How to Convert a WordPress Website to a Website with WordPress CMS
WordPress is the most popular CMS and the second most popular software after Microsoft Word. With over 60 million active users, WordPress is widely used to set up and host websites. It is also the most used platform when it comes to creating blogs. In this article, we’ll discuss how to convert a WordPress website to a new website using WordPress as the content management system (CMS). We’ll cover the basics like changing the template and installing plugins to make the transition as easy as possible for your customers. Before we begin, it is important to note that this is a complex process and it is advisable to hire a reputable web designer or developer to help you with the process.
The Process
The first step is to create a new web hosting account and install WordPress to the server. We’ll use XAMPP, which is a free distribution of Apache, MySQL, and PHP, to get up and running quickly. Once you have installed WordPress to the server, it’s time to change the theme and layout of your site. It is also advisable to install a caching plugin to ensure that your visitors can easily find what they are looking for on your site. Let’s look at each part of the process individually.
1. Create New Hosting Account
The first thing you’ll need to do is to create a new hosting account. You can use this account to install WordPress to the server and to manage the content on your site. When you have registered with a web host, you’ll receive an email from them with pricing information and a link to further configure your account. Follow the on-screen instructions to logged in to your account.
You should also read their terms of service (TOS) carefully. Most web hosts have a 30-day money back guarantee if you meet the requirements, so make sure you understand what you are committing to before you click the activation button. Also, be sure to check out their support forums before you contact them with any questions. You can use the forums to get help from other customers or get answers to your questions. Checking out other customers’ blogs is also a great way to understand how WordPress works and how others use the software.
2. Install WordPress To The Server
After you have registered with a web host, they’ll send you an email with information on how to install WordPress to the server. Follow the instructions in the email and once installed, log in to your WordPress dashboard.
You’ll need to upload a WordPress theme to your site from the dashboard. You can use the built-in theme installer to choose from hundreds of free designs or you can find a specialized design that suits your needs. When choosing a theme, make sure that the company that created it also supports and maintains the product. Also, make sure that the theme you choose is retina-ready because many newer themes are not built with Retina display devices in mind.
You’ll also need to install one or more plugins to the site from the dashboard. There are many plugins available for free and some premium plugins that you can use to enhance your site. Make sure you read the documentation and FAQs (frequently asked questions) for each plugin before you use it so you can understand how it can be integrated into your site. We recommend using plugins that are proven and have a large amount of active users.
2. Change The Template of Your Site
After you have installed WordPress to the server, it’s time to change the template of your site. This is the general layout of your site (including the colors) and how it will appear to visitors. If you’ve ever used WordPress, changing the template of your site should be a piece of cake because most of the work is already done for you. Just take a look at the screenshot below:
You’ll notice that we changed the overall theme of our site (based on the Yoast SEO Starter Theme) and we upgraded the look and functionality of our site with the help of the WordPress community. Most of the work consists of customizing the template using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). We will go through each part individually so you can understand what is changed and how it works. First, let’s take a quick look at what our new site is about. We are creating a tool that will help people build their own websites with WordPress.
3. Install WPML To Make Local Language Possible
After you have changed the template of your site, it’s time to install WordPress MU (Multi-User) which stands for Multiple Users. This functionality allows multiple people to log in from multiple computers and devices and edit the content on the site. Install this plugin and get up and running quickly with multiple users.
With WordPress MU, you can also install the WordPress Language Switching plugin. This plugin allows you to translate your content into different languages and enable visitors to your site from different countries to interact with your content in their native tongue. We’ll configure the plugin to automatically switch between English and Spanish, but you can install it to your liking to meet the requirements of your business.
4. Install Jetpack To Make Your Site Even More Sophisticated
Jetpack is a free plugin that provides additional functionalities to your site. We’ll discuss what these functionalities are in detail below, but you can use this plugin to add more features to your WordPress site. One of the best things about Jetpack is that it is extremely easy to use. Just click the plugin’s button to install it and get started.
5. Configure The Caching Plugin
Caching is the process of caching or storing previously-visited pages on the server so that the pages load faster for future visitors. The default caching plugin for WordPress is WP Super Cache. This plugin uses a free service from Cloudflare to store cached content on their servers. When a visitor requests a page that has been cached, Cloudflare’s servers will check if that page has been saved on their servers before sending it to the user. This process is often referred to as ‘pulling’ the content because the page is actually being downloaded from Cloudflare instead of your server.
You don’t need to worry about configuring this plugin because it comes with a default settings pack that you can download and install. When you have installed the Cloudflare plugin, you can change the settings in the Cloudflare dashboard to suit your needs.
6. Use GEO IP (Geo-Location-Based-IP) To Your Advantage
If you are a business that sells products or services to customers worldwide, you can use GEO IP to your advantage. GEO IP allows users to be located in a certain country or region based on the IP (internet protocol) address that they use to access your site. For example, if you operate a website in the UK and someone in Spain accesses your site, that person will be located in Spain based on their IP address. You can use this to your advantage by region or country to show different content to different groups of people.
7. Set Up Email Alerts For Important Notifications
If you’d like to know when important updates are made to your site (such as when a new post is published), you can set up email alerts for notifications. Just click the ‘Get email alerts’ button in the WordPress dashboard to get started.
You can choose to get notifications for new posts, new comments, or new followers on your site. Set up notifications for the important messages you receive regularly and you’ll never miss a crucial update.
8. Install SMTP To Send Mail From Your Website
The final step in the process is to install an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) account so that you can send mail from your site. You can use the MailChimp and Outlook plugins to set up an SMTP account and start sending newsletters and other notifications from your site. When you have a working SMTP account, you can log in to your mail provider’s dashboard and set up your emails to be delivered to your customers’ inboxes.
Final Takeaway
WordPress is a powerful tool that can be used to create almost any type of website you can think of. Because of this, it is essential that you understand the basics of how to use WordPress to create a website. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily take your WordPress site from a basic blog to a fully-functional web destination in no time at all. As you can see from above, the overall look and feel of our site has changed significantly. We have added a lot of new features to our site and improved the way it looks and functions. All these changes are thanks to WordPress and the thousands of plugins available to enhance any website.