How to Move from GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress (2024)
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How to Move from GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress (2024)

In this article, we will talk about how to move from GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress.

GoDaddy website builder is widely used and is well-known for its ease of usage. It provides basic functionality and is extremely simple to use for beginners.

GoDaddy does have its own set of limitations when it comes to building intuitive websites. Luckily, we have WordPress that suffices such website development needs.

Contrary to GoDaddy website builder, WordPress is more robust, flexible and can support complex customizations. With no second thoughts many users with more complex web development requirements, tend to move from GoDaddy website builder to WordPress.

So, this is exactly what I will cover over here and show you how you can move from GoDaddy website builder to WordPress.

GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress: Prerequisites

Before you start migrating, you need a suitable hosting service. There are several hosting solutions available exclusively for WordPress hosting.

However, you can stick to GoDaddy hosting in case you already are using its hosting services.

Alternatively, you can choose Bluehost, which is also an official WordPress hosting partner.

wp recommendation for bh

Bluehost being widely used with WordPress encompasses well-defined features for WordPress users at affordable pricing. Using Bluehost its simple to install WordPress and get started.

A detailed guide to Bluehost WordPress installation can be seen over here.

Personally, I would also recommend yet another choice to host your WordPress, which is GreenGeeks.

GreenGeeks banner

GreenGeeks provides a range of features embedded within its plan and is equally affordable for WordPress. While this may not be the official WordPress hosting partner, yet it is a good choice in case you are not using Bluehost.

GreenGeeks with WordPress is simple to install and more details to GreenGeeks WordPress installation can be viewed over here.

However, as I mentioned earlier, you can also stick to your GoDaddy hosting service in case you have already availed one of its hosting plans.

To migrate you would need a domain, hosting platform, WordPress on the hosting platform and themes/templates. Since you already have a GoDaddy website builder site, I am assuming you would be having the required domain.

Before you start installing WordPress on GoDaddy, you would have to disable the GoDaddy website builder. Only after disabling the GoDaddy website builder, you will be able to install WordPress in GoDaddy.

To start with, you will have to take a backup of your existing website. You can manually copy every page of your website including images by using CTRL+S.

SaveAs screen shot

Tool such as HTTrack can also be used to copy your website.

In case your website mostly contains textual content, then you can very well use HTTrack.

HTTracker

Once you have saved your web pages, you can start with downloading the link structure. You can manually save the URLs, in case you have a small website with not too many pages.

URL

Online tools such as Klipper is available to extract URL.

Note that taking the backup is essential since once you have disabled GoDaddy website builder, you would not be able to view the website content unless you have completed the migration.

Once you have the required backups, you can go ahead and disable the GoDaddy website builder. To disable, log in to GoDaddy portal. Here click on Websites.

Website builder options

Select Options, where you can see the website builder details. Here you can cancel the account.

GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress: Website builder deactivate

This might take some time to completely get deactivated.

Next, let me provide more details about GoDaddy WordPress installation in case you are choosing GoDaddy hosting service.

WordPress installation:

Getting started with GoDaddy WordPress installation is simple. As a first step, log in to your GoDaddy account. Now, that you have removed the GoDaddy website builder, you would require to a hosting service to the domain.

Once you have logged in, click on Web Hosting and click on Manage All.

Webhost manage option

Next, for the corresponding hosting account, you can click on the Manage option.

GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress: Web hosting manage all

Once you click on Manage, you would be able to see all the information related to your hosting account. Over here at the top right-hand corner, you can click the cPanel Admin. Click on this option, it will redirect you to the cPanel.

cPanel

To add hosting you need to add hosting to the domain. That can be done thru Addon domains.

In the cPanel search for Domains and click on Addon Domains.

AddOn Domains

Once you click on Addon Domains, you can add the domain name. The rest of the fields such as subdomain and Document Root will be auto-populated.

GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress: CPanel Add-on Domains

You can click the checkbox next to Create an FTP account associated with this Addon Domain. Here add a suitable username and password for your FTP account.

FTP

With this you have added GoDaddy web hosting to your domain.

Next, I will show you how to install WordPress and migrate your website to WordPress.

In the cPanel dashboard search for Applications where you can view WordPress.

cPanel WordPress

Click on the WordPress option and this will display a page to install WordPress. Further to this, you can click on the Install this application button.

cPanel WordPress Installation

This will take a few minutes to get installed. With this WordPress is installed using GoDaddy. You can log in to the WordPress portal and validate it.

In case you want to point an existing GoDaddy domain to other web hosting services such as Bluehost or GreenGeeks, then you would have to follow few additional steps.

Once you login to GoDaddy account, you can select the domain you wish to change and click on Manage to open the Domain Manager.

Domain Manager

Here you can view the Nameservers.

Setup GreenGeeks namesearver in Godaddy

You can click on Add Nameserver and add the corresponding new WordPress hosts here.

Click on OK button to save your changes. Repointing of DNS entries can take up to 24 hours.

With this step of Nameserver changes, your GoDaddy domain will be migrated to other hosting services such as Bluehost or GreenGeeks

Next, I will speak about how to move a GoDaddy website builder to WordPress.

Move GoDaddy to WordPress:

You can log in to the WordPress you have installed on GoDaddy or Bluehost or GreenGeeks, by using wp-admin to your URL. This URL would be similar to – http://myWordPressSite/wp-admin.

This will give the WordPress console.

WordPress Login

The login information will be provided by the hosting platform to your email. You can use these credentials and log in to view the WordPress dashboard.

In WordPress, you can create- Pages or Blog Post. By clicking on the Pages option, you can see the Pages menus on the dashboard. Here you can click on Add New to add pages.

WordPress options

Whatever content you had copied earlier from GoDaddy, you can paste it over the WordPress editor. This way you can import the contents and publish it.

Next, we can also set up the redirects which we had taken a backup earlier. For the older GoDaddy links, you can set up redirects. Redirects on WordPress can be done by using free 301 redirect plugins.

simple 301 redirects

Once this plugin has been installed, you can set up the redirection URLs by providing the corresponding Request and Destination.

GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress: WordPress redirect plugin

Save the changes, so that all redirects will be made to a valid WordPress website.

Bingo, that completes migration of GoDaddy website builder site to WordPress hosted on the platform of your choice.

WordPress has several paid and free themes. Customizations in WordPress can be easily managed. It has a good collection of plugins which allows you to add almost any feature. On the WordPress dashboard, click on Settings and then General Settings.

GoDaddy Website Builder to WordPress: Customization

Here you can set title, time zone, language and other details before you start using WordPress.

Conclusion

This completes your migration from GoDaddy Website builder to WordPress. You can choose either GoDaddy or Bluehost or GreenGeeks to host your WordPress website.

WordPress is a powerful platform and supports high-end customizations along with SEO improvement.

Further to this, you can start exploring WordPress themes and multiple WordPress plugins that are available within WordPress for SEO, website designing, security and other add-on features.

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