How I Transformed My HTML Web page to WordPress (& Made It 10x More straightforward to Replace)

If you happen to’ve ever attempted updating an previous HTML web content, you understand how irritating it may be. Each small exchange method opening code, saving recordsdata, and re-uploading them simply to mend a line of textual content or substitute a picture.

That’s probably the most primary causes such a lot of other people transfer their web sites to WordPress. It’s a complete content material control machine that allows you to make updates proper out of your dashboard. No coding, no FTP, and no further device.

I’ve helped numerous readers make this transfer. Some handiest wish to add a unmarried HTML web page, whilst others are waiting to rebuild their whole website in WordPress.

On this instructional, I’ll stroll you via each choices step-by-step. You’ll discover ways to transfer your content material safely, keep away from downtime, and stay your seek scores intact.

Why Convert Your HTML Site to WordPress?

The most important explanation why to change from HTML to WordPress is comfort. WordPress makes it smooth to replace your content material, exchange your design, and upload new options with out touching any code.

Then again, with a static HTML website, each edit calls for opening recordsdata, converting code, and importing them once more. That may take hours, even for one thing easy like changing a picture or solving a typo.

WordPress works another way. It’s an entire content material control machine (CMS) that offers you a dashboard to care for the whole lot. You’ll log in, make edits, and post adjustments right away, and not using a coding required.

It additionally offers you complete regulate over your website’s look. As a substitute of manually rebuilding layouts, you’ll choose between hundreds of ready-made WordPress issues that right away exchange your website’s design.

And for those who ever want further capability — like including touch paperwork, making improvements to search engine optimization, or developing symbol galleries — you’ll do it through opting for from the 60,000+ WordPress plugins. Those are like apps to your website and will also be put in with only some clicks.

In abstract, switching to WordPress saves you time, assists in keeping your website up-to-the-minute, and is helping it develop as your wishes exchange.

You’ll be informed extra in our comparability of WordPress vs static HTML web sites.

Convert HTML to WordPress

Now that why WordPress is a brilliant selection, let’s take a look at how one can make the transfer.

The most efficient means is dependent upon your objective. Are you simply attempting so as to add a unmarried HTML web page in your website, or do you wish to have to transform all your web content?

I’ll duvet the perfect techniques to care for each. We will be able to get started with the most straightforward state of affairs first.

• Use Case 1: You Wish to Upload a Unmarried HTML Web page to WordPress
  • Approach 1: Add the HTML Record to Your Web page (Perfect Approach)
  • Approach 2: Recreate the HTML Web page The use of a Web page Builder (Best possible Approach)
• Use Case 2: You Wish to Convert a Complete HTML Site to WordPress
  • Step 1. Set up and Set Up WordPress
  • Step 2: Discover a WordPress Theme That Fits Your Outdated Web page
  • Step 3: Set Up WordPress Permalinks
  • Step 4: Recreate Your Content material in WordPress
  • Step 5: Set Up Redirects to Maintain Your search engine optimization
  • Step 6: Level Your Area Identify to Your New WordPress Site
  • Step 7: Set up Very important WordPress Plugins
• What About Changing HTML Manually Right into a WordPress Theme?
  • The Developer Approach: Changing HTML to a Customized Theme
  • Why I Don’t Suggest This for Maximum Customers
• Bonus Sources for Finding out WordPress
• Continuously Requested Questions About Changing HTML to WordPress

Use Case 1: You Wish to Upload a Unmarried HTML Web page to WordPress

Let’s get started with a commonplace state of affairs I see. You don’t wish to transfer a complete web content, however you’ve a unmarried HTML document you wish to have so as to add in your WordPress website.

Perhaps you downloaded an HTML template from an internet market, or a clothier gave you a document for a selected marketing campaign. It’s a state of affairs many customers in finding themselves in.

Not unusual examples come with tradition touchdown pages, a different ‘coming quickly’ web page, a novel gross sales web page template, or perhaps a easy one-page on-line resume.

If that’s your objective, there are a few techniques to care for it. I’ll get started with the fastest means first.

Approach 1: Add the HTML Record to Your Web page (Perfect Approach)

Now, you will have a unmarried HTML document, and you’ll merely add it at once in your WordPress web hosting account.

But when the web page additionally contains further CSS recordsdata and pictures, then you wish to have to position all of the recordsdata in combination in a folder after which add the folder in your web content.

You’ll do that the use of the document supervisor on your internet host’s dashboard or particular FTP shopper device for Home windows or Mac. You’ll in finding transparent directions in our novice’s information on how one can use FTP to add recordsdata to WordPress.

You simply want to upload the document or folder in your web content’s primary folder. That is steadily known as the public_html or root listing, which is the top-level folder that holds all of your web content’s recordsdata.

As soon as uploaded, any person can get entry to it at once through going to its URL, comparable to:

yourdomain.com/mylandingpage.html

I’ve an entire information that presentations you precisely how one can add an HTML web page to WordPress so that you don’t run into any 404 mistakes.

Obstacles: Whilst importing an HTML document is fast, it’s vital to grasp the downsides. This technique utterly isolates the web page from WordPress.

Your uploaded web page is not going to use your WordPress theme’s styling. This implies it gained’t have your web content’s header, footer, or fonts, so it’ll most probably glance inconsistent with the remainder of your website.

It may also’t be edited from the WordPress dashboard, and it gained’t take pleasure in any of your plugins, like your search engine optimization or caching equipment.

This makes it a deficient selection for pages that require common updates.

Approach 2: Recreate the HTML Web page The use of a Web page Builder (Best possible Approach)

A significantly better selection is to recreate the web page at once inside of WordPress the use of a web page builder plugin.

It is a software that allows you to construct tradition web page layouts visually with a drag-and-drop editor, no coding required. This means offers you complete regulate and is far more uncomplicated than it sounds.

I like to recommend the use of SeedProd. It’s a formidable drag-and-drop web page builder that allows you to visually recreate any format with out touching code. You’ll merely upload columns, textual content, pictures, and buttons to compare your unique HTML web page.

The most important receive advantages is that the brand new web page will routinely use your theme’s design, making it glance completely constant. It is going to additionally paintings with your whole different plugins.

Best possible of all, when you wish to have to make a transformation, you’ll edit the web page proper out of your WordPress admin house identical to another web page in your website.

We’ve written useful tutorials on how one can use SeedProd to create various kinds of pages:

• Create a Customized House Web page in WordPress
• Create a Touchdown Web page With WordPress
• Create Stunning Coming Quickly Pages in WordPress with SeedProd
• Create a Gross sales Web page in WordPress (That Converts)
• Create a Skilled On-line Resume in WordPress
• Create a Services and products Phase in WordPress
• Upload a Portfolio to Your WordPress Web page
• Create an On-line Eating place Menu in WordPress

Use Case 2: You Wish to Convert a Complete HTML Site to WordPress

Now, let’s take on the opposite commonplace objective: transferring all your static HTML web content over to WordPress. That is for when you wish to have to totally modernize your website and organize the whole lot in a single position.

One of the best and dependable means is to systematically rebuild your website’s design and content material the use of trendy WordPress equipment. That is a lot more uncomplicated than looking to convert code manually and offers you a a long way higher consequence.

Step 1. Set up and Set Up WordPress

The very first thing you wish to have is WordPress web hosting. That is where the place your web content recordsdata continue to exist the web. A excellent host makes certain your website runs easily and is to be had to guests.

I like to recommend Bluehost to new WordPress customers. I exploit Bluehost myself and in finding them to be very dependable, particularly for those who’re simply getting began. And so they steadily have excellent offers.

At the moment, they’re providing WPBeginner readers a loose area identify and a large cut price on web hosting. You’ll get began for simply $2.99 a month, which makes it an reasonably priced selection.

For this information, I’ll use screenshots from Bluehost simply to turn you the method. However the elementary steps are beautiful equivalent, regardless of which height WordPress web hosting supplier you select.

To start out, head over to the Bluehost web content and click on at the button that claims ‘Get Began Now.’

You’ll then see their pricing web page with other plans. For many web sites, particularly whilst you’re simply beginning out, the Starter plan is completely superb.

Pick out a plan through clicking the ‘Make a choice Plan’ button.

Subsequent up, you’ll be requested about your area identify. That is your web content’s cope with on the net (like www.yourwebsite.com).

Merely make a selection ‘I’ll create my area identify later.’ This assists in keeping your previous HTML website on-line when you construct your new one. We’ll transfer the area over on the very finish, so that you don’t have any downtime.

After that, you’ll want to fill on your account main points and fee knowledge to finish the acquisition.

Bluehost will then ship you an electronic mail together with your login main points. Stay that electronic mail protected! You’ll use the ones main points to log in in your web hosting account dashboard.

Right here’s my favourite section: Whilst you log in for the primary time, Bluehost installs WordPress routinely for you.

Now, merely search for the ‘Edit Web page’ button and click on it. That can take you immediately in your WordPress dashboard.

And that’s it, you’ve were given WordPress put in!

Want slightly extra assist with the WordPress set up? Take a look at our detailed WordPress set up instructional that walks you via each and every step.

Step 2: Discover a WordPress Theme That Fits Your Outdated Web page

The following factor to do is make a selection a WordPress theme that appears very similar to your previous HTML website’s design. You’ll in finding useful tips about what to imagine in our information on settling on the very best WordPress theme.

Don’t concern about discovering an actual fit, as you’ll customise it.

A theme offers you a qualified design basis, controlling your website’s header, footer, colours, and fonts while not having to code. There are literally thousands of nice loose and top rate WordPress issues to be had.

Step 3: Set Up WordPress Permalinks

WordPress supplies a couple of permalink choices to provide you with regulate over how your web content addresses (URLs) are structured.

I all the time suggest the use of the ‘Publish identify’ permalink construction. It creates blank, easy-to-read URLs in line with your web page or put up identify (like yourwebsite.com/about-us).

This isn’t handiest higher for guests but in addition offers you a pleasant little search engine optimization spice up through together with key phrases at once within the cope with.

Now, undeniable permalinks don’t give any context concerning the put up in any respect, like this:

yourblog.com/?p=123

‘Publish identify’ permalinks are a lot nicer and extra informative, like this:

yourblog.com/your-blog-post-title

I’m certain you’ll agree that the second one choice is far more uncomplicated to grasp.

It’s fast and smooth to make a choice an choice from the Settings » Permalinks web page of your dashboard.

Within the segment known as ‘Not unusual Settings’, make a selection the ‘Publish identify’ choice.

Then merely scroll down and click on the ‘Save Adjustments’ button.

That’s it for permalinks! Now, WordPress will use the “Publish identify” construction for all of your new pages and posts.

Step 4: Recreate Your Content material in WordPress

As soon as your theme is energetic, it’s time to transport your content material from the previous HTML recordsdata into WordPress.

For this, you’ll make a selection the most productive means in line with how advanced each and every web page is.

WordPress Block Editor

For many of your vital pages, like your ‘About,’ ‘Services and products,’ or ‘Touch’ pages, the integrated WordPress block editor is best possible. If a web page is most commonly textual content and pictures in a easy format, that is the perfect course.

You’ll merely create a brand new web page on your WordPress admin, then reproduction the textual content out of your previous HTML document and paste it into the editor. From there, you’ll use blocks so as to add headings, pictures, lists, and buttons to construction your content material.

For detailed directions, please see our information on how one can use the WordPress block editor.

Web page Builder Plugin

In case your previous website had a tradition homepage, touchdown pages, or pages with advanced multi-column layouts, then a web page builder is the easier selection. It offers you the versatility to recreate the ones particular designs.

For this, I like to recommend SeedProd. It’s a drag-and-drop builder that allows you to visually recreate any format, providing you with complete regulate over the design with out writing code. That is supreme for purchasing the ones vital, custom-designed pages to appear excellent.

You’ll discover a useful checklist of tutorials previous on this article that duvet how one can create various kinds of pages in WordPress the use of SeedProd.

Step 5: Set Up Redirects to Maintain Your search engine optimization

It is a step you completely can’t skip, particularly in case your previous web content was once getting visitors from serps.

It’s very most probably that your previous HTML web content URLs are other out of your new WordPress permalinks. If you happen to don’t cope with this, then any person who has a hyperlink in your previous website will see a irritating 404 ‘Web page now not discovered’ error in your new WordPress website.

To keep away from this, you wish to have to arrange redirects to routinely ship guests out of your previous HTML URLs to the proper pages in your new WordPress website.

You’ll want to set up and turn on the Redirection plugin. It’s loose and really efficient. If you wish to have assist, see our information on how one can set up a WordPress plugin.

This plugin supplies a user-friendly interface for managing redirects safely. It’s a lot more uncomplicated and more secure than looking to manually edit your web content’s .htaccess document, the place a small mistake may just take all your website offline.

As soon as activated, you’ll in finding the Redirection plugin settings below Equipment » Redirection.

Within the Redirection plugin interface, ‘Supply URL’ is the place you input your previous HTML web content URL.

As an example, for those who had an ‘about us’ web page in your previous website with the URL https://your-old-website.com/about.html, then you definitely input /about.html.

‘Goal URL’ is the place you input the brand new WordPress URL for the corresponding web page.

As an example, in case your new ‘about us’ web page in WordPress has the permalink about-us, then you may input /about-us/.

Make certain the ‘301 – Moved Completely’ choice is chosen for the redirect sort. A 301 redirect tells serps that the web page has completely moved to a brand new location. That is vital for search engine optimization.

In any case, click on the ‘Upload Redirect’ button to save lots of the redirect.

For detailed directions, see our information on how one can arrange redirects in WordPress.

It’s essential to do that for each unmarried web page you progress out of your previous website. Take your time and in moderation map each and every previous URL to its new one to make sure no guests or serps get misplaced.

After you’ve added your redirects, it’s all the time a good suggestion to check them. Kind your previous HTML web content URLs into your browser and ensure they as it should be redirect you to the best pages in your new WordPress website.

Taking the time to do that makes certain you don’t lose the precious visitors and authority you’ve already constructed. It’s the important thing to a a success migration.

Choice: If you have already got AIOSEO or are bearing in mind the use of it for search engine optimization, then chances are you’ll wish to use its Redirection Supervisor as an alternative of putting in a separate Redirection plugin.

This can be a top rate plugin, but it surely has a formidable Redirection Supervisor in-built and allows you to arrange complete website redirects.

But even so that, AIOSEO has many different options to assist your web content rank higher in seek effects.

It gives 404 error monitoring to simply catch any damaged hyperlinks and allows you to simply upload schema markup, tradition breadcrumbs, native search engine optimization modules, and extra.

Step 6: Level Your Area Identify to Your New WordPress Site

You’re virtually there! You’ve were given your content material in WordPress, your pictures imported, and your web content is having a look excellent. Now, let’s make your new WordPress website in reality seem when other people sort your area identify (like yourwebsite.com) into their browser.

To do that, you wish to have to replace your area identify settings. Particularly, you’ll be converting one thing known as nameservers.

Nameservers are just like the web’s grasp cope with ebook. They’re particular addresses that inform the web precisely the place your area identify will have to move to search out its web content.

These days, your area’s ‘cope with ebook access’ (its nameservers) is pointing to the previous location the place your static HTML web content was once prior to now saved.

To get your new WordPress web content to turn up, you wish to have to replace this cope with ebook access. You’ll exchange the nameservers to indicate in your new WordPress web hosting corporate.

This tells all of the web, “For yourwebsite.com, don’t move to the previous web content anymore. Cross to my new WordPress host as an alternative.”

Your WordPress web hosting supplier (comparable to Bluehost, Hostinger, or SiteGround) will provide you with the nameserver knowledge you wish to have. It in most cases appears to be like one thing like this:

ns1.hostingprovider.com
ns2.hostingprovider.com

Your web hosting supplier will give you the precise nameservers to make use of.

However the place do you convert those nameserver settings? It is dependent upon the place you registered your area identify. This is known as your area identify registrar.

It could be the similar corporate the place you were given your web hosting, or it could be a separate area registrar corporate like Community Answers or Namecheap.

You’ll want to log in in your account at your area registrar. Then, search for the settings to your area identify, comparable to ‘DNS Settings’, ‘Nameservers’, or ‘Area Control’.

As an example, this is the display screen I see on my Bluehost account.

The stairs you wish to have to take exchange relying at the corporate you utilize. You’ll in finding step by step directions for lots of widespread area registrars in our information on how one can simply exchange area nameservers.

Whenever you replace those nameservers, it might probably take some time for the exchange to unfold throughout all of the web. That is in most cases only some hours, however every so often it takes a few days.

This is known as ‘DNS propagation’. All through this time, some guests would possibly nonetheless see your previous website, whilst others will get started seeing your new WordPress website.

As soon as DNS propagation is whole, when other people sort your area identify into their browser, they are going to be directed in your new WordPress web content hosted together with your new supplier!

Step 7: Set up Very important WordPress Plugins

Now, for probably the most greatest causes other people transfer to WordPress from HTML web sites: plugins!

Call to mind plugins as apps to your web content. Those are little add-ons that you’ll set up to right away upload new options and capability in your WordPress website.

With a static HTML web content, including any new characteristic was once in most cases a coding challenge. However with WordPress, it’s steadily so simple as putting in and activating a plugin.

It’s like going from a elementary turn telephone to a smartphone. Plugins release a complete universe of probabilities to your web content, while not having to be a coding whiz.

What sort of issues can plugins do? Just about the rest you’ll consider.

There are plugins for backups, making improvements to safety, putting in caching, beginning an eCommerce retailer, running in your SEO, and extra.

There are literally thousands of WordPress plugins to be had, each loose and paid. It may be slightly overwhelming to make a choice, I do know. A query I steadily listen is ‘Which plugins do I in reality want?’

So we created a information on how one can pick out the most productive plugins to your web content. It’s value trying out to discover ways to assessment plugins and in finding the best ones to your wishes.

However to provide you with a snappy get started, listed here are a couple of height plugins that I steadily suggest putting in on a brand new WordPress web content:

• WPForms is helping you simply create tough paperwork. I exploit WPForms by myself websites and in finding it user-friendly. See our whole WPForms assessment for more info about its options.
• SeedProd is a drag-and-drop web content builder that allows you to simply customise your web content design. It’s nice for developing tradition web page layouts or even whole WordPress issues with out coding. Take a look at our detailed SeedProd assessment to be told extra.
• AIOSEO (All in One search engine optimization) is without doubt one of the hottest and complete search engine optimization plugins for WordPress. You’ll get started optimizing all your website for higher seek engine scores in not up to 10 mins. See our AIOSEO assessment for extra main points.
• MonsterInsights is helping you realize your web content visitors and customer habits. It connects your WordPress website to Google Analytics and presentations you key web content stats proper on your dashboard. You’ll be informed what it might probably do in our complete MonsterInsights assessment.
• OptinMonster is helping you develop an electronic mail checklist and spice up conversions. It’s a formidable toolkit for developing popups, opt-in paperwork, and extra. See our whole OptinMonster assessment for more info.

For much more plugin concepts, take a look at my checklist of very important WordPress plugins.

What About Changing HTML Manually Right into a WordPress Theme?

You could ponder whether you’ll merely convert your previous HTML code into a brand new WordPress theme. I steadily get this query, particularly from people who find themselves extra technically curious.

The Developer Approach: Changing HTML to a Customized Theme

Technically, sure, a developer can do that. The method comes to developing the core WordPress theme recordsdata (like header.php, footer.php, and index.php) after which rebuilding your HTML format inside them.

This comes to changing the static content material on your HTML recordsdata with particular WordPress code known as template tags. Those tags are PHP purposes that dynamically pull content material like your posts and pages from the WordPress database, making your website manageable.

Why I Don’t Suggest This for Maximum Customers

Alternatively, I truthfully don’t suggest this system for many industry homeowners or freshmen. Whilst it could sound environment friendly, it comes with an excessively steep studying curve and several other primary downsides:

• It calls for sturdy coding wisdom. You wish to have a cast working out of HTML, CSS, and particularly PHP to do that as it should be.
• You should be informed the WordPress template hierarchy. That is the advanced algorithm that determines which template document WordPress makes use of for any given web page.
• It’s a time-consuming procedure. Manually changing code takes numerous time and may be very at risk of mistakes.
• The chance is prime. It’s really easy to make a small mistake that would ruin all your web content.

That’s why I strongly advise sticking with the strategies we’ve already lined. They provide you with all of the advantages of WordPress with out the technical complications.

Bonus Sources for Finding out WordPress

So, you’ve made the soar from a static HTML web content to the dynamic international of WordPress.

Now, for those who’re pondering, ‘WordPress is excellent, however there’s so much to be told!’, then you’re without a doubt now not on my own. It’s true, WordPress has a ton of options and choices.

However don’t concern! WordPress is in reality reasonably user-friendly, and also you’ll get the dangle of it quicker than chances are you’ll assume. And the most productive section? WPBeginner is the biggest WordPress useful resource website for freshmen, and we’re right here that will help you each step of the best way.

Listed below are simply some of the utterly loose sources you’ll in finding on WPBeginner that will help you grasp WordPress:

• The WPBeginner Weblog is the guts of WPBeginner. You’ll in finding hundreds of step by step tutorials, guides, and articles on the whole lot WordPress.
• The WPBeginner Dictionary is our word list the place you’ll be informed WordPress terminology.
• WPBeginner Movies is our library of video tutorials that stroll you via commonplace WordPress duties step by step. It’s best possible for visible novices!
• Our WPBeginner YouTube Channel gives much more video assist and is utilized by over 1,000,000 subscribers.
• The WPBeginner Blueprint introduces you to the equipment and plugins we use right here on WPBeginner. It’s like having a look in the back of the scenes at our personal WordPress setup.
• WPBeginner Offers is the place we collect unique reductions and coupons on WordPress services and products, only for WPBeginner customers. You’ll lower your expenses on issues, plugins, web hosting, and extra.

Continuously Requested Questions About Changing HTML to WordPress

Having helped many customers make this transfer from HTML to WordPress, I am getting numerous commonplace questions. Listed below are the solutions to one of the most maximum ceaselessly requested questions.

1. Will changing from HTML to WordPress have an effect on my search engine optimization?

It will probably, each undoubtedly and negatively. If you happen to observe the stairs as it should be, particularly putting in 301 redirects for all of your previous pages, you’ll offer protection to or even enhance your search engine optimization. WordPress and plugins like AIOSEO be offering a long way higher equipment for optimization than a static HTML website. Alternatively, for those who fail to arrange redirects, you’ll lose your present scores.

2. How lengthy does it take emigrate a website from HTML to WordPress?

This is dependent upon the dimensions of your web content. For a small website with 5-10 pages, you must most probably whole the method in an afternoon. For a bigger website with dozens or loads of pages, it’ll be a multi-day challenge. The secret is to be methodical and switch content material web page through web page.

3. Can I stay the very same design from my HTML website?

Whilst you’ll discover a WordPress theme that appears equivalent, getting an actual 1:1 fit is tricky with out tradition building. My recommendation is to concentrate on discovering a contemporary, blank theme this is very similar to your previous design after which the use of the web page builder to recreate your key web page layouts. The objective is to modernize and make control more uncomplicated, now not simply to create an excellent clone.

I am hoping this instructional helped you exchange your static HTML website to WordPress. You may additionally wish to see my final WordPress search engine optimization migration tick list for freshmen or my skilled pick out of the very best WordPress migration products and services.

If you happen to appreciated this newsletter, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You’ll additionally in finding us on Twitter and Fb.

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