Transferring a website from WordPress to Wix might be challenging. Many businesses are making the switch from WordPress to Wix for a number of reasons. Even though direct migration from WordPress to Wix is not possible, you can build a site from scratch in Wix and then transfer all your content.
Wix is a user-friendly platform that makes it easy to create a professional website without any coding knowledge. It’s also more affordable than WordPress, which can be a major consideration for small businesses.
WordPress websites can have their blog posts imported into the Wix blog, but pages need to be manually transferred. While this process is not difficult, it can be time-consuming, especially if you have many pages.
This challenge isn't unique to Wix; migrating a website to any new platform requires time to redesign and transfer content, ensuring it looks good on the new site. However, this transition period is an excellent opportunity to refresh or update your website's design. During migration, you can update the look and feel of your site, using higher-resolution images and revised content.
WordPress vs. Wix
Considering switching from WordPress to Wix? There are a number of reasons why you might want to switch your website from WordPress to Wix. Perhaps you’re finding WordPress too confusing or time-consuming to use. Maybe you’re not happy with the level of customer support you’re getting from WordPress. Or, you could simply be looking for a more user-friendly platform.
If you want to migrate your WordPress site to Wix, we specialize in this process, including enhancing or redesigning your site. Wix websites can look just like WordPress sites, allowing us to recreate any desired elements using the intuitive Wix website builder. Contact us for a free estimate.
WordPress sites are often targeted by hackers. Having worked with WordPress for many years, we’ve seen numerous clients seeking help to fix hacked sites. While we can assist with these issues, we often recommend starting fresh to eliminate malicious code. Many clients prefer migrating to a more secure platform like Wix, where they don’t need to worry about software and security updates. Wix provides these services as part of its hosting fee, ensuring clients no longer have to manage outdated plugins or software.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to switch, it’s important to make sure that Wix is the right platform for your business. Take the time to explore the features and see if it’s a good fit for you. Once you’re sure that Wix is the right platform, you can start planning your transfer.
Before getting started, you can also check out the advantages and disadvantages of building a website with Wix.
How to Transfer from Wordpress to Wix?
There are four main stages of transferring your site from WordPress to Wix.
Preparing WordPress website for the transfer
Setting up a Wix account and website
Transferring website domain (or connecting it from elsewhere to Wix)
Transferring blog, page, media and online shop content
If you are managing an ecommerce business, you also need to make sure all tools you use in WordPress is available to use in Wix (B2B marketplace, whosale, print-on-demand).
If there are tools and apps that are not available in Wix yet, you can hire a Wix developer to build custom functionalities for you.
Prepare WordPress site for the transfer
Backup your WordPress site
Before starting the transfer process, it is essential to back up your WordPress site. This includes:
Database: Use plugins like UpdraftPlus or WP-DB-Backup to create a backup of your database.
Files: Download all your WordPress files via an FTP client like FileZilla.
Evaluate your site’s content and structure
Review your existing website content and structure to plan the migration process efficiently. Note the following:
Pages and their hierarchy (sitemap)
Blog posts and categories (tags, images, etc.)
Products (online store)
Media files
Set up your new Wix site
Sign up for a Wix account
Create an account on Wix if you haven’t already. If you have one from the past, you can login to your Wix account.
Choose a template
Select a template that suits your site’s needs. Wix offers a wide range of templates for different types of websites, including blogs and e-commerce sites.
You can either start with a blank template or choose from designer-made templates tailored to your business niche.
Check out our website portfolio to get inspiration about website templates in Wix.
Customize site template
You can use Wix's drag-and-drop website editor to add page elements like images, videos, texts and customize the layout as however you wish to be.
You can also change fonts, font colors, font decoration, site theme colors, etc.
Upgrade your site to a premium plan
When you first create a site in Wix, you don't need to upgrade to a premium plan. After you complete transferring all the content on your WordPress site, you can upgrade your Wix site to one of its premium plans.
Choose a plan that fits your needs, especially if you are running an e-commerce site.
If you’re not sure which plan is right for you, take a look at the features and pricing of Wix premium plans. You can also get in touch with us to discuss your specific needs. Once you’ve chosen your premium plan, you can start working on your website design.
Still have questions for building a website in Wix? Learn how to create a Wix site in detail with step by step guide.
Transferring your domain
Unlock your domain and get the EPP code
In order to transfer your domain from a registrar to another one, you need first unlock it on its registrar dashboard so that it can be accessible to transfer.
Unlock Your Domain: Go to your WordPress domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap) and unlock your domain.
Get the EPP Code: Request the EPP code (also known as the authorization code) from your domain registrar.
Transfer the domain to Wix
If you unlock the domain for transferring it to another registrar, you can claim its new place on Wix.
Go to Wix Domain Transfer: In your Wix dashboard, go to “Domains” and select “Transfer a Domain”.
Enter Your Domain Name: Enter the domain name you want to transfer.
Enter the EPP Code: Provide the EPP code you obtained from your previous registrar.
Confirm the Transfer: Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the transfer process. It can take a few days for the transfer to complete.
Transferring a domain from one registrar to another requires to renew domain registration on the its new registrar for a year at least.
In case you want to keep the domain on its first registrar, you can connect your domain via name servers and pointing.
Transferring blog content
Wix supports the import of WordPress blog posts. With the WordPress Blog Import feature, you can transfer all your WordPress blog posts to the Wix blog, a significant improvement over the previous method of manually recreating each post. However, this tool only imports blog posts, so you will still need to build any required pages manually. This feature is a time-saver for sites with extensive blogs.
Export blog content from WordPress
Go to WordPress Dashboard: Navigate to “Tools” and select “Export”.
Export Content: Choose to export “All Content” or select specific content like “Posts”. Download the XML file.
Import blog content to Wix
Go to Wix Blog: In your Wix dashboard, click on Blog Posts.
Import Posts: Look for the “Import” option and upload the XML file you exported from WordPress.
Review Imported Content: Check that all posts, images, and categories have been imported correctly.
You can import blog posts from WordPress to Wix using your site's URL or an XML file.
If you experienced a problem while importing your blog posts from WordPress, learn how troubleshoot blog importing issues.
Transferring pages and media
Manually recreate pages
Since there isn’t a direct way to import pages, you need to manually recreate them in Wix.
This involves:
Creating new layouts: Design similar sections for the content in Wix.
Copying Text Content: Copy the text content from your WordPress pages and paste it into new Wix pages.
Re-uploading Media: Download images and other media files from WordPress and upload them to Wix.
Copying text and pasting to the new site might take days and you might get confused after a while. Prepare a simple Excel file to track transferring process.
Creating new layouts similar to the old site pages' layout might be challending. Your niche might be different but doesn't matter. Here is a lot to learn from:
Set up page SEO
If your WordPress site ranking was good, you wouldn't want to lose the organic traffic coming to your site. That's why you need to optimize your site for SEO.
Add Page Titles and Descriptions: Go to the page settings in Wix and add SEO titles and descriptions.
Set Up 301 Redirects: If the URLs of your pages have changed, set up 301 redirects in Wix to maintain your SEO rankings.
301 redirects for blog and shop pages are relatively much important than those used for regular pages since blog and shop page extensions are different than what you have in your WordPress site.
For example:
WordPress product page URL: /shop/yourProduct
Wix product page URL: /product-page/yourProduct
Also make sure to optimize page URLs for SEO so that search engines can understand what the page is about.
Transferring products (for online stores)
Export products from WordPress
Go to WooCommerce Dashboard: If you’re using WooCommerce, navigate to “Products” and select “Export”.
Export Product Data: Export your products as a CSV file.
Import products to Wix
Go to Wix Stores: Access the “Products” section in your Wix Store Manager.
Import Products: Use the import feature to upload the CSV file. Follow the instructions to map the fields correctly (e.g., product name, price, description).
If you don't have hundreds of products in your old online store, you don't have to prepare a CSV file for bulk import. You can upload your products one by one manually.
It is possible to use an app like Cart2Cart from Wix App Market to import your products instantly.
Set up payment and shipping
In order to get paid for online selling, you have to connect one of the payment gateways available to use in your country to Wix.
Configure Payment Methods: Go to the “Store Settings” and set up your preferred payment methods.
Set Up Shipping Options: Define your shipping regions, methods, and rates.
Final steps and testing
Check for broken links
Use tools like Ubersuggest to identify and fix any broken links on your new Wix site. There might be links that turn out 404, 5xx, etc. errors.
Test Your Site
Before launching, thoroughly test your site to ensure:
All pages load correctly
Forms and interactive elements work
E-commerce functionality (if applicable) is operational
For site design and basic functionalities (except payments and a few things), you can create a test version of your site check if it works as expected from the test URL.
Go Live
Once everything is set up and tested, make your Wix site live. Publish your site to test a few things you cannot test on editor or using the test version link.
WordPress to Wix FAQ
Do you need a website designer for transfer?
It is important to make sure that your website looks professional and is easy to use. One of the biggest turnarounds of creating a website in Wix is messing up the entire layout or template, configuring SEO settings wrong, or forgetting the important steps for a website. Therefore it would be better for you to work with a Wix expert to start migrating your site from WordPress to Wix.
There are a number of ways to find a designer, including online directories, freelance websites, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Once you’ve found a few designers, take a look at their portfolios and see if their style is a good fit for your business.
You can also hire Wix designers from bizimuhit.com, which is one of the certified Wix Partners.
How to make sure the new site is compatible?
Before you launch your new Wix website, it’s important to check that all of your content is compatible with the platform. This includes your blog posts, images, and any other media. To do this, you can export your content from the WordPress blog. Then, you can import this into your Wix account. This will allow you to transfer all your content successfully.
If you use some apps regarding specific functionalities on your WordPress website, be sure some alternative apps or methods are available in Wix. You can book a call with Wix experts to ask your questions regarding these specific features' availability.
These specific functionalities can be built on Velo By Wix development platform by Velo coding experts.
When is it the best time to publish your site?
Once you’ve checked that all of your content is compatible with Wix, you’re ready to launch your new website. To do this, simply log into your Wix account and hit the ‘Publish’ button. You can then start promoting your website and driving traffic to it. You may also want to consider setting up a blog or creating a social media profile for your business.
We handle the entire migration and redesign process and offer training on using the Wix platform to keep your site updated. Clients find Wix easier to use than WordPress, with simpler processes for adding new pages, making design changes, and more. A user-friendly site is more likely to be kept updated, which benefits SEO. As an SEO consultant, I ensure a smooth migration from WordPress to Wix, preserving your search engine rankings by setting up 301 redirects, SEO Meta Tags, and Alt Image tags. I also provide training on maintaining and improving your site's SEO and content.
We have extensive experience migrating client websites from platforms like WordPress, Blogger, and Squarespace to Wix. We often perform a redesign or refresh, but we can also replicate a modern WordPress design in Wix. Wix allows for complete customization, including responsive full-screen images, galleries, slideshows, and videos, offering limitless design possibilities.
Need help with your WordPress to Wix migration? Contact us for a free estimate.
Comments