How to Import a Website Using WordPress
WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) used by bloggers and website owners to power their sites. It is also one of the most versatile CMS’s available and can be used for a variety of tasks including website building, blogging, and eCommerce. Most people use WordPress because it is simple to use and setup without needing any specific programming knowledge. WordPress was originally designed to be used with a web host that supports automated installs so that creating a new blog or website is as easy as clicking a few buttons in your web host’s dashboard.
Since WordPress is such an active community and there are so many plugins and add-ons available that can make it more powerful, we’re going to walk you through the steps to import a pre-made WordPress website. Although this article will focus on WordPress, the steps described here can be used with any CMS.
Step 1: Find A Hosting Service That Suits Your Needs
No matter what type of website or blog you have, you’ll need a web host to make it go live. The most popular hosting services are shared hosting, VPS hosting, or cloud hosting. Each of these types of hosting services allows you to host multiple websites or blogs on a single server. The advantage of this type of hosting is that it makes managing multiple sites easier. You don’t have to go through the process of setting up each site individually.
You’ll also need to decide how much storage space you need. If you’re just getting started then shared hosting should be fine and it is cheap. For larger businesses that need a bit more room, consider investing in a Virtual Private Server (VPS). With a VPS, you can use any programming language to set up the website while the server provides the storage space and the computing power to run your site. If you’re looking for an eCommerce store, consider paying for the additional storage needed in a cloud hosting plan so that you can take advantage of eCommerce tools.
Step 2: Install WordPress To Your Heart’s Content
Once you’ve found a hosting service that suits your needs, it’s time to install WordPress to your heart’s content. WordPress is a free and open-source software project that can be downloaded and installed on websites directly from the web. It was created by WordPress and is also known as a content management system. Once you’ve downloaded and installed WordPress you’ll see a screen like the one in the image below.
If you’re setting up a new blog, the WordPress dashboard will have a link to click so that you can create a new blog or website. This is where you can create a new blog post, edit the formatting of posts and pages, change the theme, and set up a contact form.
Step 3: Activate The WordPress Dashboard
After you’ve created a new blog or website, it’s time to activate the WordPress dashboard. The WordPress dashboard is the place where you can access all of the features and tools needed to manage your site. You can activate the dashboard by clicking the button in the upper right hand corner of your WordPress site’s home page. This will take you to your site’s dashboard where you can click the button to continue as shown in the image below.
If you ever used a different CMS and are now using WordPress, the dashboard will look very familiar to you. The reason for this is because the WordPress team took the time to make sure that the dashboard looked and felt familiar to anyone who used a previous version of WordPress. This is a great way to make sure that you’re not overwhelmed by the amount of features that are available on the site as soon as you log in for the first time.
Step 4: Configure Your Database Settings
Now that your WordPress dashboard is activated, it’s time to configure your database settings. All WordPress sites use a database to store the content that is published on the site. This database is completely separate from your web host’s software and is only linked to your site when you’re editing content or performing other tasks associated with managing a site. As a recommended best practice for a seasoned WordPress user, it is recommended that you use MySQL or MariaDB as your database platform. These types of databases are free and open-source which makes them extremely popular among developers and designers.
If you’re new to databases or servers then MySQL is a great choice as it’s very easy to use and can be accessed via a web browser. Once you’ve made your selection, click the continue button in the upper right hand corner of your WordPress dashboard to return to the main settings screen. This is where you can choose the theme that will be used for your site as well as other settings such as your site’s name and the meta description that will be used for the site’s SEO.
Step 5: Choose A Default Layout For Your Site
Once you’ve configured your database settings, it’s time to choose a default layout for your site. This is where you’ll choose the structure of the site’s pages, posts, and menus. There are several different default layouts available with WordPress and it’s a recommended best practice to choose the one that is closest to what you’re looking for. Once you’ve made your selection, click the continue button in the upper right corner of your WordPress dashboard to bring you back to the main settings screen.
From here, you can choose a sidebar (which we’ll talk about in a bit) or choose to have posts appear in a full-width content area. The content area is where your posts will appear and depending on your screen size, you can choose to have either a left column or right column (which we’ll also talk about in a bit).
Step 6: Create Your First Blog Post
Now that you’ve configured your site and added some content, it’s time to create your first blog post. A blog post is a type of content where you can create a page that will attract viewers and eventually lead to website traffic. Once you’ve created a blog post, it will display in the navigation bar at the top of your WordPress dashboard as well as in the blog post itself.
As a best practice for a seasoned WordPress user, it is highly recommended that you use the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor for blogging. This is because the WYSIWYG editor makes creating blog posts easy and effortless. You’ll also see several different editing tools along with the WYSIWYG editor. It is also a best practice to create different blog post types such as:
- News articles
- Product reviews
- Recipe blogs
- Gadgets blogs
- Technology blogs
The above types of blog posts will attract different types of viewers, and over time, your site will become more of an eCommerce store as you add more products to it. You can also create an events page on your site where you can list all of the upcoming events that are occurring throughout the year. This way, you’ll be able to connect with potential event attendees who are searching for information about your city.
Step 7: Optionally, Create Additional Pages
Depending on your needs, you can create additional pages on your site such as:
- Products
- Inventory
- About us
- Contact
- Services
- FAQ
- Blog
- Press
- Events
Pages that have multiple subpages can also be created within WordPress and you can make it so that each subpage is a separate blog post. This can be useful so that users can navigate through different topics effortlessly without having to click on a link for each section of the site.
Step 8: Take Some Time To Explore The WordPress Platform
With all of the tools and resources available to you in the WordPress dashboard, it’s important that you take the time to familiarize yourself with them. This will not only make the process of using WordPress easier but will also help you make the most of all of its features. A seasoned WordPress user should also know how to find and use third-party apps that can make their tasks easier. For example, you can use Bracket 2 to create a navigation menu for your site. Alternatively, you can use Akismet to prevent spam on your site (if you get a lot of spam, consider spending money on a premium plan so that you can take advantage of the plugin’s features).