How to Convert a Website to WordPress

In today’s digital landscape, having a dynamic and easy-to-maintain website is essential. WordPress, with its user-friendly interface and extensive ecosystem of plugins and themes, has become a go-to platform for web development. 

If you have an existing site and are looking to migrate it to another platform, WP may be one of the best possible choices. But is it worth it? Why do businesses choose to transition? How to do it seamlessly? What to do to convert a website to WordPress from any other platform?

Let our comprehensive guide will walk you through the process.

Reasons to Convert Site to WordPress

Of course, the first question is, “Why?”. Why convert website into WordPress? What may be the reasons behind the decision? Considering you’re reading this article, you may have your reasons. See if they align with the ones we at ProCoders often hear from our partners who have made the choice to convert any website to WordPress.

User-Friendly CMS

WP boasts an incredibly user-friendly content management system (CMS) that simplifies the process of website management. It’s designed with a clean and intuitive interface that empowers both technical and non-technical users to effortlessly update, publish, and manage website content, as simply a copy and paste from your Google Document into a no-code editor. 

WP makes it accessible to anyone, allowing you to focus on your content and business rather than wrestling with a complex CMS.

Rich Plugin Ecosystem

With thousands of plugins available, you have the power to extend your website’s functionality without the need for extensive coding. From enhancing SEO to adding e-commerce capabilities and changing appearance themes, there’s a plugin for nearly every conceivable feature or task. These plugins act like building blocks, enabling you to tailor your website to your specific needs.

Themes for Customization

The visual identity of your website is crucial, and WP offers an array of responsive themes and templates to help you customize its look and feel. These standard and custom themes are not merely cosmetic; they provide the foundation for your website’s design, layout, and overall user experience. 

WP themes range from simple, clean designs with simple menu structure to elaborate, feature-rich layouts, catering to various industries and styles. This level of customization allows you to make your website a true reflection of your brand’s identity while providing a polished and professional appearance.

SEO-Friendly

WP is inherently search engine-friendly, which is a significant advantage in the digital age. It incorporates best practices for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) directly into its architecture. This means that search engines can efficiently crawl and index WP websites, resulting in better visibility in search results. 

Additionally, WordPress provides the flexibility to further enhance your site’s SEO through plugins and practices. You can optimize each page, post, and image for search engines, improving your website’s chances of ranking higher and attracting organic traffic.

Community Support

WP benefits from a large and active community of users, developers, and other experts. This community-driven approach means you’re never alone in your journey. It provides a wealth of resources, including forums, tutorials, and expert advice. Whether you’re looking for troubleshooting tips, design inspiration, or guidance on best practices, you can tap into this vibrant community. 

How to Convert Website to WordPress Online: 3 Ways

How to convert my website to WordPress? There are multiple ways. Let’s briefly review each of them and look at the general steps needed for the migration.

Why general? Because each project has its distinct qualities and requirements, which adjust the roadmap. We usually talk about this with our potential partners during our Free Workshop and Discovery Phase.

1. Manual Migration

Manual migration is not a new method and it’s by far the hardest. However, it provides full control over the migration process. While it can be time-consuming, it allows you to meticulously customize your WP site according to your existing website’s structure.

Steps for Manual Migration:

1. Choose a Hosting Provider: Start by selecting a web hosting provider that supports WordPress.
2. WordPress Installation: Install the WordPress CMS on your hosting server. Many hosting providers offer one-click installations for WordPress.
3. Theme Selection: Pick a WordPress theme that aligns with the design and layout of your current website.
4. Content Migration: This involves copying and pasting text, images, and other media elements from your old site to the corresponding locations in your new WordPress site.
5. Functionality Integration: Add the necessary WordPress plugins to replicate the features and functionality of your original website.
6. Design Customization: Customize your selected WP theme to match your website’s design. This may involve adjusting colors, fonts, and layouts to make sure the transition is seamless.
7. Testing and Debugging: Thoroughly test your new site to identify and address any issues or code conflicts.
8. Go Live: Once everything is functioning correctly and your new WP site is ready, you can replace your old website with the new WordPress version.

2. Automated Migration Tools

Several automated migration tools and plugins are available to simplify the process of moving your website to WP.

Steps for Using Automated Migration Tools:

1. Choose an Appropriate Tool: Some popular choices include All-in-One WP Migration and Duplicator.
2. Plugin Installation: Install and activate the chosen migration tool on your WordPress site.
3. Configure and Initiate Migration: Follow the tool’s instructions to configure the migration parameters, such as source website details and the data you wish to transfer. Then, initiate the migration process.
4. Review and Adjust: After migration, review your WordPress site to ensure that the content and functionality have been transferred accurately.
5. Testing and Debugging: Test the website thoroughly, checking for any issues that might have arisen during the migration process.
6. Go Live: Once you’re satisfied with the migration results and have addressed any issues, you can make your WP site live.

3. Hire Professional Web Developers

If the idea of migrating your website to WP seems overwhelming, or if your website is particularly complex, hiring professional web developers with expertise in WordPress conversion is a viable option. This approach offers peace of mind and ensures a seamless transition while freeing you from the technical intricacies of the process.

Steps for Hiring Professional Web Developers:

1. Select a Reputable Web Development Team: Research and choose a reputable web development agency or team with experience in website migration to WP.
2. Consultation and Planning: Work closely with the developers to discuss your website’s structure, features, and specific requirements.
3. Execution of Migration: The developers will handle the entire migration process, from choosing the right hosting to content migration and design customization.
4. Testing and Debugging: The developers will thoroughly test the new WordPress site to ensure all aspects are functioning correctly.
5. Go Live: Once the developers have confirmed that the migration is seamless, your new WP site can go live.

Considering WordPress developer salary cost and WordPress site cost, this is an effective, budget-saving option as you get professionals working on the conversion while you can focus on your core business!

Challenges You May Encounter When Migrating Any Website to WordPress

While migrating your website offers numerous advantages, it’s important to be aware of the potential challenges that can arise during the transition.

• Data Loss

During the migration process, there’s a risk of losing or corrupting data, especially if not handled carefully. This may include content, images, user data, or other important information. To mitigate this risk, it’s crucial to perform backups of your existing website and regularly validate the integrity of the data during and after migration.

• Compatibility Issues

If your original website relies on specific technologies, scripts, or proprietary systems, you may encounter compatibility issues when migrating to WP. This challenge underscores the importance of careful planning and testing to ensure a smooth transition.

• SEO and URL Structure

Changing your website’s URL structure during migration can negatively impact your search engine rankings. Inconsistent or broken URLs can lead to a loss of organic traffic and disrupt the user experience. 

• Web Design and Theme Alignment

Maintaining the design consistency of your original website can be challenging, especially if you’re transitioning from a highly customized site. It may require significant adjustments to ensure that your chosen WordPress theme closely matches the design of your existing website. This can be a time-consuming process that demands attention to detail.

• Main Content and Media Migration

Transferring content and media, such as images, videos, and documents, is a critical aspect of migration. You may face challenges related to file formats, compatibility, and content structure. Ensuring that all your content is correctly and efficiently transferred to WP while preserving its organization and integrity can be complex, particularly for content-heavy websites.

• Functionality Replication

If your existing website includes unique or specialized features, replicating these functionalities in WP may require extensive customization or the development of custom plugins. 

• Downtime and User Experience

The migration process may necessitate some downtime for your website. Balancing the need for migration with maintaining a positive user experience is a challenge. To minimize disruption, consider a staging or testing environment where you can conduct migration tests without affecting the live site. Additionally, implementing proper redirection and communication with users can help manage expectations during the migration.

Here are some issues you may see when converting a website to WordPress from a particular platform:

• Joomla – it uses a different architecture and database structure, which can make migration complex.
• Prestashop – E-commerce platforms like PrestaShop have unique product and order databases.
• Shopify – Migrating from a hosted e-commerce platform like Shopify requires careful handling of products, orders, and customer data.

By acknowledging these challenges and planning accordingly, you can make a more informed decision and successfully navigate the migration process to WP while mitigating potential issues.

Plugins to Convert Existing Website to WordPress

Here are some of the most helpful website to WordPress converter-like plugins that will assist in converting websites on other platforms to WP.

Migrate from Joomla to WordPress with:

• FG Joomla to WP: This plugin simplifies the migration process, allowing you to import articles, categories, images, and other content from your Joomla site into WP. It also supports custom fields and metadata.
• SP Upgrade: This extension provides a straightforward way to convert your site to WordPress. It offers support for multiple Joomla versions and assists with content and user migration.

Migrate from PrestaShop to WordPress with:

• Cart2Cart: While not a plugin, Cart2Cart is an online service that facilitates e-commerce platform migrations, including PrestaShop to WooCommerce, which can be integrated into your WP site.

Migrate from Shopify to WordPress with:

• Cart2Cart: As mentioned earlier, Cart2Cart is a versatile solution for e-commerce platform migrations. It supports Shopify to WooCommerce migrations, making it suitable for moving your online store to WP.

Migrate from Drupal to WordPress with:

• FG Drupal to WP: Similar to the Joomla migration plugin, this tool aids in migrating content from Drupal to WordPress. It supports articles, categories, tags, images, and other elements.
• CMS2CMS: CMS2CMS is an online migration service that supports Drupal to WordPress migration. It automates the process, ensuring smooth content and media transfer.

Migrate from Wix to WordPress with:

• FG Wix to WP: This plugin can assist in the migration from Wix to WordPress. It allows you to import pages, images, and other content. However, Wix’s closed nature may present some challenges.
• HTML Import 2: In the case of Wix, which doesn’t have a direct export feature, one approach is to use the HTML Import 2 plugin to import Wix content as HTML pages, and then further organize it within WP.

Migrate from Weebly to WordPress with:

• FG Weebly to WP: Just like the FG Joomla and Drupal plugins, this tool can help with content migration from Weebly to WordPress. It allows for the import of pages, images, and other elements.
• HTML Import 2: As with Wix, you may use the HTML Import 2 plugin to import Weebly content as HTML pages, and then arrange it within WP.

The choice of migration plugins may vary based on your specific requirements and the complexity of your existing website. Research and testing are crucial to ensure a smooth transition.

Pro Tip: Import Content Using an XML or CSV File

For content-heavy websites, importing content using XML or CSV files is a practical approach. Let ProCoders guide you through the process:

1. Install a Data Import Plugin
   You can use WP All Import. Navigate to your WP dashboard, select “Plugins,” and then click “Add New.” Search for the plugin you need, install it, and activate it.
2. Prepare Your Data File
   Ensure that your data file (XML or CSV) is well-structured and formatted according to your WordPress site’s needs. This includes defining the data fields, categories, tags, and any other relevant information that needs to be imported. Your file should also include URLs to media files, such as images or videos.
3. Access the Import Plugin
   In the case of WP All Import, you’ll find it under the “All Import” menu.
4. Create an Import Template
   Using the plugin, you’ll need to create an import template that specifies how the data in your file corresponds to the WP fields. This involves mapping your existing data to the appropriate WordPress post types, categories, tags, and custom fields.
5. Test the Import
   Conduct a test import CSV with a limited set of data to ensure that the mapping and data relationships are accurate.
6. Begin the Import Process
   Depending on the size of your data and your server’s capabilities, this process may take some time. The plugin will map and import posts and the rest of the data into your WordPress site, creating pages and other content as specified.
7. Review and Adjust
   After the import is complete, review your WP site to ensure that the content has been imported accurately. Pay attention to formatting, images, and media files to confirm that they align with your website’s design and structure.
8. Perform Quality Assurance
   Perform comprehensive quality assurance checks to identify any issues or inconsistencies that may have arisen during the import. This includes checking for broken links, missing images, or formatting discrepancies.
9. Make Your Imported Content Live
   Once you are satisfied with the imported content and have addressed any issues, you can make it live on your website. This typically involves publishing the imported posts or pages, ensuring they are accessible to your website visitors.

By following these steps and using data import plugins like WP All Import, you can efficiently and accurately transfer extensive content to your WP site, saving you time and effort during the migration process.

You can also trust this process to professionals from ProCoders!

How ProCoders Can Help When You Convert Your Website to WordPress

Converting an existing website to WordPress can be a complex task, especially for larger or more intricate websites. ProCoders offers professional assistance, from planning the migration to executing it seamlessly. 

Let us take care of your project with:

• Discovery Phase

Our Discovery Phase kicks off with a free 1.5-hour workshop, where we dive into your migration project, assess the technologies involved, and set the course for a detailed 3-4 week study. During this phase, we scrutinize your project, choose the right technologies, and craft a comprehensive roadmap.

• Staff Augmentation

For teams in need of added expertise for a successful migration, our Staff Augmentation service is tailored to the task. We exclusively hire middle to senior-level developers, ensuring high-quality skill sets for a smooth transition.

• Team as a Service

If you lack a technical team, our Team as a Service offering is the solution. We build a custom team, including project managers, developers, QA specialists, designers, and more, all in-house – eliminating HR hassles for you.

Our team of experts is well-versed in WP and can ensure that your website retains its functionality, design, and SEO rankings throughout the migration process. We provide full technical support, communication in English, and years of experience to make your transition to WordPress a success.

Conclusion

The decision to convert existing site to WordPress is a strategic move to enhance your online presence. It offers the flexibility, scalability, and user-friendliness that WP is renowned for. 

With the right plan, plugins, and professional support, you can successfully make the transition while retaining the essence of your original site. You can always find this support with ProCoders!