How to Migrate from Webflow to WordPress Full Guide

The Webflow platform helps newcomers build great websites. It has an easy-to-use visual editor. If you've owned your site for a while, consider a more versatile option, like WordPress.

Migrating from Webflow to WordPress can be tough this is especially true if your site has a lot of content. But the procedure is easier than it looks so you can get your new site on WordPress in no time.

In this blog, we will briefly discuss why moving from Webflow to WordPress may be important and will guide you step by step through the whole process of migration.

Why Shifting to WordPress?

Webflow is great for small to medium websites. But, as you grow your site, it gets harder. It has fewer functions and less scalability than WordPress.

Below are some reasons why you should think of transferring from Webflow to WordPress:

1.Increased Flexibility:

WordPress is open-source. It's highly customizable. So, it can be extended in many ways to meet almost any need. You can use this system to create plugins, add themes or even use thousands of other unique plugins you can add functions to your website like an e-commerce system, forms and other features.

2.Better SEO:

WordPress has been proven to be friendlier with search engines. Additionally you can increase your site’s visibility by using various SEO plugins available. 

In contrast, SEO is more of a challenge in optimization when it comes to Webflow especially if you are not much into HTML and CSS.

Improved Scalability:

One of the main reasons for moving from Webflow to WordPress is that the latter has better scalability. In case your website starts attracting more visitors and growing, there will be a point when Webflow can’t cater for it anymore. 

WordPress is meant to handle large volumes of traffic and can easily be scaled up as per your site’s requirements.

Mostly Free:

Moreover, with WordPress you have control over hosting and how much you spend on it. It enables you to compare options before choosing one that suits your site best. 

Besides its software is free while most of the plugins on offer are also available without charge. 

Therefore, by moving from webflow to WordPress, one could save on website costs as well.

Important Things to Keep in Mind

There are a few things to consider before leaving Webflow and switching to WordPress:

Finding A Host:

‍One of the best things about using WordPress is that you can choose whichever web host you want. You have good options both in terms of needs and money.

In case you are looking for inexpensive hosting it may be better for you to choose Bluehost, Hostinger, DreamHost or WordPress.com.

These services are less expensive than the other providers and can also help improve your website performance as well as keep your content safe.

It is advisable that before starting the transition you have to set up a new hosting account which can speed up the process and make things easier.

Backing Up Your Data:

Your data is the most important part of starting on the new WordPress platform.So you need to make sure to backup your important files on one of your computer's hard drives.

Later after completing the migration, you can upload that data to WordPress easily without any issues.

6 Steps to Migrate from a Webflow to WordPress

After selecting your host and backing up your data it is now time to transfer your information from Webflow to WordPress. 

This guide will assist you in migrating for a successful launch of your new site.

1.Setting up

Setting up WordPress should be the first thing that comes to mind. You can log in to your account with most website hosts as they have one-click installations of WordPress on their plans.

The setup usually provides you with an installation guide that takes less than five minutes.Then, you will need to send your WordPress files to your server which may take a couple of minutes before proceeding with exporting from Webflow to WordPress.

2.Export Your Content

After setting up your WordPress it is time to save your new site’s content. On the bright side exporting data from Webflow can be done without much hassle.

The content from Webflow commonly includes web pages, blog posts, texts, embedded blocks, gallery pages and images.To export content go to your designer in Webflow and click on the CMS Collections panel.

Choose the collection you want to export e.g. blog posts and at the top right corner of the screen click the export button. It will be downloaded in the form of a .csv file onto your computer. The same procedure can be repeated for any other desired collection.

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3.Import Your Content Into WordPress

The next step involves uploading your web flow contents into a press site. One way to do this is by using the import tool that comes with the CMS which allows uploading of files in XML format. 

Unfortunately, Webflow only provides the option for downloading content as a CSV file.

4.Select a Theme

Sadly, you are unable to transfer the design of your Webflow site into WordPress. But you can choose from thousands of gorgeous themes provided by the popular CMS.

WordPress themes allow customizations meaning that they can be altered according to individual needs. More importantly, most of them are free while some paid ones may not be too expensive.

Take your time customizing your theme and trying out different options.However, make sure the design is responsive to enable all devices can display good-looking content.

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Recommend to Read:7 Benefits of a Static WordPress Site you need to know

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5.Setting Up Permalinks

Now it will be necessary for you to set up permalinks for your WordPress blog. These are what define how the URL structure for pages within a given site looks like.

To access your permalinks just go to Settings then click Permalinks located on the WordPress dashboard menu.Selecting a post name is recommended for this purpose. 

This way your URLs will be composed of your domain name and the slug you set for that particular page or post.Having short and clean URLs can contribute positively towards Search Engine Optimization efforts on the website.

6.Navigate Your Domain to WordPress

Although you transfer your site to WordPress your domain still points at the nameservers of Webflow.

In case you want to maintain the same domain name you will have to change your DNS settings so that the domain directs its visitors to the servers of your new web host.

If you used a domain registrar when creating your Webflow site go into your account and manage DNS settings. Your new web host might even allow you to manage your domain through its control panel.

Now when the clients type your URL on Google it will redirect them to the new site.

Tips for a Smooth Transition

One of the main concerns during any website migration is how to keep the search engine rankings intact. 

In order not to lose traffic follow these essential steps:

• Fix Any 404 Error: Using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to fix broken links and ensure that all internal links are correctly in place.
• Optimization: With Yoast SEO or Rank Math you can optimize title tags, meta descriptions and alt tags thus ensuring full SEO optimization of your web content.
• Improve Performance: Page speed matters both for SEO and user experience. 

To increase page speed on WordPress compress images and enable caching with the W3 Total Cache plugin and consider using a CDN service.

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Recommend to Read:How Can You Push Specific Pages Within WordPress?

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Final Steps

The process of completing a migration to a new WordPress site includes the final steps to run effectively.

• Test Everything: On every single one of your pages check if everything is working well.
• Set Up Regular Backups: With plugins such as UpdraftPlus, you can set automatic backups so you don’t lose any progress.
• Secure Your Site: By installing the Wordfence plugin you can ensure that your site can't be breached easily by malware or hackers.

Conclusion

Migration from Webflow to WordPress is a simple exercise if you get it right. Choosing the right hosting provider for your new website is very crucial. 

Besides that go for a responsive WordPress theme optimize permalinks and update the domain settings so that users land on your new site. With these steps in mind, it will be easy for you to migrate it also ensures that the website remains search engine friendly even after the move.