The original question was regarding changing or switching an HTML website into a WordPress website. Technically you can’t just change or switch from an HTML website to a WordPress website, which is a PHP platform. The basic idea is you need to perform a new WordPress installation and then copy your existing content from your HTML website to the new WordPress website.
NOTE: This answer was posted prior to creation of the BulletProof Security Plugin. This plugin offers another option to website developers and website owners to build a website and have it display a 503 website under maintenance page while the new website is being built.
The website development method you are planning to do is a standard website development method that I use and probably most professional developers use so you are right on the money there. 😉 I’m assuming you already know the basics, but I’ll add this info for someone else who may not know that info.
Best basic website development practices and planning
1). Create the folder first that you want to install WordPress to either with FTP or with your CP File Manager
2). Very Important! Add an entry in your Robots.txt file to block indexing of the new folder you just created – you don’t want your new folder indexed until you are ready to launch your new website. And in your case you don’t want the folder indexed at all since you will be migrating your WordPress site to the root of your domain. If you don’t have a robots.txt file then create one. Trust me if you don’t do this it will cost you a lot of headaches. 😉
3). Do the WordPress installation at this point – Pretty much all hosts offer the WordPress Application for free with anywhere from 10 to 25 free SQL DB’s.
4). After you have completed all your WordPress design work, customization, plugin installations and configurations then you are just about ready to do the WordPress migration – SEE the Source link I have provided below for complete WP migration instructions – WP migration is very easy and simple, but be careful to follow the instructions EXACTLY.
5). DEACTIVATE ALL OF YOUR PLUGINS BEFORE DOING THE ACTUAL MIGRATION!!!
6). Since you have installed WP in another directory / folder you have a backup of all your work. 😉
7). Make a backup of your existing website files in the root of your domain.
8). Copy (NOT MOVE) all your WordPress files and folders to the your domain root
9). Reactivate all your plugins and start testing them and reconfiguring them if necessary. (you can reactivate all of them at once or do them one by one – doesn’t matter).
To answer your question about post migration corrections to file paths. Yes, you will have to modify several paths. Since I’m very familiar with this whole process and especially the WP plugin configurations, I don’t install certain plugins until after the WordPress migration is done. And I don’t do certain WordPress configurations until I’ve after I’ve done the migration. If you are not very familiar with WP plugin configurations then i recommend you install and configure everything in your “development” folder and then make the file path changes after you have done the migration. Anytime you are doing a migration you should do it during “off business hours” meaning in the middle of the night. 😉 If you have a totally new website it doesn’t really matter when you do the migration, but if you have an existing website that is getting visitors and making money you obviously don’t want to interrupt the flow of $$$. 😉
So to give you some specifics on the WordPress files that will need to be modified / corrected after the migration:
If you configure WordPress with Pretty Permalinks you will need to update this first thing right after the migration is done. Personally I recommend that you don’t configure Pretty Permalinks until your WordPress site is migrated. Pretty Permalinks generates your .htaccess file so by updating PP from the WP Dashboard Admin panel at any point you are updating your .htaccess file.
Common WP plugins that will need path corrections:
WP-DBManager – change DB Options > path to backup. Will need to logout and maybe clear cache too to see the new changes.
Theme My Login – Theme my login Redirection URL and Theme my login Links need to be corrected
Cforms – check abspath.php and /cforms/js/cforms.js for correct file paths
Common WP files that will need to be corrected
Theme templates and specifically your header.php file.
The rest of the information you will need is contained in the WordPress migration instructions below and all over the Internet. WordPress answers are everywhere. 😉
NOTE: This answer was posted prior to creation of the BulletProof Security Plugin. This plugin offers another option to website developers and website owners to build a website and have it display a 503 website under maintenance page while the new website is being built.
Official WordPress Resource Page on Moving WordPress Websites
Tags: Change HTML Website To WordPress, Switch HTML Website To WordPress
Categories: Wordpress Tips - Tricks - Fixes