## How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step-by-Step)
**By Naveed Ahmed**
As a seasoned digital marketer with over 15 years of experience in building and managing websites, I’ve seen firsthand the limitations of platform-specific services like Wix. While Wix offers a user-friendly interface for beginners, it can quickly become restrictive as your website grows. For ultimate control, flexibility, and scalability, switching to WordPress is the way to go.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process of switching from Wix to WordPress, ensuring you retain all your existing content and seamlessly transition to a more powerful platform.
**Why Switch from Wix to WordPress?**
Here are some key reasons why many users choose to switch from Wix to WordPress:
* **Customization:** WordPress gives you complete control over your website’s design, functionality, and content. You can customize every aspect to match your brand and business needs.
* **Scalability:** WordPress is built to grow with you. Whether you want to add an e-commerce store, implement complex SEO strategies, or integrate with third-party services, WordPress easily adapts.
* **Community and Support:** WordPress boasts a massive global community of developers, users, and support resources. You can easily find solutions to any challenges you encounter.
* **Cost-Effective:** While Wix may seem affordable initially, its paid plans can become expensive as your website grows. WordPress, being open-source, is free to use, and you only pay for hosting and domain names.
**The Easiest Method for Switching**
After reviewing various migration techniques, importing your blog posts via RSS is the most straightforward and efficient method to transfer your Wix website to WordPress.
**Let’s get started with the step-by-step process:**
### Step 1: Sign Up for WordPress Web Hosting
The first step is to secure web hosting for your WordPress website. Web hosting is essentially your website’s home on the internet where all your website files and data are stored. You will also need a domain name (e.g., www.yoursite.com), which is your website’s address on the internet.
I highly recommend using Bluehost as they are an official WordPress.org recommended hosting provider. They offer a free domain and up to a 61% discount on web hosting using our special Bluehost coupon code.
**[Link to Bluehost Coupon]**
If you prefer to explore other options, I’ve compiled a list of the best WordPress hosting providers. Other recommended companies include SiteGround and HostGator.
In this tutorial, we’ll use Bluehost for screenshots and examples. Click on the Bluehost link above, and then click the ‘Get Started Now’ button.
**Choosing Your Plan**
Next, select a Bluehost plan based on your website’s needs. The Choice Plus plan is popular among many users. You can always upgrade to a higher plan later if required. Click ‘Select’ after making your choice.
**Domain Name**
The next screen prompts you to choose a new domain name or connect your existing Wix domain to WordPress. If you prefer to handle this later, click the ‘I’ll create my domain later’ button.
**Optional Extras**
You’ll see some additional package extras you can add to your hosting account. These are optional and can be unchecked for now.
**Payment**
Once you’ve completed the payment, Bluehost will email you login instructions for your hosting dashboard.
**WordPress Installation**
After logging into Bluehost, navigate to the ‘Websites’ tab in the dashboard. Bluehost will have installed your new WordPress site for you. Click ‘Edit Site’ to open your WordPress admin area.
### Step 2: Set Up Your New WordPress Site
Upon logging in, you’ll be greeted by the WordPress admin dashboard.
**Setting Up Permalinks**
It’s a good practice to configure your WordPress permalinks. Permalinks define the address of each blog post. Instead of publishing a blog post to:
“`
www.yourblog.com/2017/10/blog-post-title
“`
You can publish it to:
“`
www.yourblog.com/blog-post-title
“`
To modify your permalink settings, navigate to Settings » Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard. Select the desired structure and click the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom.
For a detailed explanation of permalinks, refer to our post on SEO-friendly URL structures in WordPress.
### Step 3: Customize Your Site’s Design
Next, let’s personalize the appearance of your website. WordPress themes offer a convenient way to achieve this. Themes control the visual layout and display of your WordPress website, similar to Wix templates.
There are thousands of free and paid WordPress themes available. Some are minimalist, while others offer advanced features.
As a WordPress beginner, I recommend starting with a simple theme for ease of use. I’ve curated a list of recommended simple WordPress themes.
Once you find a theme you like, you can install it by following our guide on how to install a WordPress theme. Remember, you can easily change your theme later, so don’t spend too much time on this step.
Feel free to use the default WordPress theme and proceed with the migration process. Moving your content from Wix to WordPress is the priority.
### Step 4: Import Your Wix Blog Posts to WordPress
Now, we’ll transfer your Wix blog posts to your new WordPress site.
Wix is a closed platform, and they don’t offer a straightforward way to export your content. However, we can automate the process by importing your Wix RSS feed, eliminating the need to manually recreate each post.
**Downloading Your Wix RSS File**
To begin, you’ll need to download your Wix RSS file.
You can locate the file by appending /feed.xml or /blog-feed.xml to your Wix website URL.
If you don’t have a custom Wix domain, your RSS feed will be at:
“`
username.wixsite.com/blogname/feed.xml
“`
or
“`
username.wixsite.com/blogname/blog-feed.xml
“`
where “username” is your Wix username and “blogname” is your blog name.
If you have a custom domain like www.yourwixblog.com, your RSS feed will be at:
“`
www.yourwixblog.com/feed.xml
“`
or
“`
www.yourwixblog.com/blog-feed.xml
“`
You should see a page filled with code after navigating to the correct URL. Right-click anywhere on the page, and then click ‘Save As’ to save the file to your computer.
**Importing the RSS File**
1. **Log into your WordPress dashboard and click on Tools » Import.**
2. **Click the ‘Install Now’ link under the RSS heading.**
3. **After a few seconds, you’ll see a link at the top of the page to ‘Run Importer.’ Click this link.**
4. **Click the ‘Choose File’ button and select the feed.xml file saved on your computer.**
5. **Click the ‘Upload file and import’ button.**
Importing can take several minutes, depending on the number of blog posts. A confirmation message will appear once the import is complete.
**Checking Imported Blog Posts**
Navigate to Posts » All Posts and click ‘View’ underneath each post to ensure your blog posts were imported correctly.
**Importing Images**
One issue you’ll face is that images in your posts are still hosted on Wix. Fortunately, the Auto Upload Images plugin provides an easy solution.
1. **Install and activate the Auto Upload Images plugin.**
2. **Re-save each post containing images. The plugin will import the images into WordPress.**
Re-saving each post can be time-consuming. Here’s a quick trick to re-save all WordPress posts at once:
1. **Go to Posts » All Posts and click the ‘Screen Options‘ button at the top.**
2. **Increase the number to 999 in the ‘Number of items per page’ field and click ‘Apply.’**
3. **WordPress will reload the page, displaying 999 posts.**
4. **Select all posts and choose ‘Edit’ from the bulk actions menu.**
5. **Click the ‘Apply’ button. A quick edit box will appear for all selected posts.**
6. **Click the ‘Update’ button to update all your posts.**
You can find more detailed instructions in our guide on importing external images in WordPress.
### Step 5: Import Your Wix Pages to WordPress
Now, let’s move your Wix pages to your WordPress site.
Wix doesn’t provide a built-in method for migrating pages, so we’ll have to recreate them manually.
1. **Go to the Wix page you want to transfer to WordPress.**
2. **Highlight all the content (except the page title) and right-click, selecting ‘Copy.’**
3. **Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Pages » Add New.**
4. **Enter the page title at the top. Right-click and select ‘Paste’ to add the content.**
Refer to our article on adding new posts or pages in WordPress for styling assistance.
Once you’re satisfied with your page styling, click the ‘Publish’ button to make it live on your WordPress site.
**Contact Forms**
For pages like your contact page, copy-pasting won’t work. You’ll need to install a contact form plugin like WPForms.
Follow our step-by-step guide on how to create a simple contact form for detailed instructions.
**Preview Your Content**
Thoroughly preview your posts and pages to ensure everything is working correctly and looks as intended.
### Step 6: Create Your Main Navigational Menu
Let’s create your main navigation menu so visitors can easily browse your new website.
1. **Go to Appearance » Menus.**
2. **Enter a name for your menu and click ‘Create Menu.’**
3. **Select the pages you want to add to your menu and click ‘Add to Menu.’**
4. **Choose a menu position. Click ‘Save Menu’ when you’re done.**
You can find more details on creating menus in our guide on how to add a custom navigation menu in WordPress.
### Step 7: Redirect Wix to WordPress
Your new WordPress site is ready. Let’s inform your readers about the move and set up proper redirection.
Ensure all visitors to your old site land on the corresponding page on your new site. This will also alert search engines to the new location.
**Important Note:** Redirection only works if you have a custom domain on Wix. If you were using a wixsite subdomain, you can’t redirect users to your WordPress site. I recommend linking your new website on your Wix homepage to redirect users to your WordPress site.
**Setting Up Redirects**
1. **Open a plain text editor like Notepad and paste the following code:**
“`javascript
var hashesarr = {
“#!about-us/c1it7”:’/about/’,
“#!contact/ce54”:’/contact/’,
“#!random-article/c1mz”:’/random-article/’
};
for (var hash in hashesarr) {
var patt = new RegExp(hash);
if (window.location.hash.match(patt) !== null) {
window.location.href = hashesarr[hash];
}
}
“`
2. **Replace the example URLs with your Wix and WordPress URLs.**
3. **Save the file as redirects.js.**
4. **Upload the file to your WordPress theme’s /js/ directory using an FTP client. Refer to our article on how to upload files using FTP.**
5. **If your theme doesn’t have a /js/ directory, create one.**
6. **Edit your theme’s functions.php file or use the WPCode plugin and add the following code at the bottom:**
“`php
function wpb_wixjs () {
wp_enqueue_script( ‘wixredirect’, get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . ‘/js/redirects.js’, array(), ‘1.0.0’, true);
}
add_action(‘wp_enqueue_scripts’, ‘wpb_wixjs’);
“`
7. **Save your changes.**
Test a URL from your old Wix site to see the redirect in action.
**SEO Considerations**
Remember, these redirects won’t redirect search engines and are not SEO-friendly. I highly recommend installing an SEO plugin like All in One SEO to restore your search engine rankings and enhance your website’s authority.
**Informing Your Readers**
Announce your website move on social media, write a blog post, and send out a notice to your email newsletter to inform your readers about the new address.
### Step 8: Add Essential WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins extend the capabilities of your website. They function similarly to Wix apps. There are hundreds of plugins available, both free and paid.
I recommend exploring our archive of articles about the best WordPress plugins for getting started. I’ve also compiled a list of must-have WordPress plugins for all websites.
If you’re seeking a Wix-style drag-and-drop page builder, I recommend using SeedProd. It lets you customize your website design without coding.
## Conclusion
You’ve successfully migrated your website from Wix to WordPress! You now have greater control and flexibility over your online presence.
To ensure your new WordPress site is optimized and running smoothly, consider these resources:
* **Ultimate WordPress Migration Guide for Beginners (Step-by-Step)**: This guide provides valuable insights into post-migration checks and optimizations.
* **The Ultimate WordPress SEO Migration Checklist:** Maintain and improve your search engine rankings after migration.
* **WPBeginner’s Beginner’s Guide:** This comprehensive resource covers everything from basic setup to advanced customizations.
**Professional WordPress Migration with Seahawk Media**
If the DIY approach seems overwhelming, consider Seahawk Media’s professional WordPress migration service.
Their expert team seamlessly moves websites from various platforms, including Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, and more. They prioritize data security and privacy and provide a stress-free transition to WordPress.
**Book a free consultation with Seahawk Media:** [Link to Seahawk Media]
## FAQs
###
What happens to my existing Wix website after I migrate to WordPress?
You can keep your Wix site active, but you’ll need to redirect users to your new WordPress site. Once you’re confident with your WordPress site, you can close down your Wix account.
###
How do I manage my domain name after I migrate from Wix to WordPress?
If you purchased your domain name from Wix, you can transfer it to a different registrar or manage your DNS settings within Wix. If you purchased your domain name elsewhere, you’ll need to update the DNS records to point to your new WordPress hosting.
###
Will I lose my Wix blog comments after migrating to WordPress?
You’ll likely retain your Wix blog comments. However, Wix doesn’t provide an easy way to import comments, so you may have to manually copy and paste them.
###
How do I set up email for my WordPress site?
You can use your existing email account or set up a new email account through your WordPress hosting provider or a service like G Suite. You’ll need to configure MX records to connect your domain to the email service.
###
What if my Wix site has an e-commerce store?
You can use WooCommerce to create an e-commerce store on your WordPress site. You’ll need to export your products from Wix and import them into WooCommerce, or manually recreate them.
###
How do I back up my WordPress website?
It’s essential to back up your WordPress site regularly. You can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus or a service like Jetpack for automated backups.
###
Can I use the same domain name for my new WordPress site?
Yes, you can use the same domain name. You’ll need to update the DNS records to point to your new WordPress hosting.
###
Will my WordPress site look the same as my Wix site?
You can use a WordPress theme that matches your Wix site’s design or customize your WordPress site to match your preferences.
###
How do I create a contact form on my WordPress site?
You can use a plugin like WPForms to create a contact form. Follow the plugin’s instructions to set it up.
###
Where can I find more information about WordPress?
You can find plenty of resources for learning more about WordPress. WPBeginner, the WordPress Codex, and the official WordPress.org website are excellent places to start.
I hope this comprehensive guide helps you seamlessly switch from Wix to WordPress. If you’re interested in learning more about tech news, feel free to visit my website: [link to naveedahmed.me]