Moving From Webflow to WordPress: the Complete Guide

Needless to say, WordPress is the CMS market leader for the long haul and is now one of the most stable systems for website creating and managing. According to the recent stats presented by Forbes, WordPress powers over 39.5% of all websites on the Internet, which also cannot be neglected. 

Webflow is a newcomer that definitely managed to make a stand in the CMS world. Talking about Webflow vs WordPress, we should mention the different technical characteristics, customization options, and the investments needed for running a website. For instance, Webflow provides the hostings, while its competitor has various free and paid plugins, which greatly boosts the website performance. Additionally, for using WordPress, you don’t need huge investments or deep knowledge in website creation, as it is a pretty simple and user-friendly platform for launching your own platform for any purpose.

Now, you’re reading this because you want to understand how migration from Webflow to WordPress works. Let’s get going.

 

Ways to Migrate Webflow to WordPress

There are 3 main methods to think over: 

 

Use the Automatic Site Migration Programs

This option is the most beneficial for websites with a huge quantity of content (over 1,000 pages and more), also it is much faster than doing it manually. However, some content might not be adapted due to the differences between the platforms, so you have to deal with broken links and format the pages once again. Additionally, these programs can be quite an expensive affair, which implies using a variety of tools to adapt your website to a new CMS platform. 

 

Hire Transfer Experts

The main advantage of this method is that you don’t have to worry that something will be left aside, as the transfer professionals know all the peculiarities of such a process. Also, they have all the tools needed for a quick and successful website migration, but get ready to pay a lot for this service. 

 

Do It Yourself

Last but not least option to consider is a manual content migration. One of its main advantages is that you will be able to get the process under your supervision and control all the content you have on your website, though it is difficult to make it on your own if your website has a vast number of webpages. Furthermore, you can easily edit, rewrite, and redesign the web pages, thus significantly improving your website performance. It goes without saying that manual migration is the best time to improve the functionality of your website. 

 

How to Migrate from Webflow to WordPress – The Complete Guide

Step 1. Install WordPress 

Firstly, you have to start by installing the local version of WordPress. To make the most of this migration process, you can set multiple additional functions to your website so as to boost its performance, such as setting multiple languages, improving the security, or apply SEO optimization as well. Besides, you can choose the new hosting provider or else just move with your current one.  

 

Step 2. Access the Webflow Dashboard to Export Content 

At this stage, it is highly important to make sure all the files will be transferred automatically, as it often happens that some data is missed and still remain at your Webflow domain name. These files may include the audio, video, and design elements, event, product, and portfolio pages, etc. 

 

Step 3. Go to the Webflow Collections Panel Where All Your Files Are Stored  

Here you can see all the files which are stored on your website. Select and transfer any project (collection) from the website to WordPress using the CMS export/import function, as it is shown on the screenshot:

When the file exporting process is done, you can easily download the file and keep it on your computer. 

 

Step 4. Import Content

The last stage you have to complete is the file import. For this purpose, go to the CMS control panel, click on the “Tools” tab, and select “Import” so as to install the WordPress plugin. After its activation, you can upload all the data from your computer and give the name to the content you are going to import. However, you have to mind some peculiarities connected with uploading certain files to a WordPress platform.  

1# Import of Images 

Unfortunately, the images cannot be imported automatically to a WordPress platform, that is why you have to complete this task on your own. To do so, it is important to install and activate the Auto Upload Images WordPress plugin, after that, you can start importing all the images needed. 

2# Set up WordPress Permalinks 

When it comes to website migrating, one of the crucial priorities is to keep its traffic. That is why we recommend you check the WordPress URL structure as well as get your permalinks customized in case of necessity. 

3# Check the Availability of Content 

To exclude the possibility of some data is missed or weren’t uploaded, review the website once again. Due to the fact that some content cannot be imported automatically, it is better to double-check the files published on your website. 

 

Step 5. Set up Your New Site 

The final step is to launch your website, after which it can be constantly optimized and customized so as to boost the organic traffic and improve the details of it. Furthermore, you can learn some additional WordPress tips so as to get on the top among the competitors of the same area. 

Migrating from a CMS to another one does not happen in the blink of an eye. Always balance things before going through a migration. And then, make sure that you are disciplined and focused. Be careful with every little detail.

Best of luck!