Today, websites have become a mouthpiece for businesses. However, maintaining an impressive digital presence isn’t simple. It could happen that you have built your web project on a different platform and now you want to migrate to WordPress which is powering 33% of all existing sites.
Website migration to WordPress can be tricky though it can be done smoothly and streamlined if appropriately planned. Let’s make it even simpler with these key tips which you can use to eliminate design inconsistencies and optimizing your site for better SEO.
Begin With Examining The Backdrop
To start the migration, you should have two types of sites. The first is the current (source) website and the second one (targeted or upcoming) will be powered by WordPress. Source website might have a CMS or it could be running without one.
For a smooth migration performance, you can always select an experienced web development company. But let’s go through the basics so that you can supervise the progress and confirm that the project is going in the right direction:
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Migrating To WordPress From A Static Web Portal
Manually migrating your website to WordPress can be burdensome although it can be a learning experience. Also, it will give you more control over the content, as all the elements will be created by you only.
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Migrating To WordPress From Another CMS
In this case, you can use WordPress plugins to facilitate a migration process. The automated service like CMS2CMS will help you to import content from one CMS or forum platform to another quickly, efficiently and for a reasonable price. Also, you can use migration tutorials or plugin repository provided by the platform to gain an idea of how to execute the migration. If needed, build a site that can seamlessly integrate with a sales CRM and help you in maximizing sales conversions.
Create A Migration Plan With WordPress Point Of View
Keep in mind that your future website will be built on WP which will look and work differently compared to your source site. To find the other perspective, you have to plan the upcoming WordPress-powered website next way:
- Rearrange the existing content and identify all the posts/pages on your source website. They can be classified as WordPress pages (Home, About Us) or WordPress posts (Announcements, News updates, News events).
- Pick the best web hosting service provider for your upcoming WordPress website. You can choose the WordPress.com or host your site on a shared environment with the help of companies like SiteGround. As an alternative, you can pick WPEngine in case you are coming from a heavy traffic site.
- Plan the new website structure. Don’t ignore the roadmapping strategy for your website by keeping in mind the next pieces of advice:
– Double-check that your new site has the same domain so your SEO score wouldn’t be harmed.
– Plan all the elements of the menu reasonably to maintain the satisfying user experience.
– Choose the installation directory and subdomains carefully to keep all your site elements intact.
- Keep a proper track of all your SEO changes and go through the Yoast or Moz guides to save your SEO juice.
- Pick the proper contact forms or explore best contact form plugins for WordPress. At the same time, don’t forget to install an anti-spam plugin like Akismet.
- Depending on your specific business needs, choose a relevant theme (free or premium). Mind the theme speed and framework when selecting one.
- Remember to install proper backup and security plugins for WordPress to make sure you will stay away from any of these issues in the future.
- In case you are planning to launch an e-commerce store, check the plugins like WooCommerce which seamlessly integrates with WordPress.
Implement The WordPress Migration Perfectly By Taking The Following Steps
- Don’t forget to backup your source website.
- Install a fresh copy of WordPress.
- Now put off search engine visibility option by logging in your WordPress dashboard.
- Bring in the content from other CMS or if you are doing it manually.
- Categorize the content properly and install important WordPress plugins.
- Use Google XML Sitemaps to create a sitemap for your WordPress website and remember to fix broken links.
- Carry out the quality assurance testing. You can use the website performance monitoring tools like Pingdom and Google Search Console.
- Enable search engine visibility feature with Google Webmaster Tools to replenish your new site. Finally, you can go live!
Definitely, WordPress is an amazing platform that can handle the varied projects. Following the exact migration steps will help you to build a reliable site with the potential to fulfill your specific requirements and add value to your business.