Why and How to Move Your Website to WordPress the Right Way

You’re here because your current website platform is starting to feel… limiting. Maybe the backend is clunky. Maybe it’s hard to scale. Maybe your SEO traffic is stagnant, or your developer takes three days to change a headline.

At some point, the question creeps in:

“Should I move my site to WordPress?”

But switching your CMS (Content Management System) isn’t a light decision. It’s not just about copying and pasting content onto a new platform. 

It’s about long-term maintainability, SEO performance, cost, security, and yes, how easy it is to get your team to actually use the thing.

With our 13+ years of experience and expertise in the field of web development, we’re breaking it all down in this blog:

• When it makes sense to migrate to WordPress
• What benefits WordPress really brings to the table (with evidence!)
• Honest comparison points, without bashing your current platform
• The migration process (techy, but simplified)
• And common mistakes you can avoid

Let’s dive in, with your long-term website sanity in mind.

What’s wrong with my current platform?

Before we talk about why WordPress, let’s talk about why you’re considering migrating in the first place.

Most businesses don’t wake up one morning and say, “Let’s redo the entire website for fun!” It usually comes down to one (or more) of these pain points:

• SEO is flatlining, even though you’re blogging and optimizing

• Page speed is slow, and you can’t control much on the backend

• You need custom functionality, but your platform says “no.”

• Your marketing team can’t self-manage content, and developer time is maxed out

• The costs are stacking up on your current CMS (or worse, on your dev agency)

Sound familiar?

That’s usually the fork in the road. Stay and battle your existing setup, or explore a more flexible alternative. And that’s where WordPress tends to enter the conversation.

Why WordPress keeps coming up in these conversations

We won’t pretend WordPress is perfect (we’ll get to that later). But it’s hard to ignore its dominance for a reason.

According to W3Techs, WordPress powers 43.5% of all websites on the internet in 2025. That includes everything from small business sites and blogs to enterprise-scale platforms like The Walt Disney Company and TechCrunch.

So what’s the fuss about?

1. It’s flexible enough for almost anything

WordPress is like LEGO for websites. You can build a blog, an e-commerce store, a membership portal, a learning management system, or all of the above. There are 59,000+ plugins (many free) that extend its functionality, and if you have developers on hand, the codebase is open and customizable.

And no, it doesn’t have to look like a “WordPress site.” With the right theme or a custom front-end build, your site will be uniquely yours.

• Want to integrate your CRM or run advanced lead forms? Easy.
• Want to add a booking engine or gated content? Done.
• Want your marketing team to actually use the CMS? They will.

2. Content management is actually… manageable

One major pain point of many CMS platforms? Updating content requires a prayer and a developer. Not the case here.

With WordPress (especially the Gutenberg block editor), anyone on your team can:

• Drag and drop layouts
• Add media without breaking the layout
• Schedule posts and pages
• Revert to older versions if something goes wrong

This is why content teams have a thing for WordPress. They can move faster, without tickets and turnaround times.

3. Built with SEO in mind (If you set it up right)

One of the biggest reasons companies migrate to WordPress is SEO. The platform doesn’t magically rank your site, but it gives you the technical foundation to do SEO well, such as;

• Clean URL structure
• XML sitemaps auto-generated
• Schema markup (with plugins like Yoast or RankMath)
• Easy meta tag control
• Mobile-optimized themes

Fast-loading options (if configured properly)

In fact, a 2021 study by Ahrefs found that WordPress websites tend to perform better in search visibility compared to most other CMSs, primarily because of better technical SEO hygiene.

4. You’re in control (No vendor lock-in)

One frustration with proprietary CMS platforms like Wix, Shopify, or Webflow? You’re tied to their ecosystem. If you want to change hosts, deeply customize functionality, or export your data… good luck.

With WordPress, you own everything, such as your code, content, hosting, and design choices.

This is especially important for growing brands that want more autonomy and don’t want to rebuild everything just to add new capabilities.

5. Long-term cost efficiency

This one’s nuanced.

Yes, WordPress itself is free (it’s open source). But there are real costs involved, such as hosting, domain, premium plugins or themes, maintenance, and support.

But compared to platforms that charge ongoing subscription fees (and take a cut of revenue in some cases), WordPress often wins on lifetime cost, especially if you’re scaling.

For better clarity, WPBeginner estimates the total cost of a WordPress website for small businesses to be between $300 and $700 per year, which includes premium tools and plugins.

Wait, is WordPress really that perfect? Let’s talk honestly

Now, before we put WordPress on too high a pedestal, let’s hit pause and be real for a second.

Yes, it powers over 43% of the web. Yes, it’s flexible, customizable, and SEO-friendly. And yes, we just spent a good chunk of this blog telling you why it’s a smart move.

But is it perfect? Nope.

Every platform comes with its quirks, and WordPress is no exception. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you jump in head-first:

1. It’s flexible… but that flexibility requires know-how

WordPress gives you a ton of control, but with great power comes great responsibility. You’ll likely need a developer’s help (especially if you’re going custom) to:

• Set up and secure your site properly
• Handle plugin conflicts
• Keep everything updated without breaking functionality

If you try to “DIY” your way through a complex WordPress build, you might end up creating more headaches than results.

2. Security isn’t out-of-the-box

Because WordPress is open-source and so widely used, it’s also a common target for hackers. That doesn’t mean it’s insecure, but it does mean you need to:

• Use trusted plugins and themes (never free, sketchy ones)
• Keep everything regularly updated
• Install firewalls, backups, and security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri

Think of it like living in a popular neighborhood, you just need to lock your doors.

3. Plugins can be a double-edged sword

There’s a plugin for almost everything on WordPress. But not all plugins play nice together. In fact, having too many can:

• Slow down your site
• Introduce compatibility issues
• Cause things to break when updates roll out

That’s why we recommend sticking to a curated list of trusted, well-maintained plugins and regularly auditing what you’re using.

4. Performance depends on setup

WordPress isn’t slow by default, but it can become sluggish if:

• You’re on cheap hosting
• You use bloated themes or plugins
• You don’t optimize images and caching

A well-built WordPress site is lightning fast. But a poorly built one? Not so much.

We won’t pretend WordPress is flawless. But we will say this: most of these challenges are manageable, and even preventable, if you work with the right team.

Think of WordPress like a high-end DSLR camera. In the right hands, it can produce jaw-dropping results. In the wrong hands? Well, it might not even turn on.

So while it’s not “perfect,” it’s still incredibly powerful, especially if you know how to use it.

So… should everyone migrate to WordPress?

Not necessarily. Here’s the honest breakdown:

While WordPress can grow with you, it also expects more from you (or your team). If you don’t want to touch plugins, hosting, updates, or backups, a closed ecosystem like Webflow or Wix might feel easier, at least in the short term.

How a professional WordPress migration works

If you’ve decided WordPress is the way forward, the next concern is obvious:

How do we migrate without breaking everything?

Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds, especially when handled by pros. Here’s how a smooth, stress-free WordPress migration usually goes down:

Step 1: Take inventory of your current site

Before anything is moved, professionals start by auditing your current setup. Think of it like packing up your house before a big move.

• What pages do you have?
• Are there any blogs, products, or landing pages?
• Are there custom features, scripts, or redirects you need to keep?

This step ensures nothing important gets left behind.

Step 2: Plan the WordPress structure

Now it’s time to sketch out your new home on WordPress.

• Will you use a pre-built theme or go custom?
• How should content like blogs, products, and pages be organized?
• What about your site’s URLs, SEO metadata, and permalinks?

This planning step sets the stage for a seamless transition without SEO hiccups.

Step 3: Build a staging site (aka test environment)

Here’s a pro tip: never migrate directly onto your live site, because that’s asking for trouble.

Instead, developers set up a private test version of your new WordPress site, called a staging site. It’s a safe sandbox where everything gets built and tested before going public.

Step 4: Move your content and media

Here’s where the real migration happens.

• All your text, images, videos, blogs, forms, and SEO data get carefully moved over.
• Internal links and navigation are double-checked.
• Categories, tags, and page relationships are preserved.

It’s like unpacking boxes in your new home and putting everything in the right place.

Step 5: Set up redirects & preserve SEO

Worried about losing your hard-earned Google rankings? You’re not alone, and good developers plan for that.

• They create 301 redirects so your old URLs point to their new homes.
• A fresh sitemap is submitted to Google Search Console.
• Meta titles, descriptions, and schema are carried over to maintain your SEO footprint.

Step 6: Test (Then test again)

At this point, the site looks great, but how does it work?

• Are forms submitting correctly?
• Do all links go where they should?
• Is the site mobile-friendly and fast?

Every page, feature, and call-to-action is tested thoroughly to catch any weird bugs before going live.

Step 7: Go live and celebrate!

Once everything is perfect, it’s launch time!

The domain is pointed to your new WordPress host.

DNS settings are updated.

And voila, you’re live on WordPress!

Migrating to WordPress might feel intimidating, but with a professional team and a clear process, it can be smooth, seamless, and surprisingly stress-free.

Let the pros worry about the tech stuff, so you can focus on running your business.

Common WordPress migration mistakes to avoid

Now that you’ve seen what a smooth migration looks like, let’s talk about the not-so-smooth version. Even experienced businesses can trip over a few pitfalls when moving to WordPress, many of which have long-term consequences for SEO, performance, or UX.

Here are some of the most common mistakes we’ve seen (and helped fix):

1. Forgetting to set 301 redirects

This is the #1 SEO killer during migration.

When your URLs change, and they almost always do, you must set up 301 redirects from old URLs to the new ones. Otherwise, users get 404 errors, and search engines drop your rankings like a bad habit.

We recommend using a crawl tool like Screaming Frog before and after migration to map URL changes and check for redirect chains or errors.

2. Not migrating SEO metadata

Meta titles, descriptions, alt text, canonical tags, and noindex settings all matter. And they don’t automatically transfer unless you intentionally migrate them using SEO plugins or tools like Yoast or RankMath.

3. Launching without performance optimization

WordPress can be lightning-fast or painfully slow. A bloated theme, too many plugins, or poor hosting can slow things down. If you’re migrating, it’s a great opportunity to clean house and:

• Use lightweight themes
• Compress images (try ShortPixel)
• Enable caching with tools like WP Rocket

• Choose a quality host (SiteGround, WP Engine, Kinsta, etc.)

4. Skipping security best practices

Since WordPress is open-source, it’s more exposed to threats if you don’t take security seriously. Don’t launch without:

• A security plugin (like Wordfence or iThemes Security)
• Regular updates for core, themes, and plugins
• Strong passwords and user permissions
• SSL-enabled site-wide

5. Not testing across devices

A WordPress site might look perfect on your 15” MacBook but be a disaster on mobile. Always test across:

• Mobile phones (both iOS and Android)
• Tablets
• Desktop browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• Google prioritizes mobile experience, your audience probably does too.

6. Going live without a staging environment

Don’t test in production. Always build and test on a staging site first. Going live straight from development increases the risk of launching a broken or incomplete version, especially if you’re working under pressure.

7. Overloading with unnecessary plugins

With 59,000+ plugins in the WordPress ecosystem, it’s easy to go overboard. But every plugin adds weight, increases the risk of conflicts, and opens up new security vulnerabilities.

Rule of thumb: Only use the plugins you truly need, and vet them carefully.

Here’s an honest & unbiased comparison of the popular CMSs out there;

Getting off the fence: Don’t migrate just for the sake of it

WordPress is powerful. But it’s not a silver bullet.

If your current platform is doing 80% of what you need and you’re not hitting growth ceilings, a migration might be more disruption than it’s worth.

But if you’re:

• Struggling to update your site without developers
• Feeling boxed in on SEO or performance
• Looking to scale new functionality
• Losing time and money due to CMS limitations

…then migrating to WordPress could be one of the smartest moves you make this year.

The road ahead

In case you’d like to integrate your socials with your WordPress website, we recommend reading ~ Why Every WordPress Website Needs Social Media (And How to Integrate It Right).