How to add Wordpress functionality to an existing website?

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We have 4 years old HTML website of a good quality with a lot of content and high quality backlinks but bad CMS. So for a long time already we are looking for solution to add Wordpress functionality to our site without losing SERPs. After googling for possible solutions it seems there are three of them:

1. Convert website to wordpress
2. Modify WP plugins to work with existing CMS
3. Integrate wordpress into existing website

We are currently stuck with the first option for about a year - big volume of work, high cost, difficulties to recreate old URLs structure on Wordpress.

I wonder if Wordpress installation into sub-directory of our website can work... Basically we would like to keep old content as it is and continue with new content on Wordpress.

What could be the most time/cost/SERPs effective solution? Any advice will be appreciated.
#programming #add #existing #functionality #website #wordpress
  • i think the 3rd solution... cab be done i suppose...
  • You can convert the site to wordpress.
    It isn't too difficult.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Yes. You can install WP on a subdirectory and start posting new content. Then if you want to re-create your home page on a WP page, you can then redirect the main URL to the new page. Give some thought to the subdirectory name--could be "blog", "members", or a short keyword.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Yes, I have done this and it works the best beacuse you can have your blog link back to your websites rather than just converting the whole site to WordPress. Then you can add all the SEO plugins to the blog and the social bookmarking plugins and vastly enhance your webite in terms of SEO and content and depth.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Add 2 wordpress it is very eassy task..
  • You can convert to WordPress (option 1). The old HTML pages can be saved as HTML files and put in the root. Nothing will hamper your on site's SEO if you can do it properly and manually interlink with the bunch.


    Previous : example.com/example-old-page.htm
    new : example.com/example-old-page.htm


    If you try to make them WP pages (or posts with %postname% permalink, which might be a bad idea) , the pages will be PHP, like this :

    new WP page : example.com/example-old-page/


    It depends upon the website what is the best bet. I heard of a person who
    works in this way. He took $ 150 for my friends old website with about 1000 HTML pages to do it completely done. My friend did it around May 2010.

    I can ask my friend for the person's info and can give you. Kindly understand, I do not know the person personally, neither I can give you any guaranty or stand as an intermediary person.

    Personally I think you can hire any pro, try and ask here and there and you will get an idea of what is the charge. Do not go for per hour based offerings, they can rip you. Yes, you can do yourself as well, it depends on how much the work is, if is huge, I would hire a person, if small I would do it myself.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I'll go with No.1: Convert website to wordpress,

    That's the easy way to start a new website, (yeah, OLD Content but easy to build new website). Isn't that a nice thing to do?
  • Thanks a lot for all your advices. Right now the situation is - we are stuck for about a year already with all this thing, Elance in particular

    First we had a very good programmer who could do the job. He charged us $1500 and in one month switched to another project for $12k but still promised to finish with us. Nothing happened after 6 month. So we had to cancel and posted project again.

    This time it was $450 and two weeks. In one month time elancers realized they just can't convert URLs to the same structure which means we are going to lose baklinks,PR and everything. So we suggested them Integration instead.

    Long story short - now we are struggling third month with these "professional" - moved site from GoDaddy to Hosgator, they installed WP and theme and the problem is integration itself. We don't need WP as a "blog" in the menu. We need it interlinked with old content in 10 categories so that new (Wordpress) and old posts will show in one place. They promised it during our initial discussion but now it seems it is not going to happen but I still hope.

    I have no programming skills and I am not sure if it is possible. If anyone could advise I will appreciate a lot.

    Thanks a lot for all your support.
    • [1] reply
    • You can leave existing content and 'interweave' WordPress, but WP functionality - plugins, widgets, etc. - won't be there. Your old content will look different than the new content.

      Your only choice, if you want your old content to look like the new - to 'show in one place', is to move your existing content into the WordPress framework and set up the URLs to match your old system. This isn't necessarily an easy thing to do.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • If they're unable to match the URL structure exactly, you'll have two options: quietly serve the older page content on the existing URL by using rewrites (these need to be done by someone who really knows what they are doing), or do 301 redirects from the old URL to a new one.

    Of the two, rewriting the URLs is the more difficult but also the best in terms of SEO because the content will be served at the existing URL.
    • [1] reply
    • There are some themes that include a HTML Page template. This will allow you to copy your full HTML web pages directly into Wordpress. It is conceivable then to replicate your full website into another subdirectory WORDPRESS installation for testing purposes. When all is well, do an install into your original site domain and clone your test copy into the domain and that would be it.
  • Thank you Willmarathon. It looks like finally we are getting there - Wordpress is installed and we can add any plugins we like to use with new content. And we are adding titles of top old posts for redirection to main site with Quick Page/Post Redirect DEV plugin

    We also moved site from GoDaddy to Hostgator but did not transfer DNS yet until integration is finished. Now the only problem to find someone professional who will help us to clean the mess with the theme and WP settings created by Elance providers. I would appreciate if anyone can recommend trusted WP professional.
  • Agree with Robkorad, freelancers is a good place to find someone who know what they can do and certainly it would not cost you as much as you think.
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    How to add Wordpress functionality to an existing website?

    We have 4 years old HTML website of a good quality with a lot of content and high quality backlinks but bad CMS. So for a long time already we are looking for solution to add Wordpress functionality to our site without losing SERPs. After googling for possible solutions it seems there are three of them: 1. Convert website to wordpress