How To Change WordPress From a Blog to a Website (in 6 Steps)

✨ Quick Answer: Change self-hosted WordPress from a blog to a website

If you want to change your self-hosted WordPress blog (WordPress.org) into a website:

1. Change Homepage Settings

Go to Dashboard > Settings > Reading.
Under “Your homepage displays,” select “A static page.”
Choose a page from the dropdown for “Homepage.”

2. Create Necessary Pages

Go to Dashboard > Pages > Add New to create essential pages like “About Us,” “Contact,” “Services,” etc.

3. Update Menu

Go to Dashboard > Appearance > Menus.
Add or remove items to suit a website structure rather than a blog.

4. Build and Design Your WordPress Website

Use the theme of your choice and Gutenberg to design your website
Or if you need a visual site builder, check out Divi, Elementor or other WordPress WYSIWYG page builders.

To learn how to change a WordPress.com blog to a website please read on.

Many people opt for WordPress as their chosen content management system when looking to create a blog, whether it be a personal or business blog.

However, over time, your blog may need to develop into something more. Perhaps you want to add service pages, E-Commerce functionality, or add a portfolio of your work.

Fortunately, it is quite simple to change WordPress from a blog to a website, and in this article, we will talk you through your options in an easy-to-follow how-to guide.

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Why Do You Want To Change Your WordPress Blog Into a Website?

Before we talk about how, it is best to go over why you want to change your blog into a website, as this can help you decide which method to follow.

Below are 5 of the main reasons a blog owner would choose to convert their WordPress site into a fully functional website.

Your personal blog may have initially started as a fun project to share your thoughts and opinions, but over the years, you may have established yourself as a thought leader in the industry and a trusted professional in the field. As a result, you may wish to utilize the popularity of your blog to promote your services.

If you are a freelancer, then growing your blog into a website can help to showcase your talents. You could choose to incorporate a gallery, slideshow, or other types of interactive displays so potential clients can view the quality of your work.

You may wish to increase your exposure on a local level and optimize your website from a local SEO perspective. If your services are region-specific, then your blog could be the perfect platform to build a website that targets a certain area.

Choosing to convert your blog also means you won’t lose your current readership and your SEO efforts won’t go to waste, as opposed to creating a new website from scratch.

Some users may ‌pay for the premium content you provide, so monetizing your blog and providing additional features may offer you an additional revenue stream. You might even choose to sell products related to your content via your very own E-Commerce store.

How To Change WordPress From a Blog to a Website in 6 Steps

1. Research Your Web Hosting Options

Downloading WordPress.org on your own hosting is very simple, as most reputable hosting providers include easy WordPress integration tools and ongoing support to help you move your website across.

Bluehost is one such provider that specializes in WordPress hosting and it even has its own custom website builder which uses the platform.

2. Choose a Custom Domain

If you are not already using a custom domain, and instead, have a standard ‘www.website.wordpress.com’ domain, then it is highly recommended to make the change.

The benefit of this is that your website will appear much more professional, can improve SEO, and you can choose a domain that is more memorable for your customers.

To use a custom domain for your WordPress website, you must use one of the premium WordPress packages or your website will need to be self-hosted.

⚡ Check also ➡️ How to Build a Website (Blog) From Scratch: A Step-By-Step Guide

3. Select the Perfect Theme

There is a multitude of themes available in the WordPress Theme Directory, that can suit any purpose or style. So take time to do your research and find the one that is perfect for your website.

You can find many great themes that are completely free, but if you are looking for something more unique, then you should consider a premium theme.

💡 Tip: Some themes (both free and premium) are not listed in the Theme Directory. You can simply visit the website for the theme, and click on the “Download” link. Once downloaded, you can upload the theme to your website via your WordPress dashboard.

In this video tutorial, we showed how to upload Siteefy WordPress theme to your website manually:

4. Build Your Pages

It is recommended to build your home page before attempting the other pages of your website. This is your landing page and typically, the page most of your users will visit first.

Therefore, it needs to deliver key information and encourage users to browse the rest of your website.

Once your home page has been developed, you can then continue this theme across the other pages of your website, ensuring you have all the ‌content to engage with your audience.

As a general rule, your website should feature an about and contact page, individual pages for each service you offer, or the main portfolio page if your website is intended to showcase your work.

Browsing a few competitors’ websites to give yourself an idea of what to include could be a good start when planning your pages.

There are a number of simple page builders that can help you develop your pages, from Elementor to Divi.

If you are new to web development, then a page builder with easy drag & drop functionality could be the best option.

Read more about ➡️ 19+ Best WordPress Page Builders & WYSIWYG Editors Compared

5. Integrate Social Media

Social Media is one of the best, ways to market your business and spread the word about your product or service.

An array of plug-ins can help integrate social media on your website, from quickly sharing articles on Twitter to displaying your live Instagram feed.

Social Media Plugins in WordPress Directory

Allowing your users to move easily between your website and social media pages can increase your followers and ensure they see your brand regularly.

6. Don’t Lose Your Blog

Just because you are moving towards a fully functional website, it doesn’t mean your blog becomes redundant.

After all, your blog ‌has built up your audience and helped to establish your online reputation. Likely, your articles will have gained strong Google rankings, so deleting this content will have an overall negative impact on your website.

We hope this quick guide has helped to outline the key steps when changing your WordPress blog to a website. Read more about WordPress and websites at Siteefy blog.

⬇️Further Reading: