Brandon Buttars Presentation on Migration to Wordpress - How to migrate to Wordpress - Featured speaker at SLC WordCamp 2013

1. <Change to/>
WordPress
http://changetowordpress.com
Migrating to WordPress by Brandon Buttars

2. http://changetowordpress.com
• My friends all call me Buttars.
• I’m an Aggie.
• I’ve been using WordPress since version
1.5.
• I also have experience w/ Drupal & Joomla
• Built my first website in 1998.
• Web Design/Development Manager at
Avalaunch Media.
About Brandon Buttars

3. http://changetowordpress.com
We’ll take a broad look at migrating
existing websites to WordPress.
Hopefully your process becomes
better.

4. http://changetowordpress.com
Who’s using WordPress on personal
sites?
Who’s using WordPress at work?

5. http://changetowordpress.com
Why WordPress?

6. http://changetowordpress.com
• It’s FREE!
• It’s stable.
• It’s user friendly.
• Huge community.
• Search Engines love it!
WordPress
• Tons of Plugins.
• Tons of Themes.
• Mobile friendly.
• Updating is easy.
• Site setup is cake.

7. http://changetowordpress.com
Someone wants to move an existing
site to WordPress.
Where do they start?

8. http://changetowordpress.com
Step 1: Data Collection & Organization
Step 2: WordPress Setup & Configuration
Step 3: Data Migration & Entry
Step 4: Design Migration & Theming
Step 5: SEO
Step 6: Launch
Our Process

9. http://changetowordpress.com
• Structure
• Content
• Asides
• Design
• Other
Step 1: Data Collection & Organization

10. http://changetowordpress.com
• Menus
• URL Structure
• Headers
• Footers
• Post Types & Fields
Structure

11. http://changetowordpress.com
• Homepage & Landing Pages
homepage elements, title, meta data, page assets
• Taxonomy/Categories/Tags
content organization
• Individual Pages of Content
title, meta data, canonicals, URLs, page assets.
• Other Content
Content

12. http://changetowordpress.com
• Images
• Icons
• Fonts
• HTML
• CSS
• Scripts
Design

13. http://changetowordpress.com
• Widgets
• Ads
• Breadcrumbs
• Sliders
• Etc.
Asides

14. http://changetowordpress.com
• Setup Development Environment
on your computer or on another server
• Install WordPress & Core Settings
site settings, permalinks, comments
• Install & Configure Plugins
additional functionality, beyond the core
Step 2: WordPress Setup & Configuration

15. http://changetowordpress.com
• Local Setup
WAMP, MAMP, LAMP, XXAMP, etc.
• Live Server
Bluehost, Hostmonster, RackSpace, etc.
Setup Development Environment

16. http://changetowordpress.com
• Basic Settings
• Prevent Comment Spam Upfront
• Permalinks - Important
Install WordPress & Core Settings

17. http://changetowordpress.com
• Install the plugins you need.
• Configure the plugins.
• Configure custom post types and fields.
Install & Configure Plugins

18. http://changetowordpress.com
• Enter Manually or Use Importing Tools
wp ultimate csv importer plugin
• Import/Create Users
• Import/Enter Taxonomy (Categories/Tags)
• Import/Enter Content using appropriate Post Types
meta data, images & media, assign taxonomy, correct heiarchy
• Create Menus
• Create Widgets & Aside Elements
Step 3: Data Migration & Entry

19. http://changetowordpress.com
• Build/Find a barebones theme.
• Install & activate the theme.
• Modify the HTML/PHP
• Modify the CSS
• Modify the Scripts
Step 4: Design Migration & Theming

20. http://changetowordpress.com
• Make sure all the template files exist.
index.php, archive.php, front-page.php, single.php, page.php,
header.php, footer.php, any custom post templates
• Modify the templates using the old
template code.
• Modify & correct all path references to
images, scripts, stylesheets, etc.
Modify the HTML/PHP

21. http://changetowordpress.com
• Modify style.css using the old CSS
code.
• Modify & correct all path references
to images, fonts, etc.
• Clean up the code where possible.
Modify the CSS

22. http://changetowordpress.com
• Modify & correct all path references
within the scripts.
• Using Chrome’s Inspector, check for
any errors that need to be fixed.
• Make sure no scripts collide with
WordPress or plugin scripts.
this can cause big problems & can cause the site to break
• Clean up the code where possible.
Modify the Scripts

23. http://changetowordpress.com
• Audit SEO Data
title, meta description, meta keywords, URLs
• SEO Plugins Configured
• 301 Redirects
• Rich Snippets
• Google Webmasters & Analytics
• Social Networking Tools
Step 5: SEO

24. http://changetowordpress.com
• Move/Upload Files
• Database Export
find and replace development URL with live URL
• Create New Database & Import
• Modify database settings in wp-config.php file.
• Modify hosting to point to new files.
Step 6: Launch

25. http://changetowordpress.com
• WordPress is the bomb!
• Everyone should move their sites to
WordPress.
• Make sure to pay attention to the
details when migrating.
• Use this presentation as a guide to
migrate.
Recap

26. http://changetowordpress.com
• Tools & Resources:
http://changetowordpress.com
• Twitter: brandonbuttars / change2wp
• LinkedIn: brandonbuttars
• Facebook: brandonbuttars
Thank You