The big disadvantage to using WordPress.com to host your website is that you have a limited set of themes that you can use, and you cannot install plugins. The latter is a huge problem if you want a robust business website with search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities. WordPress plugins and custom code make a self-hosted WordPress.org website a powerful Internet marketing engine.
Moving a WordPress blog or website to a different hosting is more straightforward than it may seem. You just have to move the database over, and install the theme and all plugins.
If you need to transfer all of your old WordPress database settings and installation to a new WordPress installation then I recommend you:
1. First BACKUP all files below the public_html folder and your database!
2. Copy all files below the wp-config folder to the new location. This includes the uploads, themes and plugins. If your plugin files aren’t in place when you move the database over (later in this process) then the new WordPress will be broken.
3. Go to this WebDesignerWall.com page about how to export and import a WordPress database and follow the instructions to move the entire database across.
4. Keep copies of your old, original wp-config.php file and the new one used to create your new WordPress installation. This file contains database access information in it as well as seed text strings used to secure the WordPress installation.
5. Copy these sections of the wp-config.php file from the old to the new one that was used to create the new WordPress installation: AUTH_KEY,SECURE_AUTH_KEY, LOGGED_IN_KEY and NONCE_KEY.
6. If you use the DigitalAccessPass (DAP) plugin for subscription-based services then you’ll also need to edit the /dap/dap-config.php file to add the new database login values.
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