Table of Contents
- Why Consider Building a New WordPress Site While Keeping the Old One Live?
- The Preliminary Steps Before Starting
- Using Staging Environments for Building the New Site
- How To Build A New WordPress Site While The Old Site Is Live: A Step-by-Step Process
- QA Testing: Ensuring the New Site is Ready to Go Live
- Making the Switch: From Old to New Without Hassles
- Post-launch Activities for Continued SEO Success
- Frequently Asked Questions[+]
- What does it mean to build a new WordPress site while the old one is live?
- Why would someone choose this method instead of just editing the live site?
- How can I ensure a seamless transition from the old to the new?
- Will this process affect my site's SEO?
- Are there specific plugins or tools that can assist with this?
- Is it more time-consuming than just building a new site from scratch?
Ever contemplated How To Build A New WordPress Site While The Old Site Is Live? You're not alone. According to W3Techs, as of 2022, WordPress powers over 40% of all websites. Redesigning a site while keeping the old one up can feel like changing the engine of a car while it's still running. But with the right guide, it's more than possible—it's a breeze. Dive into our comprehensive guide, and we'll ensure you navigate these techy waters with confidence. So, let's get building!
Why Consider Building a New WordPress Site While Keeping the Old One Live?
Building a new site can be exhilarating. Like a digital spring cleaning. But, why keep the old site running?
Firstly, maintaining brand presence is akin to keeping your shop open while you redecorate a section. You wouldn't put a sign on a physical store saying, “Come back in a week!” So, why do it online?
Next up, the dangers of site downtime for SEO. Did you know that prolonged downtime can hurt your search engine rankings? As per an SEMrush study, even a few hours of downtime can set you back weeks in SERP results. Ouch!
Testing the new site without public visibility is like trying out a new recipe before a dinner party. You wouldn't want to serve a half-baked cake, would you? Similarly, unveiling a site full of bugs? A big no-no.
Lastly, ensuring a smooth transition isn't just for your users. It's also for your peace of mind. Nothing beats the satisfaction of a seamless switchover.
The Preliminary Steps Before Starting
Ever heard the saying, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail“? Benjamin Franklin wasn't talking about WordPress, but he might as well have been.
Backup the existing website: Think of this as insurance. You hope you never need it, but boy, you'll be glad to have it if things go south. Backups ensure that no matter what happens, you have a safety net to fall back on.
When it comes to choosing the right hosting environment, think of it as the foundation of your house. A weak foundation? You're setting yourself up for disaster. Your hosting environment plays a pivotal role in your site's performance, so choose wisely!
Staging vs. subdomains: It's like choosing between an open kitchen or a separate dining space. Both have their merits. Staging lets you tweak and adjust behind the scenes. Subdomains, on the other hand, allow a completely separate environment that can be made public when ready.
Want a deeper dive? Check out this detailed guide on How To Build A New WordPress Site While The Old Site Is Live.
| Aspect | Staging Environment | Subdomains |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time testing | Yes | Yes |
| Public visibility | No | No (can be made public when ready) |
| Compatibility testing | Yes | Yes |
| Plugin/Theme adjustments | Yes | Yes |
| Impact on a live audience | No | No |
Using Staging Environments for Building the New Site
Staging environment – sounds technical, right? Imagine it's like a dress rehearsal before the big performance.
What is a staging environment?
In layman's terms, it's a clone of your live website. It's the magical realm where you can mess up, play around, and experiment without your audience seeing the behind-the-scenes chaos.
Popular plugins and tools for creating staging sites
From WP Staging to Duplicator, there's no shortage of tools to help you create a staging environment. And for those who think plugins are just for blogs or SEO, think again!
Benefits of staging:
The primary beauty? Real-time testing without affecting the live site. It's like testing the waters before taking the plunge. You can check compatibility issues, update plugins, or even re-design your entire site. And the best part? Your live audience remains blissfully unaware of your backstage antics.
Dive deeper into the world of staging with this comprehensive guide.
How To Build A New WordPress Site While The Old Site Is Live: A Step-by-Step Process
Ever wondered how a caterpillar morphs into a butterfly without the world noticing? That's what we're aiming for here.
Setting up the domain and hosting environment:
Before you can show off your new site, you need a solid foundation. It starts with a reliable domain and hosting environment. Think of it as the venue for your performance. It needs to be secure, fast, and reliable. Just like you wouldn't host a Broadway show in a dingy basement, you shouldn't host a top-notch website on a subpar server.
This is the fun part! It's where your site begins to take shape. Installing WordPress is a cinch. But selecting the right themes and plugins? That's where your creativity comes into play. But remember, less is often more. Overloading your site with plugins is like putting too much icing on a cake – it looks great but can be a messy experience.Installing WordPress and setting up themes and plugins:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Backup the existing website | Ensure data safety in case of issues |
| 2. Choose the right hosting environment | A strong foundation for site performance |
| 3. Decide between staging and subdomains | Options for development and testing |
| 4. Setting up the domain and hosting | Establish a secure and reliable hosting environment |
| 5. Install WordPress and set up themes | Begin shaping the new site with suitable themes |
Migrating content: Best practices to ensure no data loss:
The essence of your old site is its content. Moving it should be as delicate as transferring a sleeping baby between cribs. Use trusted tools and always – and I mean always – backup before migrating.
Ensuring SEO continuity:
You've worked hard to earn your SEO stripes on your old site. Redirects and meta-tags ensure you don't lose your place in the search engine queue. Because, let's face it, no one wants to start from scratch. SEO is like high school popularity; you don't want to lose it once you have it.
For a deeper understanding, don't miss this complete walkthrough.
QA Testing: Ensuring the New Site is Ready to Go Live
The world of web development has an unsung hero: QA testing. It's the last line of defense before your site makes its grand entrance.
Importance of QA before site launch
Think of QA testing like proofreading your novel before publishing. It's the step that ensures every pixel is perfect, every link leads somewhere, and visitors won't face any unexpected surprises (the bad kind).
| Tool/Plugin | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Browser Stack | Cross-browser testing |
| Query Monitor | Analyzing WordPress performance |
| Screaming Frog SEO | Website crawling and SEO analysis |
| Google Page Speed | Page speed analysis and optimization |
| Google Analytics | Tracking user behavior and site metrics |
Tools and plugins to assist with site testing
There's an arsenal out there, from Browser Stack for cross-browser testing to Query Monitor for those deep-diving into WP performance.
Common issues to look out for and how to rectify them
From broken links to slow-loading images, these hiccups can be the equivalent of stumbling on stage. For an inside look into the process, this tutorial might just become your new favorite YouTube binge.
Making the Switch: From Old to New Without Hassles
The moment of truth. The curtain rises. Your site, after all the tweaks, is ready for the spotlight. But how do you switch without causing a scene?
Final backup and preparations
The motto here: Expect the best, prepare for the worst. A final backup acts like a safety net, ready to catch any unexpected falls.
Ensuring minimum downtime during the switch
Your users expect consistency. A site that's MIA even for a few minutes can feel like an eternity in web-time. Ensuring seamless transitions is essential.
Communicating the change to users: Best practices
You've made the change, but your users are in the dark? Time to shine a light. A simple email, or a banner on your old site, can work wonders.
For a deep dive into this transition phase, this article is a treasure trove of insights.
Post-launch Activities for Continued SEO Success
So your site is live, the confetti has settled, and you're basking in the glory of a job well done. But, wait! The journey has just begun.
Monitoring site metrics and user behavior post-launch
This isn't stalking; it's strategic monitoring! Google Analytics, SEMrush, or even inbuilt WP stats can offer invaluable insights into user behavior.
Adjusting and optimizing based on feedback and analytics
Feedback is the breakfast of champions. Whether it's from direct user comments or data analytics, it's the compass that guides further optimization.
For a detailed post-launch game plan, check out this guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to build a new WordPress site while the old one is live?
To build a new WordPress site while the old one is live means you're creating or redesigning a site without taking your current website offline. This ensures no downtime or loss of potential traffic.
Why would someone choose this method instead of just editing the live site?
Editing a live site can lead to:
- Unexpected errors are visible to visitors.
- Downtime, which can turn away potential customers. Having a staging environment lets you perfect everything before the big reveal.
How can I ensure a seamless transition from the old to the new?
To ensure a seamless transition:
- Perform thorough QA testing on the new site.
- Communicate the change to your users.
- Prepare backups and minimize downtime.
Will this process affect my site's SEO?
If done correctly, it should not. In fact, with proper redirects, meta-tags, and continuity in content, your SEO might even get a boost!
Are there specific plugins or tools that can assist with this?
Yes, there are several tools, like Blog Vault, WP Staging, and Duplicator, which can facilitate the process, making it smoother and error-free.
Is it more time-consuming than just building a new site from scratch?
Not necessarily. With proper planning and execution, it can be as efficient, if not more so, and offers the advantage of zero downtime.
Conclusion
Building a new digital face while ensuring your existing one remains intact might seem daunting. However, with the right approach, How To Build A New WordPress Site While The Old Site Is Live becomes less of a challenge and more of an exhilarating project. Ready to take the plunge? Embark on this journey with us, and let's craft that perfect WordPress site together!
Thank you for reading!