major redesign/upgrade on existing wp site

  • hi,

    I looked through the forum but did not exactly find an answer so here goes. i am looking at a major redesign for an existing wp site. As of now, it is built within one site but has several “sections” of separate users input, thus creating tons of pages and posts. I am wondering if it will be better for management to go with a multi-site set up (though i have not set up a multi-site as yet : )).

    Because of the massive content of existing site, can someone suggest the easiest and most efficient way to go about the redesign (both theme and content) and still have the existing site usable in the meantime?

    I know my way around wp, have built a few sites but am a long way from super knowledgeable. I recently created a wp site in a test folder for another, non wp, site but when i went to move the new site to the root, I ended up having to go into the database and change the path to all of the photos, links, etc. which i would love to avoid this time around.

    thanks in advance (hopefully)

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
  • Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    Because of the massive content of existing site, can someone suggest the easiest and most efficient way to go about the redesign (both theme and content) and still have the existing site usable in the meantime?

    I’d say do it locally, trick your hosts file into thinking your domain is your local PC (https://wpmututorials.com/how-to/using-a-hosts-file/) and build it there. Then move it up when you’re ready and not worry about the mess of subfolder names etc.

    As of now, it is built within one site but has several “sections” of separate users input, thus creating tons of pages and posts. I am wondering if it will be better for management to go with a multi-site set up

    I would only recommend multisite if you wanted to separate the *admin areas* of each section.

    If not, single site it is.

    Thread Starter mickif

    (@mickif)

    Thank you both for the suggestions, I love the idea of building it locally, would I then just ftp up all of the files to the server?

    The reason that I was thinking the multisite is because there are so many pages and posts that the folks in charge of content have a hard time finding the pages and posts to edit, etc. I have looked, hoping there is a way to manage pages but have not found anything. Is there a plug in or a way to organize files within WP, kind of like one would do using folders?

    Your help is very much appreciated! Sincere thanks.

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    Also the database will need to be brought up (and the wp-config.php changed to point to it).

    Thread Starter mickif

    (@mickif)

    another possible glitch, if while developing the new site, the existing site has content added or new users, then once the new site “goes live” I’m not sure how I’d sync the DEV-database and the LIVE-database. This is for a school with all teachers and administrators updating often.

    Thanks again for any help you can provide.

    Moderator Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)

    (@ipstenu)

    ?????? Advisor and Activist

    If all your users are making posts (and not just subscribers) that’s pretty easy. Just before you go live, set your ‘live’ site in maintenance mode, export all the posts, WIPE the posts in your dev DB and import the live posts. That should also bring in any users.

    Actually, I’d probably just do that to start with, and then IF any content changes, you can probably skate by with bringing the users and posts tables over from the live db in full…

    May need to be tested though, this is from my ‘I’m still on my coffee thought bucket’

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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