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Migrating From Sitefinity To WordPress: A Step-by-Step Guide
Switching from Sitefinity to WordPress may alter the appearance or layout of your website. On the enterprise level, there is WordPress, which is preferable to Sitefinity’s CMS as it has many positive qualities, such as being easy to use, relatively cheap and very versatile.
The move can make a big difference in your company for a variety of goals: to save money, to reduce the time spent on content creation or to utilize the large number of plugins and themes WordPress provides.
However, any migration to another platform is only half as effective if it is not accompanied by proper planning to protect data, design and SEO ranking.
The article is dedicated to the entire migration process from Sitefinity to WordPress and contains the steps for exporting and optimizing after the migration.
Step-by-Step Migration Guide
**Step 1: Export Data from Sitefinity
Since Sitefinity does not provide a direct option for exporting material from Sitefinity to WordPress, a mix of tools and export techniques can be required. Here's how to get your stuff out.
Making Backup Sitefinity’s Backend Tools
Go to Sitefinity’s backend to export your content into XML, CSV, or any other format of your choice.
Export Images and Media Files
Export all the media files that exist in Sitefinity for fast uploading to WordPress and make sure these files are classified.
Note Custom Functionalities
List all Sitefinity and related details, like any and all buttons or forms that were created in Sitefinity, which will be recreated in WordPress.
**Step 2: Set Up WordPress
It is best to focus on the WordPress installation settings after exporting the data.
Install WordPress Plugins
This may be done by adding plugins such as All-in-One WP Migration or the WordPress Importer.
Configure Your Theme
Download the selected theme and apply it to the system. It should, however, reflect the design and layout of the Sitefinity site on which it is going to be used.
Set Up Categories and Tags
Organize the page within WordPress in the same manner that you organized them in Sitefinity using the same categories and tags.
Step 3: Import Content
Now that WordPress is configured, it's time to import your content.
Use Import Tools
Import content files that you had exported from Sitefinity into WordPress using the WordPress tool importing. If a site is more extensive, it might be more suitable to use plugins such as WP All Import.
Manually Upload Images
Images usually don’t appear instantly, so import them into the new site’s WordPress Media Library and attach them to the posts or pages.
Remodel Custom Functions
For any of the unique features that were created using Sitefinity, develop new plugins or add new custom code. For example:
Forms: Some of them are free, while others are paid, and they include plugins such as Gravity Forms and Contact Form 7.
Sliders: Use plugins like smart Slider 3.
Step 4: Test and Optimize
Testing aids in confirming that the new WordPress website satisfies fundamental criteria and is dependable.
Check Page Layouts
Check that all new pages on the WordPress site match the old Sitefinity site in terms of layout and appearance.
Verify Links
Check all the internal and external links to ensure that they all lead the users to the intended pages.
Test Functionality
Browse through all the open forms, all the search bars, and any interactive buttons or links.
Boost Efficiency
Install plugins for performance optimization, such as Smush and WP Rocket, to improve page load times and speed.
Turn on the SEO Features
Meta tags, XML sitemaps, and other SEO settings may be configured with plugins such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math.
Step 5: Redirect URLs
Move out-of-date URLs to their WordPress equivalents to maintain search engine rankings and provide a smooth user experience.
Make a Plan for Redirecting
Update WordPress URLs to match outdated Sitefinity URLs.
Employ a Plugin for Redirection
To use 301 redirects, install a plugin such as Redirection. This step guarantees that users and search engines are sent to the new website without any problems.
Step 6: Launch and Post-Migration Tasks
After everything has been set up and tested, it's time to publish your brand-new WordPress website.
Change DNS Records
To point to the new WordPress hosting server, change the DNS settings for your domain.
Track Analytics
After the transfer, Google Analytics and Google Search Console will be set up to monitor website performance and traffic.
Carry Out Continuous Maintenance
Update your WordPress themes, plugins, and core on a regular basis to maintain security and functionality.
Why Migrate from Sitefinity to WordPress?
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- Cost Efficiency
Migrating from Sitefinity to WordPress is a cost-effective process since Sitefinity is an enterprise-level CMS, which is quite expensive in terms of licensing and maintenance. With WordPress, costs are cut down, as open source means no license fee is required by WordPress except for themes, plugins, and web hosting.
- Ease of Use
Although Sitefinity proved to be a powerful solution, the way users interact with the application can be pretty cumbersome and not very friendly for designers who aren't programmers. WordPress has an easy-to-use backend for the site's control, and users can very easily add or modify any content on the website.
- Customizability
WordPress gives the user an interface for plugins and themes, which opens a world of options for users on business sites or blogs without requiring them to know how to code.
- Community Support
As a CMS, WordPress has a huge global community of developers, users, and content creators who actively contribute to plugins, themes, and documentation, making it strong on support and advancement.
Pre-Migration Checklist
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Before the migration process can start, preparation is necessary. A checklist to guarantee a smooth transition is provided below.
Analyze Your Current Site
Check your Sitefinity website’s pages, posts, media, and features that need to be moved to a new platform. To obtain a list of URLs, you can use XML Sitemaps.
Backup Your Website
If possible, copy all files of the Sitefinity site and the database to avoid data loss during the process of moving.
Select a Good Hosting Company
WordPress needs a hosting plan. Select a provider with scalability, speed, and security features. They include Site Grounds, Blue Hosts, and WP engines, among others.
Install WordPress
Install WordPress on your new hosting server. This step lays down the groundwork for moving the organization to become a migrated organization.
Select a Theme
Select an excellent WordPress theme for your site, one that fits the site’s look and feel and its brand identity. There are free options, and you can also choose paid themes to add more features and functionalities to your blog.
Bottomline
Making the switch to a new platform for your website is a big move that leads to more opportunities.
This migration signals the start of a new phase for your digital strategy, whether you’re improving functionality, updating your design, or simplifying administration.
Are you prepared to migrate?
Start your adventure now and discover how WordPress can turn your website into a potent tool for expansion and achievement.
