If you look through the history of website management tradition, you’ll definitely find something consonant with classics and modernity. More than a decade, the vast majority of content management systems have been breaking the new ground of transparent and multifunctional website creation. It was like a transition from static HTML website to the contemporary CMS software.
Nevertheless, keeping in mind the simple administration, harmonious performance, and intuitive usability, the developers of CMS platforms have been trying to incorporate the classical traditions of website management together with the present-day speed of improvement.
Hence, day after day more and more CMS software solutions are appearing at the internet market. Apparently, the necessity to follow the modern tendencies is drawing even more clearly. That is why the desire of converting static HTML sites to CMS is not a notion.
Reflecting on the current tendencies, the website owners more frequently opt for WordPress as their web project basis. So, going straight to the point, let’s discover the pathway of hassle-free HTML to WordPress conversion.
Developing Entry: HTML and WordPress Made Ready
Before getting started with your website Classics-to-Modernity switchover, you should take into consideration all the preparatory steps. They are not the breakthroughs:
Monitor your current HTML content
Make sure that all the content you want to transfer to your new WordPress is relevant and updated. Delete the old posts, promo pages, or unnecessary news.
Make a website backup
Actually, this practice should fall into your habit. You may use the backup option of your hosting provider or any other third party way. Also, proceed with this option every time when you make any considerable changes to your site.
Generate XML Sitemap
Another indispensable element of your HTML website. There are a few free XML sitemap generators, like XML-Sitemaps (up to 500 pages) and Online XML Sitemap Generator for an unlimited amount of pages. Take your time to upload the sitemap to your HTML website.
Install WordPress
Initially, choose a reliable hosting provider for your new WordPress website. Besides, for your data conversion from HTML to WordPress, you should create a new domain name. But, in case you don’t plan to shift it, just create a subdomain and after the data transfer you’ll be able to switch it back. Additionally, set up SEO structure of your WP URLs.
HTML to WordPress Conversion: Comprehensive Tactic
So, now we are at the middle of this, at first sight, endless process – conversion from static HTML site to WordPress. In this way, you should distinguish the twofold nature of this kind of conversion:
- your HTML to WordPress content transfer,
- your site template conversion
Traditionally, these two procedures should be done separately.
Theme Migration
In fact, while analyzing the whole process, actually the theme conversion makes everything confusing, tedious, and intensive, mainly because of the various methods of design creation. To be specific, WordPress is based on PHP and MySQL, while HTML is just a basis of your theme that may be edited with the layout.
So, when converting your HTML theme to WordPress, you should code the new design with PHP (that is a server side scripting language that turns back, retrieves your WordPress style sheets that actually manage your website appearance). In plain words, the structures of design creation of HTML and WordPress vary greatly, so it’s almost equal to complete redesign.
Therefore, it’s recommended to install a new theme. There are multiple amounts of them, both free and premium.
Content Conversion
Well, slipping to the further task of content conversion, this can be less tedious and time consuming procedure comparing to the switch of your website design. Because of the distinctive features of HTML and CMS structures – the switch with online converters (like CMS2CMS) includes only the transfer of static HTML pages to WordPress.
So, CMS2CMS automated migration service allows to convert HTML pages to WordPress in three ways:
- automatedly find all pages – the content will be detected through the search engines;
- using your HTML website Sitemap XML;
- or you may enter all the necessary URLs
Altogether, this is how the conversion from static HTML site to WordPress looks like. Of course, it seems like the end of the beginning. But, keep your chin up and follow your motive force and the new opportunities ahead.
How to Be Doubly Sure that WordPress is Straight from the Hood?
If the idea of conversion from HTML to WordPress is just your faraway plan and you are just thinking whether WordPress will fit you or not, the innovative solution comes for a rescue.CMS2CMS Quick Wizard is the unique opportunity to see how the website data will look like on new WordPress without any harm and site modification. It works in the following way:
- Specify your HTML site URL
- Select WordPress from the drop down menu in the migration wizard.
After that, CMS2CMS makes the website prototype on the new CMS by moving a part of the content. And in a few moments (usually it takes 5 minutes) you may check the result. There will appear a list of pages that is migrated to WordPress and generally, the link of new test website.
You will be able to check up all the pages on WordPress website both from the front- and back- ends. If migration results totally satisfy your expectations, you will be able to get the database dump and premium theme for your own WordPress installation.
All in all, this is how the way from Classics to Modernity looks like. Just your constant motivation, creativity, and lighter to make new WordPress site the reflexion of your inner world.
Original Article by Nataliya Bogdanets
