Are you tired of updating your site via HTML coding and looking to convert your old HTML template into a responsive WordPress theme? You’ve come to the right place! This detailed guide tells you easy ways on how to convert from an HTML template to a WordPress theme.
Gone are the days when you had to be a coding freak to create a website. Well, thanks to the advent of technology. The invention of website templates, software apps, and automated CMS has made website creation a lot easier. From an all-text experience (of HTML), web design has moved on to a highly interactive web presence.
Because of intuitive content management systems out there today, we no longer have to write code ourselves and can let CMS do the heavy lifting, or we can even rely on a professional web development company that can handle all your website needs, from development to conversions.
There are plenty of tools out there that can easily take care of your web design and coding. And WordPress is one such tool.
Of course, static HTML sites are not completely abandoned, and it’s not like they don’t exist anymore. It’s just that HTML coding is time-consuming and gets ridiculously expensive sometimes. Thus, people are approaching alternate ways. And WordPress development is one of the best ways!
Due to WordPress’s unique offerings, its captivating features, and the ever-growing market share (currently powering 39.5% of all websites), more and more businesses are looking for a reliable WordPress development company that can fulfill their WordPress needs.
What Is HTML to WordPress Conversion?
Most traditional static HTML site owners leverage WordPress to modernize their websites and make them look more dynamic. People talk about HTML to WordPress theme conversion a lot, but many don’t know about the basics, like what is HTML to WordPress conversion.
So what does it mean to convert your HTML website into a responsive WordPress site? Well, converting into a WordPress theme means taking your existing HTML site’s data and transferring it into a WordPress theme. Simple and super quick.
Why Should You Convert HTML into WordPress Theme?
You must be thinking about why you should convert your static HTML website into a responsive WordPress theme. Well, the first and foremost reason to convert your existing HTML into a WordPress theme is that it requires no coding to update, and it’s way easier to manage.
The consistent update makes your website rank higher in the SERPs. And that’s where WordPress comes into play. WordPress is a beginner-friendly CMS that is flexible. You can make changes with just a few clicks with zero technical knowledge. Therefore, businesses consider HTML into a WordPress conversion theme.
Benefits of HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion for Businesses
Customization
WordPress is a robust CMS with a lot of customization options. It allows you to customize your website by using plugins and themes.
Moreover, switching to WordPress provides you with unlimited free and premium theme options so that you can choose a theme as per your business requirements. You can also read this guide to know the essential aspects to consider while choosing a WordPress theme for your business.
SEO-Friendly
SEO-friendliness is one of the basic requirements for every website. WordPress CMS is compatible with search engines. It includes various tools and plugins that help to optimize the website for SEO.
WordPress CMS is written in high-quality code with semantic markup that makes it appealing to Google and other search engines. Therefore, WordPress websites rank higher than others in search engines.
Dynamic
The websites created in HTML are static and include numerous lines of code as well. Conversely, WordPress websites are easy to create, update, and manage. So, it has a preference over static HTML websites.
Converting an HTML site to WordPress will be hard for beginners, so you can hire a company offering WordPress development services to perform such conversion tasks.
Essential Aspects for HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion
Let’s see some of the vital aspects that you should consider for HTML to WordPress theme conversion.
Multi-Browser Compatible Websites
One of the essential aspects is to have a web design that operates seamlessly across all browsers. In addition to internet explorer, the choices of browsers are massive. So, with an increasing number of browsers, it is crucial to test the site’s compatibility on varied browser versions.
If you don’t test your web pages for cross-browser compatibility, you may lose your potential customers.
Standard Compliant Websites
For converting your HTML page to WordPress, ensure that it meets the standards such as WordPress coding standards and W3C coding norms. You must use these standards for quality HTML to WordPress conversion. Moreover, you can rely on a web development company to ensure these standards are followed.
Page Speed
The loading speed of a web page is a crucial factor in determining whether it is user-friendly or not. A good user experience is necessary to attain higher search rankings as it keeps your website engaging and search-engine friendly.
HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion: 4 Easy Ways to Move from Static HTML to WordPress
All said and done, it’s time to learn how to convert static HTML to WordPress. To be precise, there are three main ways to do this; however, we have included one (bonus) method for you. There’s a lot to cover! So without any further ado, let’s dive in and get going!
HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion: Manual Conversion
This approach uses your current site’s HTML code as a starting point. If you want to go ahead with this method, you have to have strong coding experience. This is a pretty hands-on process, you’ll need to ensure you have access to the files for both your original website and your new one.
You must know about HTML, CSS, and PHP. It is the most technical option and deemed the most complex (if you don’t have any coding experience).
Manual Conversion of HTML to WordPress: Steps to Follow:
- Create a new theme folder
- Copy and paste your existing CSS code
- Separate existing HTML
- Configure your header.php and Index.php files
- Screenshot and upload your new theme
HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion: Child Theme
In our opinion, converting HTML through a WordPress child theme is the easiest and the most inexpensive option available so far. Instead of using your existing site as the jumping-off point, you can use a pre-built WordPress theme.
You can adjust the design of your WordPress parent theme that resembles the old site as much as possible. That means you can use WordPress while retaining the look and feel of the original site.
Child Theme for HTML to WordPress Conversion: Steps to Follow:
- Select a theme
- Make a new theme folder for your child theme
- Set up a style sheet
- Create a funtions.php file
- Activate the child theme
HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion: Using Plugin
Before we begin, we must tell you that this approach changes your website’s design. So we recommend this method only if you’re willing to change your site’s design. If you want a completely revamped look for your website, using WordPress plugins (like WP Site Importer) is the best approach to follow. It is one of the seamless processes; all you need to do is to set up a site, install the theme, and import your HTML data.
Using Plugins for HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion: Steps to Follow:
- Set up a new site
- Install the import plugin
- Prepare the import
- Upload pages
- Start importing
Leverage HTML to WordPress Conversion Service
So here’s your bonus method. If you don’t have the time or knowledge to carry out a conversion yourself, you can anytime leverage HTML to WordPress conversion services. Look for a WordPress conversion agency that can migrate your existing website to WordPress in a hassle-free manner.
A skilled WordPress conversion company can handle all the heavy lifting and create a flexible, responsive, and high-performing WordPress site that meets all your business needs.
Factors that Affect the Cost of HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion
Apart from the service provider you choose for your project, the cost may depend on some other factors that are discussed as follows –
Number of Frameworks
Frameworks help you make a user-friendly website by offering various advanced features and functionalities that enable you to create custom layouts easily and quickly. But the more you want to make your website creative, the more it requires extra add-ons that affect the cost range.
Website Pages
When developers convert your HTML page to a pixel-perfect WordPress theme, they will charge according to the number of HTML pages. It is obvious that converting 5 HTML pages will cost less than converting 50 HTML pages. So, you must talk to the web development partner you hire and clear all your doubts regarding the conversion cost.
Importance of Quality Testing After HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion
To deliver a scalable, bug-free, and well-performed website, we need to test it numerous times. Let’s see the benefits of a quality test after HTML to WordPress theme conversion –
1. Ensure Responsiveness
Whether the website is responsive or not, you can get assured by performing quality testing of it. Though developers build mobile-friendly websites, checking them on major platforms and devices will give you a better idea of their responsiveness.
2. Security Vulnerabilities
No one wants their site to be hacked. And with no quality check, your website will be open to various security loopholes. So, it is vital to test your site vigorously to ensure that it is secure from all security threats and attacks.
3. Check SEO
The code that you use for the website development must be SEO semantic. If a site is not SEO-friendly, it does not make any sense to invest in it. So, to ensure whether the website is SEO-friendly or not, it is important to test it.
4. Design Efficiency
There could be chances of design failures, though it was initially seamless and intuitive. So, it is highly advised to check whether it is free of all issues or not.
Things With HTMLPanda Never Compromises During HTML to WordPress Theme Conversion
Agility
We develop the solutions with Agile methodology as we share the regular reports of the conversion process so that you can check the details and share your feedback. It will further be incorporated by our professionals, and they do the changes as per the suggestions.
Experienced Developers
We have a team of experienced professionals that have in-depth knowledge of WordPress and HTML codes. Moreover, skilled and highly-trained developers make it possible to write SEO semantic codes from the beginning. We are proud to have a team of professionals that helps to create top-notch websites.
Quality
HTMLPanda always tries to deliver pixel-perfect websites that are SEO-friendly and perfectly coded. We never compromise with the code quality, budget limits, and time constraints. So, we always ensure to deliver high-end quality websites to businesses.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
HTMLPanda signs a strict NDA with clients to keep their designs and ideas confidential. It legally binds us to keep every piece of information related to the client’s business a secret.
Conclusion
Now we have reached the end of the blog. So, we have learned the benefits, essential aspects, importance of quality testing, and the factors that affect the cost of HTML to WordPress theme conversion. Apart from that, you have also learned the four ways to convert a static HTML site to a WordPress theme.
We hope this article helps ease the process. If you have a static HTML site and want to switch over to a WordPress theme, these four methods can be of great help. No matter what approach you pick, the result will get you a highly responsive and competitive WordPress site. So good luck and choose wisely!
