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When your website outgrows your hosting platform, it is time to switch!
Lately, many prospects are coming to our agency to migrate to the WordPress site from the Wix site. They have their websites hosted on Wix but were ready to make the switch to WordPress. Why?
They’ve outgrown their Wix site setup.
As their traffic grows and they’re looking to establish their brand with more customisation, WordPress became the obvious choice.
However, many people still aren’t clear on how to migrate from Wix—or any other platform—to WordPress. So, we put together this guide to help you understand Wix’s limitations and walk you through the key steps to ensure a smooth migration to WordPress.
We hope this makes the WordPress migration process clearer and sets you up for a successful transition.
When to Migrate from Wix Site to WordPress Site
Wix is undoubtedly a solid website development platform, hosting thousands of websites worldwide. It’s a managed hosting solution, which means that Wix retains control over certain aspects of your website, limiting customization options and flexibility. Many businesses start on Wix—it’s a great first step—but often find they need a more adaptable platform as their needs evolve. That’s when they look to alternatives, with WordPress being a popular choice.
Read More: How to Migrate Business Website to WordPress
So, how do you know it’s time to migrate to WordPress from Wix? Here are a few telltale signs:
- Customisation Limits: If you find yourself needing advanced customizations that Wix doesn’t allow, it might be time to switch. Flexibility in design and functionality is crucial as you grow, and limitations can hold you back.
- Scaling Costs and Visitor Limits: Wix can become costly as your website scales. When you reach certain traffic or storage thresholds, you may need to pay more just to keep up. A platform like WordPress allows you to scale more efficiently, often without the same restrictions.
- SEO and Technical Limitations: Effective SEO requires both on-page and technical optimization. Wix’s SEO capabilities may feel limiting as your optimization needs increase, and this can impact your site’s visibility and growth.
- Limited Theme Options: If you’re feeling restricted by the selection of themes on Wix, or you can’t add or fully customize themes as your brand evolves, it’s another sign it might be time to switch.
If you’re experiencing any of these signs, it could be the perfect time to consider migrating from Wix to WordPress.
Read More: Wix vs WordPress for Australian Marketers
Pre-Migration for Wix to WordPress Website
Migrating your website from Wix to WordPress can feel like a daunting task. It’s not a simple one-click process, especially because Wix doesn’t offer direct integration with WordPress. This means there’s quite a bit of manual work involved. But don’t worry—we’ve created a pre-migration checklist to guide you through the process, ensuring that you’re prepared and comfortable when it’s time to make the switch.
Here’s what you need to do before you begin the migration:
1. Backing Up Wix Data
First of all, make sure that your mix website data is completely backed up So that when you are trying to migrate your website there are no surprises waiting for you and all of the data that you have available is fully secured and safely available on a backup site.
2. Install WordPress
First you need to purchase web hosting solution. Once done, go ahead and install WordPress on your new hosting provider. Once you install WordPress, open WordPress dashboard, set up your theme and any essential WordPress plugins you’ll need to replicate the functionality and design of your Wix site on WordPress. Having everything ready beforehand will make the migration process smoother and help you ensure your new site is set up just the way you want.
Read More: Top Website Hosting Solution in 2025
3. Create a List of Wix Pages, Files, & Media
Another crucial step when migrating your Wix website to WordPress is to create a comprehensive list of all the content you want to transfer. This includes pages, files, blog posts, WordPress media library, and any other important elements on your website. Having this checklist ensures that nothing gets left behind and helps you keep track of everything that needs to be moved, so your new WordPress site is as complete as your original.
Step by Step Migration for Wix to WordPress
Let’s now dive into the process of migrating your website from Wix to WordPress. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth and successful transition:
1. Export Content from Wix
First and foremost, make sure that all the content available on your Wix site is exported. Wix allows you to export some of your data in CSV, XLSX, XML file, or other relevant file formats. You can also export Wix RSS feed that can be later directly imported to WordPress dashboard through the RSS importer tool.
This includes blog posts, product information, and other content that you may want to transfer to your new WordPress site.
2. Import Content & Media from Wix to WordPress
In WordPress, there is an option to import content from Wix directly. You can do that for pages, blogs, media assets.
This will help you easily import everything that you have exported from the Wix website.
3. Customise WordPress Theme
Next, you’ll need to set up the theme on your WordPress site to replicate the layout and design of your current Wix website. If you’re not familiar with customizing WordPress themes, you can hire a website development agency to handle it for you. This will ensure that your site looks and functions the way you want it to, with all the customizations you need.
At WP Creative, we’ve been designing custom websites for our Australian audience for years. If you’re looking for expert help with your WordPress theme setup, feel free to reach out to us through our contact page. We’re here to ensure a smooth transition and a site that meets your business needs.
4. Transfer Design Elements to WordPress from Wix
Once your WordPress layout is set up, the next step is to check and adjust the functionality of your new website. This may involve adding plugins to replicate the features that were available on your Wix site. WordPress offers a wide variety of plugins to add functionalities such as contact forms, SEO tools, analytics, eCommerce capabilities, and more.
Additionally, you may need to incorporate custom scripts or code snippets that were previously part of your Wix website but are not available out-of-the-box in WordPress. This could include special tracking codes, custom forms, or third-party integrations.
5. Optimize SEO Settings on WordPress after Migration
Once you’ve exported all your content, including pages, blog posts, files, and media assets, it’s time to focus on SEO. It’s essential to ensure that everything is properly linked and that the structure and hierarchy of your website remain intact during the migration. Make sure your page URLs stay the same to avoid breaking links and to maintain SEO consistency. Double-check all internal links to ensure they’re still functional, as broken links can hurt both user
6. Redirect Wix Links to WordPress
Most of the redirection will automatically be done using the custom domain redirection from the domain panel. However, for any broken links that might exist on Wix website, you can also redirect them directly to your managed WordPress hosting.
Note: This will only be available for the premium version of Wix. For the free version of Wix, you may need to just add a page that the ‘Site has been moved to…’ in case someone accidentally opens the site.
7. Test & Launch Your Site on WordPress
Now it’s time to launch your website. Once everything is set up, including design and functionality, and you’ve thoroughly tested everything post-migration, make sure the website is ready for the big launch. Before going live, take a final check to ensure that the website is fully replicated from your Wix setup and there are no major issues or inconsistencies that could cause problems down the line.
Read More: Which is Better? Wix or WordPress
Wix to WordPress Post-Migration Checklist
Now that you’ve successfully migrated your website to WordPress, it’s time to go over the post-migration checklist to ensure everything is functioning properly.
1. Check for Design Issues on the Migrated Website
First of all, check for any design breakages, layout issues, or anything that could jeopardize the overall appearance and functionality of your website. Review each page to ensure the design is consistent and responsive across all devices—desktop, tablet, and mobile. Pay attention to elements like images, fonts, buttons, and spacing to make sure everything aligns correctly and functions as intended.
2. Check Website Indexing & Traffic Issues
Once the website is live, give it some time—at least two to three days—and then check for any indexing issues or problems that might start occurring post-migration. Monitor the website’s traffic closely during this period. If you notice a significant drop in traffic, it could indicate that the website was either not properly migrated or that there are underlying issues that need to be addressed.
3. Check Layout Errors or Functionality Breakages
Go through all pages on your site to check for any design or layout issues. Ensure that all elements like text, images, buttons, and forms are displaying correctly across different devices (desktop, tablet, and mobile).
4. Run Speed Tests
Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom to test your website’s load time. A slow website can affect user experience and SEO rankings. If the page speed is slower than expected, consider optimizing images, using caching, or tweaking server settings to improve performance.
5. Run SEO Audits
Perform a comprehensive SEO audit using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console. Check for issues like broken links, missing meta tags, improper redirects, or crawl errors. Also, verify that your sitemap is updated and that all URLs are correctly indexed.
Limitations of Wix Over WordPress
Let’s do a side-by-side comparison to highlight the limitations of Wix versus WordPress migration:
- Customisation Options:
Wix: Wix offers limited customization options. While you can use its drag-and-drop builder, you cannot directly modify the code or add custom code. Customization is confined to what the platform allows, and adding new elements like containers, modules, or folds is not an option.
WordPress: WordPress provides full control over customization. You can download and use page editors or drag-and-drop builders like Elementor, which allows you to create complex layouts without touching the code. For advanced customization, you can directly modify the code and add custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, giving you full flexibility. - Cost:
Wix: Wix has a subscription cost, ranging from $500 to $800 per year for a basic website. This cost increases with the number of visitors or features you need. For sites that attract 1,000 to 5,000 visitors per month, the costs can increase significantly.
WordPress: WordPress itself is free, and if you already have a managed WordPress hosting, there are no additional costs unless you opt for premium themes or plugins. The only recurring cost is for web hosting account, which can vary, but it’s often more affordable than Wix’s plans, especially as your traffic grows. - Themes and Theme Management:
Wix: Wix has a limited selection of themes, and customization options for those themes are restricted. You can choose from predefined Wix templates, but you can’t change the theme significantly or switch to a new one easily. Moreover, Wix pages are difficult to customise as well.
WordPress: WordPress offers a vast range of themes, both free and paid, with extensive customization options. You can easily change the theme at any time, and even fully customize it by modifying the design or adding custom CSS. WordPress gives you complete control over theme management and design flexibility. - Integrations and Third-Party Plugins:
Wix: Wix has limited flexibility when it comes to integrations and adding third-party plugins. While it does offer some integrations with popular tools, the options are far more restricted compared to WordPress.
WordPress: WordPress shines in this area. With a massive plugin repository, you can easily add third-party integrations, tools, and services to your site. Whether it’s an e-commerce solution, SEO plugin, or social media integration, WordPress offers nearly limitless possibilities for extending your website’s functionality.
This comparison shows that while Wix is a user-friendly, managed platform with simpler options, WordPress stands out for its flexibility, customization, and scalability, making it the better choice for businesses
Read More: How Website Issues Impact its Performance
What to do After Migration from Wix to WordPress?
Congrats! Now that your website has fully migrated from Wix to WordPress, we believe you’ve also completed the post-migration checklist. Everything is covered, and your website is now running smoothly on the custom domain. You can easily take full advantage of WordPress’s flexibility, customization options, and scalability.
Get Your WordPress Website Designed by Experts
If you’re still unsure about how to migrate your website to WordPress, manage it, or design it once it’s live, we at WPCreative are here to help!
We offer competitive market benchmarks to ensure you get the best value and the right expertise for your needs. Whether you’re looking for help with the migration process, website design, or ongoing maintenance, our team can guide you every step of the way.
Contact us Today
