Introduction:
In this internet-driven era, it is very important to have an online presence to do business. Nowadays, if you do not have a website, it means that you are not in the competition anymore. Especially, after the global covid-19 pandemic, customers are more habituated to check products and services online first, and then if required, plan for a visit.
If you are there on the internet for a long and using the static HTML website, it’s time to revamp your whole web set-up and adopt the WordPress website development process. Though HTML5 is quite efficient, there are easier and feature-loaded options available in the market- WordPress. According to statics, more than 33% of websites are now powered by WordPress. This means, there are benefits of using WordPress over HTML and therefore, companies love it.
WordPress has made the website development process extremely seamless. It has amazing pre-loaded templates, software applications, and an efficient content management system which makes the webpage creation process quick and easy.
- But how to convert your existing HTML website to WordPress?
- Is there any simple way out or do you need to build it from the scratch?
- How much does it cost?
These are some of the obvious questions that may run through your mind. This piece of article will brief you about the answers to all such questions. Moreover, we will discuss the steps involved in the process. Stay connected till the end.
Ways To Convert HTML To WordPress:
WordPress website development has an easy learning curve and you do not need to be an expert in coding to use this technology. It is easy to grasp the WordPress website development process and no need to hire any WordPress developer. WordPress offers some easy steps through which you can seamlessly convert your existing old HTML website to WordPress.
Creating a WordPress Theme From a Static HTML Site manually:
This is a deep technical process that involves a lot of coding knowledge.
Create theme folder and basic files: As a first step, you need to create a new theme folder on your computer. Next, direct to the code editor and create five different text files as below
- Style.css
- Index.php
- Header.php
- Sidebar.php
- Footer.php
Copy CSS code: As the next step, select the website which you want to revamp and copy the entire CSS code. Paste that complete code into the style.css file. From this information, WordPress will come to know that this is the theme stylesheet header. You can have the flexibility to change the name, author, details, URL, description, etc.
Split your old HTML: Whenever WordPress needs to pull the information from the database, it uses PHP. Therefore, it is important to split the old HTML into multiple pieces in such a way that the CMS can put them together in a correct manner. The process is simple enough, all you need to do is to copy the original HTML parts into different PHP files.
Change the Header.php and Index.php Files for WordPress: Later, to make it work seamlessly on the advanced WordPress platform, you need to change header.php and index.php. After changing the required field, don’t forget to save the header.php first and then index.php.
Upload theme to WordPress: Finally, take a screenshot of the theme of 880×660 pixels and upload it. WordPress backend will store it and use it as a preview of your website. Save it as a png file and add it to your theme folder. Now it’s time to upload the theme to WordPress. Keep all the files in the same place and convert them into a zip file. From the WordPress admin dashboard, select appearances and go to theme, and click on add new to upload theme. Then install and activate the theme.
Converting HTML through a WordPress Child Theme:
If you aim to keep the existing design intact, probably this is the best way to convert from HML to a WordPress website. This is not only cost-effective but also offers you an ample option of pre-loaded WordPress themes.
Chose a theme: Select any theme from the existing WordPress directory. But at this stage, do not install the same. While choosing a theme, check the best suitable one which resembles your existing design.
Create a new theme folder: You need to create a new folder on your computer. But one important step here is to keep the same folder the same as the parent folder, just add “- child” at the end.
Create style sheet: Way forward you need to create a style sheet and add a tag named “template” where you need to include the parent theme name. It is essential for the functioning of the child theme.
Create a Functions.php and activate the child theme: In the next step, you need to create a function.php file with a parenting style and activate the child theme. Make sure to take a screenshot which will be required to feature on the WordPress backend.
Import your content from HTML into WordPress using a plugin:
This process can give your website a new makeover with a new design. The process includes setting up a site, installation of the plugin, and then importing the HTML content. An HTML to WordPress converter can make your task easy.
Conclusion:
There is no harm in using an HTML website but, with the advancement of technology, all you need to enhance your customer experience. And in this case, HTML has some restrictions. Whereas, using any of the above-mentioned methods, you can easily start shifting from HTML to WordPress website development. Later you can customize it as per your requirement and create an amazing front face of your business.