WordPress is arguably the most popular platform for web development and not only new users but also existing owners want to migrate website to WordPress in order to access its numerous beneficial features. While the process to convert website to WordPress is not difficult, it requires careful planning and forethought in order to complete the transfer smoothly. A short guide is being presented for the benefit of people who want to convert site to WordPress.
1. Analysis Of The Current Interface
An owner must conduct a complete evaluation of the present Analysis Of The Current interface in order to list the useful features and functionalities that must be retained in the new website as well as identifying the new elements that must be introduced in the converted interface, in order to improve its performance. Selecting the textual content that has proved its worth over a period of time by attracting visitors apart from choosing the visual material like images, videos and GIFs must also be done prior to starting the conversion process. Analyze the existing functionality of the interface to see if any of the elements like contact forms need to be migrated. It makes no sense to introduce a completely new type of feature if the existing one is already helping in generating the desired results.
2. Installation Of The WordPress Setup
It is understood that the WordPress setup must be downloaded and installed on the system before starting the procedure to migrate. The process of installation is incredibly simple and does not require much technical knowledge and even amateurs can perform the task in few clicks as all web hosting services provide the facility to do so. A username and password need to be created for the admin dashboard and it is also a good time to get acquainted with the basic features of the open source CMS. The user-friendly nature of WordPress makes it extremely easy to understand its characteristics and use the admin dashboard for conducting modifications. Learning about themes, plugins, backup facilities and security features will be pertinent before embarking on the migration procedure.
3. Importing Content From Present Website
The process to convert website to WordPress starts with the import of content from the existing interface which can be done either by using tools or manually. Engaging a professional will be a sensible decision as an expert will be aware of the most suitable method based on the unique requirements of a project. WordPress has plugins for migration of content from almost all major platforms which can be used if the volume of content is not much but specific cases or platforms may require a manual conversion process. Owners must ensure that proper documentation of the whole process is maintained which can be referred to in case an issue arises.
4. Designing The New Interface
Design is a key aspect which needs proper planning and anyone who has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the old interface will be in a good position to decide whether a completely new, custom-made theme is required or a pre-existing template will be suitable for the purpose. WordPress has themes categorized according to all major occupations and business verticals and a user is bound to find the design template he/she is looking for. All themes can be customized very easily through the admin dashboard which provides control to conduct modification to all elements of the website.
5. Conduct Comprehensive Evaluation Of The New Interface
It will be pertinent to review the new interface before launching it in the user environment and check for bugs and errors. Deploying the website without a comprehensive evaluation will defeat the purpose of migration and the presence of broken links or style elements will result in poor user experience. Checking all functionalities including call to action tabs are working perfectly and creating a redirect structure which enables visitors trying to access the old website in landing on new related pages must be done before making the website go live.
Conclusion
Any person desiring to convert website to WordPress but plan ahead and devise a roadmap for the whole process which will ensure that no problems are encountered during the migration and it is completed quickly.