Redirecting existing site users to WordPress

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  pingyao48 · Member · Feb 7, 2016 at 10:57 am

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  I already have my own website, let’s call it xx.co.uk, hosted elsewhere.
  Is there a way that I can redesign my website using WordPress, i.e. I create a xx.wordpress.com and redirect people who currently use xx.co.uk to the wordpress site without them noticing that they are actually on xx.wordpress.com (in the address bar for example). I’m possibly asking for the impossible, or none of this makes practical sense. Just an idea at the moment.

  Thanks, Gerry

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  fstat · Staff · Feb 7, 2016 at 11:28 am

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  You can do it by mapping your current domain (xx.co.uk) to your xx.wordpress.com site. That way when someone visits xx.co.uk won’t know he’s visiting a .wordpress.com site.

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  pingyao48 · Member · Feb 7, 2016 at 12:37 pm

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  Thanks for a quick response. My domain name xx.co.uk was registered by company yy who also provide me with the necessary hosting facilites (storage, PHP, mail facilities etc).

  If I map in the way you suggest does that mean I no longer need their hosting facilities, that everything will instead be based at WordPress?

  If that is the case then presumably I would no longer have access to my email addresses e.g. (email visible only to moderators and staff) as they are part of my hosting package. Would I be able to create these on WP so that my site’s Contact form an email links will still be valid.

  Sorry for so many questions.

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  fstat · Staff · Feb 7, 2016 at 2:05 pm

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  WordPress.com will act as your hosting provider.
  The thing with email is that WordPress.com only supports email forwarding. If you want to have full email hosting you can ask your current provider if it supports it or you connect an email provider to your custom domain (like Google and Zoho).

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  pingyao48 · Member · Feb 7, 2016 at 2:21 pm

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  Many thanks, fstat, for your quick and very helpful responses, particularly with the links. I now need to go away and think it through.

  Appreciate your help.

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  fstat · Staff · Feb 7, 2016 at 2:34 pm

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  You’re welcome!

  With WordPress.com, you don’t need to worry about security, backups and updates. All of that is done automatically. You just have to focus on your content, and let the people behind WordPress.com handle the rest!