Recently, I found an interesting trend on Google. The following graph shows an escalating number of users moving their website to WordPress since the mid of 2011. As you can see, it’s quite a popular trend. So, if you are still a non-WordPress user, it’s time to think about becoming one.
You may have heard a lot of good things about WordPress. But, what exactly can it do for your business website? (Keep in mind that the one that we’ll be discussing in this article is the free software from WordPress.org, NOT WordPress.com).
Here are the three main factors.
(1) Mobile Responsiveness
As of April 2015, Google has released a new update on its search algorithm, giving priority ranking to mobile-friendly websites. This is to meet the increasing demand of mobile users. By using WordPress, you can access thousands of themes that cater to this purpose. Some are free; some are paid, but they all work equally as good on mobile devices.
Use this tool to find out the status of your site and if it is not mobile-friendly, it’s high time you change to a new publishing platform.
(2) Flexibility and Customization
With WordPress, you are not limited to the number of pages on your site like what you would experience with a certain simple website builder. You can add plenty of functions, with the help of plugins and widgets, without any additional cost and still have your website running smoothly.
In other words, you are in total control of how your website looks and what content to deliver.
(3) SEO Friendly
When you create a website, you want people to be able to find it on the web. The best method to do this is to make sure that the search engines can ‘read’ the important data on your content through the optimization process.
With WordPress, you get 10 times more optimization features, thus increasing your online exposure. The more search engines pull your content to the first page, the more traffic you’ll experience on your site.
Before Moving Your Site to WordPress…
There are a few things you need to find out and prepare in advance. Here’s a quick checklist;
(1) Where Did You Obtain the Domain Name?
If your domain is free (like a subdomain), most likely you got it from the hosting company. If your domain is paid, you could have bought it indirectly from the hosting company itself or directly from a domain registrar such as Namecheap or GoDaddy.
Ideally, you want to use back the same domain name when the website has been transferred to WordPress. This, however, will not apply to subdomains as you do not own the proprietorship of the domain.
*For this discussion, we’ll focus on paid domains because they are the transferable ones.
(2) Do You Have Any Backup?
A technical glitch can happen when you do a transfer on the web. Ideally, you want to be able to save and store your original content files in another place. If you have copies in your PC or the cloud, that’s even better. At least in the worst-case scenario, you still have access to your raw data.
So, check and see how you can do backups with your current website through your hosting company.
(3) What Type of Publishing Platform Are You Currently Using?
As there are many web publishers out there, make sure you know the type that you are using. Each platform has a specific way to export web content. So find out from your host if it’s possible to do it on your own or if you require some technical support.
In the event, if none of these are possible, find out if you can hire a migration service to help you out with this issue. Ask them in detail for what they can or can’t transfer so that your expectation can be met.
(4) What Kind of Platform Transfer Does WordPress Support?
As a dynamic tool, WordPress caters to transfer for most (if not all) platforms. One way to find out is to visit the Importing Content Support from WordPress.org. It gives a quick guide on how to transfer up to 54 different platforms.
Another method is to search the Google database by typing “How To Move/Transfer (current publishing platform name) to WordPress site”. You’ll find tons of information on how to do this properly from the experiences blogged by other users. This will prompt you to take precautionary steps to ensure a smooth transition.
(5) Who Can Host the New WordPress Site?
As WordPress.org is a self-hosted website, you’ll need to find a reliable host that can do the job for you. Some will require you to download the WordPress software on your own, while others offer a one-click installation online.
I prefer the latter because it’s more convenient for a non-web savvy person like me. Most hosts these days support WordPress for a fee, so do compare the different hosting plans to see which one works best for you.
Once you figure out the technicalities and compatibility between your current site and WordPress, you can start the process of moving your website.
How to Move a Website to WordPress – The Step-by-Step
If I have lost you in the previous discussion, don’t worry. Now, I’ll show you how I use the information to transfer a website to WordPress.
Step #1
First, ask your hosting company if they support WordPress. If they do, see if they can help to convert your current site to WordPress. If they don’t, find out how they can release your domain (if you register through them in the first place) to be transferred to a domain registrar.
Step #2
At the domain registration, set the DNS servers to point at your new host. For example, I use NameCheap, and this where I filled out the details.
Step #3
Install WordPress software manually or go through your new hosting service. Since I am using SiteRubix, all I need to do is to log in and I will be able to access a brand new WordPress website.
Step #4
Now that you have pointed your domain to a new host, it’s finally time to move your website content from your old site.
At your new WordPress dashboard, go to Tools > Import and check if your system can be readily imported. Alternatively, you can also search for plugins to assist you with the transfer.
Moving web content can take time depending on the size of your site and the capacity of the hosting service. Sometimes, you could also lose certain files along the process, hence the importance of backing up your content.
If you are worried that you’ll mess up the transferring process, get in touch with the good guys at SiteRubix to find out how you can move your site properly to the WordPress platform.
What If You Can’t Move The Website at All???
It could happen due to a variety of technical reasons and should that be the case, your last option is to build the site all over again. If you still have your content stored in the PC or cloud (I hope you do), then all you need to do is to construct them into a good website layout using the desired WordPress theme.
Yes, I know it’s laborious and time-consuming, but look at the bright side. At least you haven’t lost all your precious content.
Are all These Too Confusing?
I am guessing so. That’s why I came up with this flowchart to simplify the entire process just for you 🙂
I hope this article has helped you better understand the process of moving your site to WordPress. If you need any help with this or would like to share your personal experience, just leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you.
See you on the other side! 🙂
Wow, that was a lot of helpful information.
If I am not mistaken, 1 out of 4 websites is using WordPress so that is quite a lot. There are also more option with WordPress than with any other platform out there. For example, if you want to build squeeze pages you could use Optimize Press which is program used to build landing pages. It is really good to base your site on WordPress and I would also consider moving my site if it was based on another platform.
As for web hosting providers, I think just about any web host today will support WordPress, so this should not be a problem.
I am glad that I was introduced to WordPress at Wealthy Affiliate and the ability to use it. WordPress made it easy to save and convert everything which I needed since the WordPress site was my first site to create. There were steps in this page that I did not know about probably since I had to purchase my domain as you had listed and my site transferred it easily. WordPress does make things easier and I hope others use it too and be able to have access to your directions. They are helpful for people that learn by words and by visual since you have the chart too.
Well, the biggest problem I see with this article is I didn’t read it a week ago! I just finishing moving my site to WordPress and hosted at Wealthy Affiliate. Unfortunately because of my previous hosting, I basically had to start over from scratch! Very Annoying! Thankfully I did have all the information saved so I was able to do it, but this article really walks you through the steps very well and I know first hand many people are looking for help on this very topic.
Thanks for your feedback, Matt. Just wondering, which hosting provider were you using before this?
Hello Cathy,
I’ve been using WordPress for quite some time with some of my blogs. I found it quite easy to work with but not everybody agree with that.
In fact, I have started recently a course in web design and we have been asked to choose between Joomla and WordPress. Even though most of us preferred WP, the tutor doesn’t like it. However, she reckons that WP is the most used CMS.
So, at the end of the day, moving an existing website to WP is clearly a good idea.
As said, I have some WP blogs but I have one website that I have built with Dreamweaver that I have been thinking to move over WP. My main concern is to be able to do the back up properly in case something happen. Anyway, thank you for the info. It is very helpful.
Nathalie
This article is really helpful in getting to know more about WordPress and its advantages in developing our own website without having to depend upon web developers like in the past. Also this post has helped me to transfer from a sub-domain to a domain of my own choice which I have been searching for some time. Thanks!
Hey Sundar! Glad to know that this article has helped you sort things out. If you need any other help, just let me know.
Hello Cathy ,
I was looking for this information as I have a client that wants to move his website to WordPress. He owns the domain so I believe I should focus on the back-up and the transferring part. The link that you provided to content support is very helpful.
Since I have my hosting service available, I think I can move on. Thank you so much for this guide. It really saves my time.
Hi there Tasos,
Glad to know that this tutorial has been helpful. Moving websites can be a very tricky process so definitely do all the necessary back-ups. If you need any help, just give me a shout in WA.
Great post Cathy,
I’ve been using WordPress for almost two years now and all I can say – it’s awesome. Easy to use and modify through plugins makes it even more appealing. SiteRubix is certainly one of the best and easy to use tools that I know.
It allows to move your site to WordPress platform in seconds without any technical skills. And there is always support available within 24 hours. By the way, what are the advantages of the hosting that you recommended in your article?
Hi there Rufat,
SiteRubix does more than just hosting. It monitors the performance of your site, allows you to network with other niche bloggers to exchange comments and most importantly, it is linked to the online business training provided by Wealthy Affiliate University.
If you are looking to start an online business, I encourage you to check out their programs here.
Hey, Cathy!
WordPress certainly is the way to go after looking at the Google Trend stats. 😀
I thinks it’s awesome that Google is now rewarding websites that are “mobile friendly”, and this is yet another reason why people should move to WordPress.
I see there are many great benefits too because I have heard that SEO plays a big part towards a WordPress website’s success.
Currently, I don’t have a website, but I’m so glad I found your article because I’m now super-excited to build my first free WordPress website using the SiteRubix builder.
Welcome to my blog, Neil.
By using a WordPress website, you have the advantage of tweaking a lot of elements to optimize for SEO. It doesn’t happen automatically and there are things to look at from On-Page and Off-Page perspective. Still, it would be far better than using a regular drag-and-drop website builder.
To learn how you can rank better for SEO with WordPress, I would encourage you to check out some of Jay’s Weekly Webinar at Wealthy Affiliate. I have implemented some of his tips and the results are great.
WordPress really does make a big difference and I can see why people want to move over to this platform.
It’s very cheap to use and as you said Cathy, it’s SEO friendly too. If you don’t like the theme that you’re using, you can always use a premium theme to build a fantastic looking website. Plus, with the growing of mobile users, it’s only natural that you want your website to be responsive and WordPress certainly makes it a piece of cake!
I’ve been on WordPress over a year now and as far as blog platforms go, it couldn’t get any easier!
Welcome to my blog, Stephen.
SEO is very important for building an online presence and publishing platforms that put restrictions on this feature is going to lose out in the near future. Yes, WordPress has a steeper learning curve, but if it can provide more marketing opportunities for your online business, why not learn to master it?
I have also been using WordPress for a year and my only comment is that, it keeps getting better 🙂
I recently moved a website over to WordPress and I wish I’d seen this write up before I had done it. I had a few issues, it all worked out alright in the end, but still there’s nothing like a step-by-step guide to help things along. This is now my third website on WordPress and I couldn’t be happier. Great post 🙂
Awesome Jyl,
Moving website platforms can be a daunting task and I imagine that your biggest concern is keeping your content as intact as possible. I am glad it turned out alright for you. Seeing that this is your third creation, you obviously have some online business ideas going on.
All the best to you.
Hello!
This is my first time visiting your website. It is a very thorough and informative post. I used your link to check my mobile capability for my own website and everything looks fine. I have a WordPress website with Wealthy Affiliate and I am very happy with it. It is easy to do things and anytime I have had a question, support has helped me.
Welcome to my blog, Melanie.
Building a WordPress website with SiteRubix is actually very easy because it doesn’t require any software installation. As long as you are connected to the internet, you can set up your site within minutes. And because it gives you access to the training area at Wealthy Affiliate University, any WordPress related questions can easily be answered.
Glad to know that your theme is optimized for mobile users. That will help to push up your website ranking further up on Google.
Hello Cathy.
Its been awhile since I dropped in. Oh my goodness so much has changed and ALL for the better.
This is a really good recommendation and I see lots of excellent reasons for making the change. I have to say that its never been an issue for me as I started with my entire internet marketing experience through Wealthy Affiliate using the resources provided there. I haven’t regretted any of my membership fee and have been very grateful that I didn’t come from being badly scammed and then having to make a switch. And all of this even though I’ve had some time glitches that such time away from my website development.
In time, it will work itself out. I hope others who are finding you see what an excellent resource you are to them to be “time rich and worry free“.
Hi Linda,
That’s certainly an advantage of joining Wealthy Affiliate. You learn to use WordPress and Jaaxy Keyword Tool through application and not just theory. I think that helps beginners to grasp the basic faster and put them in the right direction for building a successful online business.
Hi Cathy,
Well, you went above and beyond with this article! You presented the steps, then an example, then a flow chart! I could not ask for more 🙂 The flow chart is quite helpful I have to say. I have done all of those steps in the past, but I cannot say that I would have been able to explain them like you did. I use WordPress and it is so easy to use. You have a lot of options to make your site your own with it. And I have checked to see if my site is mobile friendly in the past and was happy to see that it was. 🙂
Hi there Emily,
WordPress is not only easy to use, it’s very powerful for SEO and other marketing leads too. If you check the top 10 results on the first page of Google Search, I would confidently say that more than half of them are built on WordPress. Plus, there are plenty of resources to help you create a fantastic WordPress website that comes with great designs and good user experience. Any businesses that aren’t using WordPress already are missing out a lot of online opportunities.
Hi, Cathy.
I have a website built on Prestashop, which is an online selling platform. I like it very much, but I am considering to move my website to WordPress because of hosting issues.
I was thinking of starting my website from scratch. It is a big website, so I’ve been procrastinating. If there is a way to transfer my data without starting all over again, it would save my life. I guess I have to find a theme that is appropriate for online selling.
Anyway, very useful info that I found right on time. I am going to try it one of these days and see if it works for my case.
Hi there Daniela,
If you are operating an online store, you might want to check out WooCommerce which is quite popular among WordPress webstore users. They offer some great store themes too via Woothemes. Interestingly, there’s a (new) plugin called ‘FG Prestashop To Woocommerce’ that could possibly help you with the transfer of your product information.
I sense your concern with having to move such a big website so I would strongly recommend that you do some data backup and get in touch with the SiteRubix team to see what else needs to be done. Do let me know how the process goes.
I moved my website to WordPress after using WIX for a while. I thought WIX was better, given more widgets and plugins. But after closely checking on WordPress, I found out that I can do everything I did with WIX in a much easier and simpler way. So, I moved the content and then moved the domain.
As I am a member of Wealthy Affiliate, I get to use its web hosting with no extra cost and that’s saves me about $150 a year. It was a great move.
Hi there Mahmood,
I am glad to know that your transfer to WordPress went smoothly. I too have used Wix for a short period of time but after trying out SiteRubix WordPress, I feel that my website is more optimized. Since the hosting plan includes the online entrepreneurship program as well, I think the fee is worth it.
Since you are with SiteRubix, do take full advantage of the SiteHealth to monitor your website progress and SiteComments to boost the readers engagement on your blog post. These two features have helped a lot in improving my ranking on Google.
Hi Cathy,
Great instructional post. I haven’t had to experience what seems like an intimidating process of moving my website to WordPress. I began my training and websites at Wealthy Affiliate who host them both from the beginning. I started off with SiteRubix websites, then purchased my own domains. It was very easy to transfer these WordPress websites.
For those who are moving their sites to WordPress, I feel this post is most beneficial. Your step by step instructions and guidance is great! The three things that caught my eye with this post is: not being limited to the number of pages, no additional cost for plugins and widgets, and 10 times more optimization features.
6.999 billion people don’t have a blog, a website, or WordPress? What are they waiting for!
Hi Suzette,
Many beginners who build their site on simple website builders or on cheap hosting plans, usually find themselves stuck mid-way through because that is when they realized that simple and cheap comes with a lot of limitations. I did some research and there seems to be a lot of frustration and confusion when it comes to upgrading a website to WordPress. That was what prompted me to write this article in the first place.
Just like you, I started my online business with SiteRubix WordPress which has everything pre-installed. I actually didn’t appreciate its benefit until I started using different free plugins and widgets to build my site. Thanks to the optimization feature, most of my blog post ranking has gone up and almost 70% are now sitting in either Page 1 or 2.
Yes, I do pay more for the hosting plan and even have to crack my head learning the WordPress language, but overall, it makes me a better webmaster.
Hi Cathy,
Great information you provide for the experienced internet marketer and the newbie like me. By the way, are there any survey software that you can get for free or one time license fee to make your own surveys online? So many great products that you have to pay a fee every month and if you have 4, 5 or 6 of these monthly fees, it adds up.
Hi Mac,
Here’s an article on how to create survey for free using SurveyMonkey. I have used it personally and the free plan is pretty easy to use if you are designing simple surveys. Another free tool that you can consider is called Google Forms. It is not as fancy but still does the job.
Hope this helps.