migration services built for speed and reliability.

We handle every type of migration:

Shared hosting → VPS / dedicated / cloud
cPanel → DirectAdmin / Plesk / custom panel
WordPress → new host or domain
Joomla, Drupal, Magento, Shopify, custom PHP/ Laravel / Node.js apps
HTTP → HTTPS with full SSL coverage
Non-www → www (or reverse) with permanent redirects
Old domain to new domain (rebranding)
Server location change (US → EU / Asia / local Kenyan data center)
Platform change (e.g. custom CMS → WordPress / headless CMS)

Our average migration completes in 4–12 hours of actual work time with under 5–30 minutes of planned downtime—often zero for high-traffic sites using our DNS pre-pointing method.

Process we follow on every project:

Pre-migration audit (2–4 hours) Full crawl with Screaming Frog + GTmetrix + Google Search Console data. Identify 404s, redirect chains, mixed content, slow assets, broken plugins, database size, email accounts, cron jobs, .htaccess rules, SSL status. Deliver detailed risk report + timeline estimate.
Full backup & snapshot Files, databases (MySQL / MariaDB / PostgreSQL), emails, DNS zone file, server configuration. Stored encrypted in at least two geographic locations.
Environment replication Set up identical staging server (same PHP/Node version, same modules, same file permissions). Test migration in isolated environment first.
DNS strategy to minimize downtime Lower TTL 24–48 hours before go-live. Pre-point A/AAAA/CNAME records to new server while old site still serves live traffic. Use Cloudflare or Fastly as reverse proxy when possible for near-zero-downtime cutover.
Data transfer Rsync / SFTP for files (with –checksum to avoid unnecessary transfers). mysqldump + optimized import for databases. Search-replace scripts run safely on serialized data (WordPress, ACF, WooCommerce, etc.).
Post-migration fixes Update wp-config.php / .env / database URLs. Regenerate permalinks, sitemaps, caches. Fix mixed-content, update internal links, reconfigure CDN, re-verify Google Search Console / Bing. Test forms, payments, logins, APIs, cron jobs.
Final verification & handover Run automated diff checks (files + database). Monitor live traffic for 48–72 hours. Provide full documentation: new credentials, DNS notes, post-migration checklist.

Common problems we solve daily:

Traffic drop after migration → usually fixed with 301 redirects + updated sitemap + GSC re-crawl request.
500 / 503 errors → incorrect file permissions, missing PHP extensions, resource limits.
Email delivery failure → SPF, DKIM, DMARC records not copied.
WooCommerce orders / sessions lost → database tables not fully transferred.
HTTPS redirect loops → .htaccess or server block misconfiguration.

Pricing starts at KES 18,000 for small WordPress sites (< 500 MB, < 50k monthly visitors). Enterprise migrations (e-commerce, high-traffic news portals, multi-site networks) range KES 65,000–250,000 depending on complexity.

Why clients choose Achi Systems:

100% Kenyan-based team (Nairobi & Mombasa) – fast communication, no timezone issues.
14+ years combined experience in hosting & CMS migrations.
We eat the cost of any downtime-caused revenue loss on sites > 100k monthly visitors (subject to fair-use terms).
Free 30-day post-migration support for tweaks & monitoring.
Transparent flat-fee quotes—no surprise hourly billing.

Recent projects:

Moved 1.2 TB WooCommerce store from US shared host to AWS Nairobi region – 18 min downtime, zero orders lost.
Migrated government agency Joomla site to new secure server – full HTTPS + security headers implemented.
Re-platformed 8-year-old custom PHP portal to Laravel + new domain – traffic recovered to 98% of previous level in 14 days.

If your current host is slow, expensive, unreliable, or you are rebranding and need a clean domain shift, contact us.