I am replacing my current wordpress-based ecommerce website with a new one that is fairly different but still in Wordpress with a lot of the same content. In the initial stages, my web developer (in whom I don’t have a lot of confidence on this issue) said it didn’t matter what the name of the URL was so we kept this stupid name throughout the development process. It’s called “chimptestsite”. Now that my new website is done, my developer did a re-direct and maybe that’s okay, but the url shows up as “chimptestsite”. Also, google showed all the old links to my site as server errors. Doesn’t seem right to me! I want it so show my same old domain name on the url, and to not lose all my years of google “goodwill” in the search engines.
Should we have put the new website under a folder named something like “test” then the old url name, then copied the new site over the old one? Is there a certain kind of re-direct that takes care of this? It isn’t a large site, maybe eight to ten pages. What should I do now. BTW, my developer took off on vacation.
The followings things are needed to do this right:
Your virtual host on the webserver where your site is hosted or the new webserver where the site is hosted will need to have an entry for your old domain name that points to the document root of your new Wordpress site.
You need to change the Public DNS only i your website is moving to a new server; otherwise the virtual host change is step one will reuse the existing Public DNS.
You need to create a rewrite map or 301 redirects that point your old pages to your new pages. You only need to do this if the pages in Wordpress have change; which in your case is likely the case. You can find more about these things in @dklynn; 's tutorial
Do you know who manages your webserver, is it your developer? Typically developers do this for you. For example, any website I develop, including WordPress sites, I have setup the webserver, the public DNS and the redirects. I would recommend that as fast as possible you restore your old wordpress to keep those valid links and then gives you time to get this setup correctly.
You could contact your web host and see if you can pay them to do the virtual hosts and any DNS changes and then you could work with us here to learn how to use a .htaccess file and to do a rewritemap or 301 redirects. Although mod-rewrite is available for Windows it is better to run it on an Apache server, so I hope that is what your Wordpress is running on.
Alternatively you could interview a few web developers to see if they could take this task on for you.
You missed the “ecommerce” in the OP’s first line. That will require an SSL and that will require a dedicated IP address and use of the (old) domain name. Further, I believe that WP requires configuration with these same details (perhaps I’m confusing this with ZenCart?). Therefore, IMHO, the new website needed to be developed OFFLINE and should have used a local domain without the TLD of the online domain (easiest to “backfill” when moving online).
I thought that the OP’s reuse of WP meant that the old pages remained … which implies to me that no redirects should be required.
With the limited information available, it doesn’t appear that mod_rewrite can help with the structural problems which are implied by the questions.
[indent][throwing rocks]
… my web developer (in whom I don’t have a lot of confidence on this issue)
You appear to have used a non-professional “web developer,” one who neither knows what he/she is doing and who doesn’t care (vacation is more important than doing the job correctly). This may be a “you get what you pay for” situation but you’re stuck with a non-professional website and are also suffering the loss of your Google PR - how much is that worth?
Steve gave some good ideas about finding someone to do the job correctly but you need to get someone REALLY good to try to undo the damage before it becomes irreparable. Don’t waste time, get it corrected ASAP!
Again, I don’t know why you guys are so good about answering these questions, but I sure do appreciate it! Thanks.
For me, there are large portions of “been there, done that” and “professionalism” (something your developer obviously lacks). I’ve seen too many horrid websites and could only shake my head. I have spent many, many hours here trying to help spread knowledge so members don’t have to rely on the “cowboys” simply to repay the few who have helped clarify some things for me along the way. My reward has been acknowledgement by members who have sent thanks via posts and PMs to express their appreciation.
Hi Steve. We did get the old website back up after a few hours, hopefully not too much damage. I agree on hiring someone, but my last two experiences have been with “cowboys” as someone described them and in these cases I think I got less than what I paid for. Tired of cowboys! But how do you tell the cowboys who sound very confident (don’t know what they don’t know), from those that do know what they’re doing? Is there a certification or some way to substantiate credentials? Next time someone tells me not to worry, it’s easy, I will have a hard time not running. But seriously, how hard can it be to move a website from a trial location to the real thing??
Simple - ask for a portfolio and look at the websites and look at some of the underlying code (View | Source Code). Ask questions about whether WP, X, Y or Z was used to create the websites and how many similar websites they’ve created AND maintain. The more you interview, the better you’ll understand their answers and be able to compare. Personally, I use a “B.S. meter” and listen carefully to what someone says. I ask for more detailed information about things I may not understand and evaluate how well the person understands by the explanation offered. When I (or the interviewee) get confused by the evolving answer, I know it’s B.S.
How hard is it to move? It’s NEVER too hard if the “web developer” actually knows what (s)he’s doing.
It is a bit tough to know what you’re getting if you don’t understand a lot
about website migration.
As dklynn suggests the more you ask about their experiences in Wordpress,
Secure Sites, DNS, Web Servers, and rewriting the better you can guage if they
are up to the job.
If they talk about things you don’t understand then post questions here so that
we can help you have a meaninful qualificaiton process.
I have spent many, many hours here trying to help spread knowledge so members don’t have to rely on the “cowboys” simply to repay the few who have helped clarify some things for me along the way. My reward has been acknowledgement by members who have sent thanks via posts and PMs to express their appreciation.