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Moving From Wix or GoDaddy to WordPress: A Guide

Developer work station for migrating a website from a site builder to WordPress

Thinking about moving from Wix, GoDaddy Website Builder, Squarespace, or Duda to WordPress? A platform change can provide more options for content management, integrations, design, and hosting. It can also create problems if someone simply rebuilds the homepage and forgets about the rest of the site.

A successful website migration is a planned rebuild and transition—not a one-click copy. Here’s how business owners can protect their content, links, customer inquiries, and search visibility along the way.

First, decide whether you really need to move

Wix, Squarespace, Duda, and GoDaddy’s website builder can be suitable for businesses that value a bundled, managed setup. WordPress may be a better fit when you need greater control over themes, plugins, content structure, hosting options, or specialized integrations.

Ask yourself what you cannot accomplish today. Is it a design problem, an editing problem, an SEO limitation, a specific business feature, or the cost of maintaining the site? Some issues can be solved without changing platforms. The case for migration is strongest when the benefits justify the work and long-term maintenance.

For a broader comparison, read WordPress vs. Wix, GoDaddy and Duda.

Step 1: Inventory every page and important asset

Start with more than the homepage. Create a list of current URLs, service pages, articles, images, files, legal pages, forms, and any integrations. Identify pages that receive visits, have useful inbound links, or generate leads. Record the current titles and descriptions for priority pages.

If the existing platform supports an export, use it. But understand that exports may omit theme design, custom functionality, some images, or form settings. Save copies of essential content and business data before making changes.

Step 2: Protect your domain and account access

Confirm who controls the domain registration and DNS records. Document current email settings, hosting access, connected applications, and SSL configuration. Moving your website should not accidentally interrupt company email.

In many cases, you can keep the domain with its current registrar and change only the website destination. Do not transfer a domain merely because you are changing the website platform; transfer it only when there is a clear business reason.

Step 3: Decide what to preserve and what to redesign

Some businesses want the new WordPress website to closely resemble the old one. Others want a noticeably modernized design. Decide early which pages, colors, content, and brand elements should stay and which need improvement.

Also determine which WordPress editor or builder your team will use. A site that looks beautiful but is hard for the owner to maintain does not solve the original problem. Plan reusable page templates for services, portfolio entries, and articles.

Step 4: Create a URL and redirect plan

This is one of the most important SEO steps. If a current service page is at /roof-repair/, keep that address when practical. If the URL must change, use a permanent redirect from the old location to its most relevant new counterpart.

Avoid sending every removed page to the homepage. Preserve useful headings, page titles, unique service information, and internal links where appropriate. Even a well-planned migration may cause short-term search fluctuations; no agency can guarantee rankings will remain unchanged.

Step 5: Build and test the WordPress site before launch

Develop the new site on a staging address or controlled preview. Then test the parts customers actually use:

  • Menus and page layouts on phones, tablets, and desktops.
  • Phone links, contact forms, email delivery, and spam protection.
  • Service pages, gallery images, downloadable documents, and videos.
  • Page titles, headings, canonical URLs, and XML sitemap.
  • Analytics, Search Console, and conversion tracking where applicable.
  • Security updates, backup restoration, and administrator permissions.

Ask a person who did not build the website to follow a typical customer path. That simple test can uncover confusing details the designer no longer notices.

Step 6: Launch carefully and watch the results

When the site is approved, update the necessary hosting or DNS configuration, confirm SSL works, verify redirects, submit or refresh the sitemap when appropriate, and inspect important pages. Keep an eye on form submissions, error logs, and changes in organic search traffic.

Retain appropriate backups of the original site and keep records of the migration plan. Document where the new hosting, WordPress administrator accounts, domain, and plugin licenses live.

What about the cost of moving to WordPress?

The cost depends on page count, content cleanup, complexity, SEO migration, and whether you are requesting a close reproduction or a complete redesign. A site with dozens of service pages and booking integrations is not the same project as a five-page local business website.

Review our WordPress website development services and recent work. We can discuss the existing website, explain what is reusable, and provide a scope-based quote.

Get help planning your move

Contact Get Your Web On for a website review before changing your platform. We can help outline a sensible migration that preserves what matters and improves what doesn’t. Call or text 732-579-7576.

Featured photograph: Christopher Gower / Unsplash.