One of the top most-used website builders today is Wix. The platform has provided it with free hosting, useful features, and a comprehensive dashboard through which you can easily maintain the whole project.
Although the Wix capacities may satisfy various projects, at least at their initial stages, a time may come when your online needs have overgrown the available limits. A solution with more possibilities may be necessary. Then, you may think about migrating to WordPress.
Do you really need to migrate? Is it possible? How to carry out the Wix-to-WordPress conversion procedure without critical errors? Find answers in our guide.
Why Move a Wix Site to WordPress?
If there are the best, universally fitting solutions in the site-building industry, Wix and WordPress are surely among them. However, each of these platforms offers completely different approaches to web development.
Wix’s key advantage is allowing users to create specific websites easily and quickly. In most cases, even a total beginner can build a professional website ready to perform the necessary tasks without the help of an expert. The platform gives a custom domain, hosting, 800+ templates for any purpose, and various tools and apps. Wix sites are easy to manage.
Yet, Wix’s possibilities are not endless. As your project grows, you may feel like extending your website’s design and functional capacities. This is the main reason why you may think of transferring your Wix website to WordPress.
Why WordPress?
There aren’t many platforms that can compete with Wix in the class and number of templates or integration capabilities. WordPress can. This has been the most powerful CMS so far, and it can offer you practically absolute freedom thanks to features like these:
- full access to HTML edits;
- over 10K easily interchangeable themes;
- unlimited design customization rights;
- integration with about 60K apps;
- advanced blog & forms options.
So, you can implement the boldest projects with the help of WordPress. For some users, the ability to choose a host, security tools, SEO tools, etc., is a plus, too.
Wix-to-WordPress Conversion Methods
One of the Wix downsides is that even changing your site’s template may present difficulty, let alone migration to another platform. However, it’s possible, and you have two ways to convert your Wix into WordPress.
The first method is via the RSS feed. That is, you can create the RSS feed, transfer your posts, and copy your pages one after another. The other way is to use a migration plugin or hire a team of professionals to move your entire site at once.
It sounds simple, but the conversion process is not so easy in reality. Let’s overview all its stages in detail.
How the Wix-to-WordPress Conversion Works
The process of converting your Wix site into the WordPress one consists of two stages. In the first stage, your goal is to prepare a separate ‘room’ for conducting the conversion procedure. The second stage is the transfer itself.
Preparatory Stage
Wix has supplied your site with a domain and hosting. WordPress is self-hosted, and that’s why you cannot just move from one domain to another. Instead, you need to find an intermediate platform to start the preparatory phase of the transition. The whole process includes the following steps:
- Choose Hosting
The first step you should take is to select a suitable host and subscribe to a plan with it. Today, there are plenty of hosting companies offering separate WordPress plans. You can purchase such a plan with the options of a 1-click WordPress setup, automated updates, nightly backups, etc.
The most popular hosting type for WordPress is shared hosting. Yet, you are free to opt for a more powerful solution if needed. Some providers can offer you fully-managed hosting plans.
- Connect a Domain
Ready with hosting? The next step is to connect a domain. Your Wix website has one, but at this point, you cannot use it. Most hosts allow you to buy a new domain or connect the existing one. For the Wix-to-WordPress transfer, it’ll be better to connect a temporary domain. So, the best host for you will be the one that offers this option.
- Install WordPress
The majority of hosting providers offer a quick setup of WordPress. You enter your dashboard if you are ready with a WordPress hosting plan and domain. There, you’ll see a suggestion to launch the WordPress setup. The best hosts will offer an automatic process with just a click needed on your part.
- Tune up Permalink Settings
When WordPress is installed, you can go to your WordPress admin panel, through which you should optimize your future website for search engines.
- Select a WordPress Theme
Now, it’s time to supply your website with a theme. WordPress has a record-high number of them. Many themes are available for free. You can add them through the WordPress dashboard. Premium themes are also available; you can purchase and upload a fitting theme through the Plugin menu.
You have prepared your WordPress website for transition. All you need is to move your Wix content.
Migration via RSS Feed
A more sophisticated method of converting your Wix website into WordPress is by manual imports of your pages and data into an RSS feed. The importing procedures themselves will be automatic. However, you should prepare and launch each step yourself. The process of moving your Wix posts will consist of the following actions:
- You add /feed.xml to your URL to create an RSS feed.
- Save your RSS feed page by right-clicking and changing the extension of a new file to .xml.
- Go to the WordPress dashboard and opt for Import in the Tools section.
- In the RSS section, click on the Run Importer icon.
- Add your Wix posts from your desktop to WordPress via the Choose File option.
The next step is adding pages. Here, you need to open your Wix site, go to the Wix dashboard, and open the Pages menu. You have to copy each of your pages here and then paste them to your WordPress site through the Pages section of the WordPress dashboard.
Finally, you’ll need to transfer your Wix site’s images. You should save them all to your desktop. Then, they can be uploaded to your WordPress website via the Media section in the WordPress dashboard.
An alternative way to add Wix images to your WordPress website is via FTP. The whole procedure of RSS feed migration is pretty massive. It requires time and accuracy on your part.
Migration via Professional Services
A much simpler way to move your Wix site to WordPress is via a migration plugin. You can find plenty of them in the market. What you should bear in mind is that errors may occur when using them, too.
However, the best way is to hire a team of experts who know exactly what to do and how to do it in the fastest and most secure way. I’ll show how effectively sitebuilders.pro can convert your Wix site to WordPress.
My service allows users to order a free consultation before purchasing the transfer. This option will let you find the exact solution for your specific case. Then, you’ll need to do the following:
- Refill the “Order Website Transfer” form. Your name, email, website address, and additional inquiry are required here.
- Go through the Pre-Deal consultation to clarify your issue and the price.
- You check the draft.
- I conduct your Wix-to-WordPress transfer.
- You approbate the ready WordPress site.
- You pay for the transfer.
Be sure that all of your assects will be transferred with accuracy: your domain name, graphic and text content, copywriting documents, and online store data – if you have one. The plugin will also transfer your SEO settings and other important services.
Best Way to Migrate from Wix to WordPress
Both methods of Wix-to-WordPress conversion are workable. The manual RSS feed way is cheap but laborious. Its main drawback is that you should be extremely accurate. If you are not a migration expert, chances are high that you’ll end up with a number of errors and a failed conversion.
The migration plugin method of transferring a Wix site to WordPress is a much easier but still risky way. The most secure option is a team of professionals specializing in migrations. Yes, the option is paid, but you won’t need to hire a specialist to fix your site after your unsuccessful attempts!
So, if you are ready to manually transfer each component of your Wix website to a new platform, and monotonous work does not scare you, opt for the RSS feed option.