Many people come to WordPress after some experience of creating static sites using HTML and CSS; in fact, this is what happened to me. I had been building static sites for a while and wanted to start developing with content management system (CMS), which would make it easy for me to import existing static sites and update them using the CMS interface.
The great news is that WordPress makes it possible for you to do this. In this chapter, you'll learn how to move your old site to WordPress as well as gain an understanding of how WordPress works and the benefits of using it. We'll cover these topics:
The difference between a WordPress site and a static site
How WordPress is structured and how it stores your site's content and design information
How to install WordPress on your server and set it up while keeping your old site live
How to choose and install a theme
How to add content to your new WordPress site, including importing content from your old site and adding new posts and pages
Installing plugins to add extra functionality
Launching your site once it is ready
So let's get started!
Note
In this book, you'll learn how to download and activate a theme that will give your site its styling and layout. If you want to learn how to take your static site and develop your own theme-based on the code in your HTML files, I recommend WordPress Theme Development Beginner's Guide, Packt Publishing.