migrate domain-name and hosting from google-sites to wordpress

Question

I don't have website deveoplemnt experience.

For keeping my personal blogs, I took the easy plug-and-play step and I have created a website using sites.google.com. I bought the domain name and hosting via the same.

However, google-sites has very limited functionality and my website is pretty static in nature.

Recently I learned that WordPress is a better option for a more interactive website, but all the videos I am seeing on YouTube start with buying a domain name and hosting.

How can I migrate my Google-Sites (with the domain name and hosting) from Google Sites to WordPress?

If not WordPress, what other options do I have?

Answer 1

There are lots of options in what you are asking, I am going to give you a general idea.

Your first step is to get some hosting. It could either be WordPress specific or general shared hosting on which you install WordPress, which is pretty easy.

Let's assume you don't mind your site being in "construction" mode for a while. Does google sites have a native URL e.g. example.googlesites.com? I don't know. If they do, you can have access to your existing site and the content via that URL. Even if they don't you should still be able to log in and have access to your existing content.

Next, change the nameservers on your domain to point at your new host. Within a couple of hours or so you will start to see a virgin WordPress site. At this point you can start modifying the theme and adding the content. You might want to put an "under construction" page up for a while. There are plugins that will show visitors a holding page but you can see your actual site if you are logged in.

Be warned, WordPress does have a steep learning curve, but there are loads of tutorials covering just about everything you could want to do.