How to Easily Migrate your Website from Joomla to WordPress: An Expert Guide

As an experienced webmaster with over 15 years in the industry, I‘ve helped dozens of clients transition from Joomla to WordPress. While the process takes some effort, with proper planning and execution, you can smoothly migrate your Joomla site to WordPress and be up and running on a superior platform.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share my proven step-by-step system for migrating from Joomla to WordPress based on industry best practices. I‘ll also dispel common misconceptions and provide tips to avoid headaches along the way.

Joomla vs WordPress – Why Make the Switch?

Before we get started, let‘s briefly compare Joomla and WordPress at an architectural level so you understand the differences:

Joomla

• Based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern
• Uses object oriented programming
• Extensions installed to component, module, and plugin folders
• Higher learning curve for developers and users alike

WordPress

• Based on front and back controller patterns
• Mix of object oriented and procedural programming
• Plugins installed via the wp-content/plugins folder
• Simpler architecture and UI, easier for beginners

While Joomla is a powerful and capable CMS, it does have some limitations:

• Smaller market share – Only powers around 3% of all websites compared to WordPress at over 60%.
• Less support options – From documentation to forums, Joomla‘s community is much smaller.
• Fewer extensions – The Joomla Extensions Directory currently lists around 9,000 extensions compared to over 55,000 plugins and thousands of themes for WordPress.

This means as a Joomla user, you may hit roadblocks due to lack of support, missing site functionality, or outdated extensions. Migrating to WordPress solves these issues.

Mythbusting – Common Concerns About Switching from Joomla to WordPress

If you‘ve been running your site on Joomla for years, it‘s natural to have some concerns about migrating your site over to an entirely new platform.

Over my years of experience, here are a few common myths I‘ve heard – and the reality:

Myth: Switching from Joomla to WordPress will be time-consuming and risky.

Reality: While there are steps involved, the entire migration process can usually be completed in a few days. Most of the time is spent simply exporting data from Joomla and importing it into WordPress. With a proper backup in place, there is very little risk.

Myth: I‘ll lose all my SEO rankings by switching CMS platforms.

Reality: By properly redirecting old Joomla URLs to new WordPress URLs and re-implementing metadata, you can preserve most if not all of your SEO equity during the transition.

Myth: I need to know WordPress development to migrate my site.

Reality: The switch can be done without any coding knowledge since you‘ll be relying on out-of-the-box plugins and importing existing content. Learning the WordPress basics is all you need to operate your new site.

Myth: All my existing site functionality will be lost.

Reality: While you will need to find replacement plugins and extensions, you can replicate most Joomla functionality in WordPress. And you may find even better options thanks to the larger WordPress ecosystem.

Step 1: Back Up Your Joomla Site

Now that we‘ve dispelled some common concerns, let‘s get into the actual migration process. I always advise clients to start by performing a complete backup of their Joomla site. This gives you a safety net in case anything goes wrong.

Here is my checklist for backing up a Joomla site:

• Use Akeeba Backup or your hosting control panel to fully backup the Joomla database.
• Download a complete copy of your site files via FTP to your local computer.
• Export and save copies of all media files not included in your Joomla installation folders.
• Make a copy of your Joomla configuration file and save to a local folder.

You should also test the restoration process by restoring your site to a staging environment. This ensures your backup is valid and provides additional peace of mind.

Step 2: Install WordPress and Configure Settings

Once your Joomla site is fully backed up, you can move forward confidently with migrating to WordPress:

1. Install WordPress on your web host either manually or using an auto-installer like Softaculous.

2. Log into your new WordPress dashboard for the first time. Navigate to Settings > General to configure:

   • Site Title
   • Tagline
   • Admin Email
   • Membership (if applicable)
   • Timezone

3. Update your permalink structure by going to Settings > Permalinks. I recommend selecting the Post Name option for SEO-friendliness.

4. Make SEO a priority by installing the Yoast SEO plugin first. Configure its site-wide settings.

5. For security, install a plugin like Wordfence to protect your site from threats. Activate the firewall and enable malware scanning.

6. Review the hundreds of other settings and menus within the WordPress dashboard to familiarize yourself with where key options are located.

Take your time to get up to speed with WordPress basics at this stage – it will make the rest of the migration process smoother.

Step 3: Use a Plugin to Import Your Joomla Content

When it comes to the actual transfer of your site content from Joomla to WordPress, I highly recommend using a purpose-built plugin.

My plugin of choice is J2WP. With over 10,000 active installs, it‘s the gold standard for Joomla to WordPress migrations.

Once installed and activated in WordPress, here is how to use J2WP to import your content:

1. Connect J2WP to your Joomla database by entering your database credentials.

2. Select the types of content you want to import. Posts, pages, menus, users, tags – it can all be imported.

3. Click the "Import Content" button to migrate your content.

4. Use the "Modify Internal Links" tool to update any links still pointing to old Joomla URLs.

The key benefit of J2WP is that it handles the direct transfer and conversion of content between the two platforms. You avoid having to manually move over and reformat each article, page, media file, etc.

It imports content quickly while keeping it well organized according to the WordPress structure. Review imported content and make tweaks to optimize formatting for WordPress.

Step 4: Redirect Old Joomla URLs to New WordPress URLs

One challenge when migrating platforms is that the URL structures differ between Joomla and WordPress.

For example, a Joomla article URL may be:

http://example.com/blog/article-title

While in WordPress, it would be:

http://example.com/article-title

Visitors and search engines accessing your old Joomla links will receive 404 errors unless you properly redirect them.

There are a couple approaches I recommend:

• Redirection plugin – Install this plugin and manually create redirects from each old Joomla URL to its new WordPress URL.

• .htaccess file – Alternatively, you can directly add the redirects by editing the .htaccess file on your server. Here is sample redirect syntax:

Redirect 301 /old-joomla-url http://example.com/new-wordpress-url

Be sure to test a sample of redirects by accessing old URLs to confirm they properly redirect to the new location. Handling redirects is imperative for retaining visitors and SEO rankings during the transition.

Step 5: Install and Configure a WordPress Theme

At this point, your Joomla content has been imported but your WordPress site still needs a theme to control the design and front-end appearance.

The good news is you now have access to thousands of high quality, free WordPress themes. Here‘s how to find and install a suitable theme:

1. Browse the WordPress theme directory and theme shops like Elegant Themes to find themes matching your site‘s industry and design needs.

2. Install and activate your selected theme from within your WordPress dashboard.

3. Access the theme customizer to configure your logo, fonts, colors, layout, and other settings.

4. Create any necessary menu locations under Appearance > Menus and add pages to the menus.

5. Enable widgets and assign any sidebar or footer widgets that your theme supports.

Take the necessary time to properly install and configure your new theme to avoid a disjointed look or loss of functionality.

Step 6: Install Essential Plugins To Extend Functionality

While WordPress core packs a powerful punch, the thousands of plugins available are what provide endless possibilities for your site.

Here are some essential free plugins I recommend installing:

SEO

• Yoast SEO – For optimizing all site content on-page and via XML sitemaps.

Security

• Wordfence – Malware scanning and firewall for protecting your site.
• iThemes Security – Braod security hardening for WordPress sites.

Performance

• WP Rocket – Caching and optimization to improve site load times.

Forms

• WPForms Lite – Build contact forms, surveys, popups and more.

Backup

• UpdraftPlus – Schedule automatic backups of your site to the cloud or local storage.

Review all plugins currently in use on your Joomla site and search the WordPress directory to find replacements that provide the same or greater functionality.

Step 7: Modify Content and Thoroughly Test New Site

The finish line is in sight! But before you officially launch your new WordPress site, it‘s critical that you thoroughly test and optimize:

• Review all pages and posts imported from Joomla. Modify content as needed for ideal display within WordPress. Update images sizes for proper fit.

• Confirm any ecommerce functionality, forms, galleries, sliders, menus, etc are working properly.

• Enable a caching plugin like WP Rocket and run tests with Google PageSpeed Insights to catch any speed or performance issues.

• Ask colleagues or friends to review the site and provide feedback. Use their fresh eyes to catch bugs.

• Implement a checklist and test every possible function, page, and link on the site. Document any issues in a spreadsheet.

By conducting comprehensive testing and fixing any issues prior to launch, you can ensure a smooth transition to WordPress without interruptions for site visitors.

Achieving a Successful Joomla to WordPress Migration

Migrating your website from Joomla to WordPress will take some effort upfront. But you‘ll reap the long-term benefits of being on a superior platform.

By following the step-by-step process I‘ve outlined here along with my tips, best practices, and expert guidance, you can expect a smooth transition.

I‘ve personally overseen dozens of these migrations with great success over my 15+ years as a professional webmaster. The key is taking the necessary time to properly back up your Joomla site, import your content, set up redirects, configure plugins and themes, and thoroughly test prior to launch.

Within a week or two, you‘ll be settled into WordPress and fully appreciate the difference. Your site will be faster, more secure, easier to manage, and positioned for long-term flexibility and growth.

If you have any other questions as you embark on migrating from Joomla to WordPress, don‘t hesitate to reach out! I‘m always happy to help or provide individual guidance if needed.