How to Migrate an Existing Website to WordPress

Do you have an existing website that you’d like to migrate to WordPress? This can be a daunting task, as there are a variety of steps that you need to take in order to make the process work smoothly.

Before you begin migrating, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got everything planned. Having a clear idea of what needs to be done and the steps that you need to take will help you keep on task and avoid making any mistakes. This article will go over the steps that you can follow in order to migrate a website from another platform to WordPress.

Migrate Content

The first step in the process is to import the existing content from the website that you’re migrating to WordPress. You can use a tool like Yoast’s WordPress Content Import to make this process less labor intensive. You can also use this tool to create a fresh WordPress installation in its place, filling it with all the content that you’ve migrated. This can be a time-saving feature, as you won’t need to copy all of the content over manually.

Install WordPress

Once you’ve got the content that you want to migrate imported, it’s time to install WordPress. You can do this by entering the following into any web browser:

https://wordpress.com/

This will take you to the WordPress installation page. When viewing this page, you’ll need to make sure that you’re logged in. You can do this by entering your username and password in the respective fields.

Look for the green button that’s next to the word “Install.” Clicking this button will start the WordPress installation process. Once completed, you’ll be brought back to the login screen and will be able to log in using the credentials that you specified.

Create a Backup

Now that you’ve got WordPress installed, it’s time to create a backup. You can use a tool like Acronym’s My Backup to easily generate a zip file containing a complete copy of your WordPress files. This will make recovering from any mistakes much easier. As a precautionary measure, it’s also a good idea to create a backup before making any major changes to your site (such as adding new content or plugins).

Fill Out the Form For a New Password

The next step is to visit this WordPress Support page and use the form at the top of the page to generate a new password. Make sure to copy this password somewhere safe, as you’ll need it later on in the process. You can also use this new password to login to your WordPress dashboard, just in case you forget your existing credentials.

Choose a New Username

Now that you’ve got a password, it’s time to choose a new username for your WordPress site. This is something that you’ll need to do regardless of whether you’re using a free or premium WordPress account. You’ll also need to enter this username in the appropriate location in your site’s admin area (typically found in the dashboard).

The username that you choose will be the user name that others will see when viewing your site. It’s a good idea to choose a username that’s easily memorable and that won’t be misinterpreted by others (i.e., using numbers or special characters). As a reference, we’ve provided a list of some well-known WordPress usernames that you might want to consider.

Clean Up The Admin Area

After choosing a username, it’s time to tidy up the WordPress admin area. This is where all the tools that you use to build and maintain your site are located. One of the things that you can do is to change the username that’s associated with admin from its default value of “wp-admin” to your chosen username.

To access the admin area, you must be logged in as an administrator or member of the WordPress community (i.e., not as an individual user). If you’re not sure how to do this, you can get help from WordPress itself (specifically, from the support team):

https://wordpress.org/support/faq/how-to-edit-the-welcome-page/

Once you’ve logged in, you’ll need to click on “Settings” in the admin area. From here, you can change the information that’s displayed on your site’s welcome page by clicking on the “Site identity” tab. You can also use this tab to change the logo that’s used by the WordPress website.

You can use an app like Netlify’s WordPress One-Click to create a new site with WordPress as its default platform in a matter of minutes. Simply upload your content and get publishing. You can also use this tool to import your existing site’s content into the new site.

Activate WordPress

The final step is to activate WordPress on the new site. To do this, you must first enter your chosen username and password and then click on the “Activate” button. Once activated, you’ll be able to log in using your existing password to access your site’s admin area.

If you encounter any problems after completing this process, you can visit this WordPress Support page for assistance.